Buying Property in Marbella: Guide for Gulf Buyers

Why do many Gulf buyers choose Marbella?

Marbella is an international resort city of roughly 150,000 residents on the Costa del Sol, with a marina, the Golden Mile and many golf courses nearby. It has a long history with visitors from the Gulf, including a mosque and Islamic cultural centre, and it is one of the most expensive places on the Spanish coast. Buyers come for a summer home, an investment or, increasingly, a base for the whole family.

Málaga airport is about 45 to 60 minutes away by road. Flight connections from the Gulf change by season, so check current routes. Summers are warm but far milder than in the Gulf, and people often speak of more than 300 sunny days a year. Price levels differ widely between areas and are generally higher than on the Costa Blanca.

This guide is written for buyers based in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman; if you live in the UAE, most of it applies too, and our Dubai and UAE guide covers the UAE-specific documents. It sets out what you need to know before buying: which areas to consider, what the buying costs are, whether a purchase gives any residency rights, how the process works from abroad, how financing and currency work, which taxes you pay and where the pitfalls are. It does not replace legal, tax or immigration advice.

Written byMike Brady

Reviewed byAlberto Bertazzi

Originally published13 October 2026

Last updated13 October 2026

Which areas in and around Marbella do Gulf buyers consider?

Short answer: It depends on whether you want a lively resort setting, golf and the marina, or privacy and space. The coastal areas are lived in all year; the hills above Marbella offer larger plots and quiet but need a car and a particularly careful legal check.

These descriptions are a general indication, not a price view. Prices differ widely by street, quality and market conditions; ask to see recent comparable sales.

How much are the buying costs for a property in Marbella?

Short answer: About 8.5% of the price on a resale home and about 12.5% on a new build. Tax is the largest item: 7% transfer tax (ITP) on resale, 10% VAT (IVA) plus 1.2% stamp duty (AJD) on new builds. These costs come on top of the deposit.

FCG planning values for Andalusia, position October 2026, rounded. On a new build the tax is 10% VAT (IVA) plus 1.2% stamp duty (AJD). The lawyer’s fee is modelled at about 1% of the price (minimum €1,200) and the gestoría at about €300; notary and registry fees are modelled with upper limits, so for very high prices the actual figures can differ. Real costs depend on the deed, the work involved and the provider.

• Not included: the deposit, the bank’s valuation (we assume about €500), furnishing, any renovation, and the currency conversion and transfer fees charged by your bank. Compare the exchange rate you are offered with the market rate before converting a large amount.
• Mortgage deed: under the current Spanish mortgage law the bank bears most of the costs of the mortgage deed (notary, property register, tax, gestoría). That does not apply to the costs of the purchase itself.
• Plusvalía municipal: this municipal land-value tax is legally paid by the seller. Check that the contract does not shift it to you.
• Off-plan purchases: deposits paid to a developer should be covered by a bank guarantee or insurance. Ask to see the cover in writing.

Our detailed buying costs calculator works out the costs for your own price. More background: Buying costs in Spain for non-residents.

Does buying a property in Marbella give Gulf buyers residency?

Short answer: No. Owning a Spanish property does not by itself give you the right to live in Spain or to stay longer than a visitor. The investor route that used to be linked to a property purchase was closed in April 2025. What applies to you depends on your passport and plans, so take immigration advice before you rely on any route.

General information, position October 2026. Immigration and entry rules change often and depend on your nationality; this is not immigration advice.

How does buying a property in Marbella work step by step from the Gulf?

Short answer: Agree your financing, obtain a NIE and open a Spanish bank account, have a lawyer check the property, sign a reservation and an arras contract, then sign the deed at the notary and register it. Allow six to twelve weeks between reservation and deed, longer if you also need a power of attorney or have to collect documents from abroad.

1. Agree your budget and financing. Work out your own funds, the buying costs and the mortgage you can realistically get before you commit to a property.
2. Apply for a NIE. The Spanish foreigner’s identification number is needed for the deed and for taxes. You can apply at a Spanish embassy or consulate, or in Spain through a lawyer holding your power of attorney. Waiting times differ, so start early.
3. Open a Spanish bank account. For payments, direct debits for IBI, community fees and utilities, and the mortgage. Spanish banks carry out identity and source-of-funds checks on non-residents, so have your documents ready. Cash payments are heavily restricted; payments go by bank transfer.
4. Consider a power of attorney. Many Gulf-based buyers sign the NIE application, or even the deed, through a lawyer. A power of attorney signed abroad is usually signed before a notary or at a Spanish consulate and then apostilled or legalised, because Spanish notaries and authorities need to be sure it is genuine. Ask your lawyer in advance which procedure your country uses.
5. Choose and view the property. Involve an independent lawyer now, so that the property is checked before money moves.
6. Reservation. A small deposit takes the property off the market. Ask first under which conditions it can be lost.
7. Legal due diligence. Property register extract (Nota Simple) showing the owner and any charges, cadastral data, proof that the IBI is paid, a community debt certificate, energy certificate, the habitation or first-occupation licence (for a new build) and planning licences for extensions and pools. In Marbella, also check the planning status.
8. Arras contract (purchase agreement with deposit). Typically about 10% of the price. If the buyer withdraws, the deposit is usually lost; if the seller withdraws, the seller usually has to return it doubled, unless agreed otherwise. Sign only after the legal and financial checks.
9. Finalise the financing. Valuation, binding offer and review of the documents. The bank must provide the pre-contractual documents at least ten calendar days before signing.
10. Documents from abroad. Spanish banks usually accept income and bank documents as issued. Legalisation or an apostille is rarely needed for a mortgage application, and a sworn translation is only sometimes requested, rarely for documents in major world languages such as English. Ask the bank or your adviser what is actually required before you pay for translations. Legalisation does matter for a power of attorney signed abroad (see step 4). Collect the documents early; waiting for paperwork is a common cause of delay.
11. Deed at the notary. Signing the deed (escritura), paying the balance and handing over the keys. If you do not speak Spanish, arrange an interpreter and have the deed translated in advance. The notary is a public official who executes the deed; they do not advise you on the purchase, which is what your own lawyer is for. The notary records how the price was paid.
12. After the purchase. Your gestoría or lawyer files the taxes and registers the deed. Then come electricity, water, internet, home insurance, registration with the community and direct debits for IBI and refuse charges. Also arrange your first non-resident tax return, and consider a Spanish will.

More on the sequence: Spanish mortgage timeline and process.

Can Gulf residents get a Spanish mortgage to buy in Marbella?

Short answer: Yes. Spanish banks lend to non-residents based in the Gulf, usually up to about 70% of the value and often 60 to 70%. The loan is in euros and is assessed on income, commitments, own funds and the property. The difficulty is rarely the geography; it is the paperwork: income evidence, source of funds and timing.

Here is a worked example for a resale home at €1,000,000 in Marbella (illustrative interest rate of 3.5% and a 25-year term, not an offer):

Own funds are the deposit, the purchase costs of about €83,750 and the bank valuation of about €500. The calculation comes from the FCG costs calculator and is a planning aid.

How much you can borrow depends mainly on your net income and your existing commitments. Our calculators assume that all monthly commitments together should not exceed about 40% of net income. For the €700,000 loan above, that implies a net income of roughly €8,800 a month before any other debt.

Which documents do Spanish banks look at for Gulf-based buyers?

Requirements differ from bank to bank and from case to case; a bank will tell you if it needs a certified or sworn translation of a particular document. For detail by country see Getting a Spanish mortgage from Dubai or the UAE and from Saudi Arabia or Qatar.

Currency. Your income is in riyals, dinars or rials, but the price, the costs and the mortgage payments are in euros. The Saudi riyal, Qatari riyal, Bahraini dinar and Omani rial are pegged to the US dollar, and the Kuwaiti dinar is linked to a basket of currencies, so in practice your exposure is largely the euro-dollar rate. If the euro strengthens by 10% against the dollar, a €3,504 payment becomes about 10% more expensive in your own currency. Decide whether you are comfortable with that before you borrow, and compare how and when you convert funds. Our Gulf mortgage calculator takes income in SAR, QAR or AED and shows results in euros.

Interest-based loans. Spanish mortgages are conventional, interest-bearing loans. As far as we are aware, Sharia-compliant home finance is not a standard product of Spanish retail banks. If this matters to you, say so at the very beginning; it affects whether to borrow in Spain at all or to fund the purchase another way.

See also How much deposit do you need to buy in Spain?

What are the typical buyer profiles for Gulf buyers and what matters for each?

What taxes and running costs do Gulf owners pay after buying in Marbella?

Short answer: Yearly property tax (IBI), a refuse charge, community fees and, for non-residents, an annual tax return (modelo 210) at 24% for owners from outside the EU and EEA. On top come utilities and insurance. Depending on the total value of your Spanish assets, wealth-related taxes can also apply.

Spain has signed double-tax treaties with several Gulf states; whether one applies, and how, depends on your country and situation. Under most treaties income from property is taxed where the property is located. Many Gulf states do not tax personal income, so there may be no tax at home against which the Spanish tax can be offset. Spain also levies a wealth tax and a separate tax on large fortunes; how they apply to a non-resident depends on the total value of the Spanish assets and on the rules for your country, so ask a tax adviser before buying a high-value property. When a non-resident later sells, the buyer withholds 3% of the price as an advance on the Spanish tax. Take advice from a tax adviser who knows Spain and your home country.

Which pitfalls should Gulf buyers in Marbella watch out for?

• Do not assume holiday rental is allowed. Registration, municipal rules and community consent are required. The rules in Andalusia and on the Costa del Sol have tightened in recent years and municipalities can set limits. Check the current position before you buy.
• Planning status and licences. In Marbella the licences of a number of developments were challenged in the past. Have your lawyer check the licence, the planning status and the registers, also for an existing home. For plots in the hills, check how the land is classified and whether water, access and utilities are secured.
• Asking price versus real value. Asking prices can be well above actual sale prices. Ask for recent comparable sales and an independent valuation.
• The full price in the deed. Make sure the full price appears in the deed and is paid by traceable bank transfer. Payments outside the deed create tax and legal risks for the buyer as well as the seller.
• Proximity to the coast. Beachfront properties are subject to protection zones under the Coastal Law (Ley de Costas) that can restrict building work. Have easements checked in the property register.
• Community arrears and urbanisation fees. Debts attach to the property: it stands behind arrears for the current and previous year, which you could end up bearing. Get a debt certificate from the administrator before the deed, and ask which fees apply to the estate and who maintains the roads and common areas.
• Unregistered additions. Terraces, pools, garages and guest houses must be in the property register and the cadastre. Compare the real situation with the registrations; this is common in larger villas.
• Deposits on new builds. Ask to see the bank guarantee for deposits, the licences and the ten-year structural insurance, and check the deadlines.
• Restricted zones for non-EU buyers. In a few designated zones, for example near military installations, buyers from outside the EU need an authorisation. Your lawyer should confirm whether the specific property is affected.
• Buying through a company. If you buy through a foreign company, an annual special tax on the cadastral value can apply in some cases, and the notary must identify the real owners. Take tax advice before you choose the structure.
• Succession. Spanish property is inherited under Spanish procedures. Ask a lawyer how the law of your country and the Spanish rules interact, and consider a Spanish will; it usually saves your heirs time and cost.
• Independent advice. Appoint a lawyer who was not introduced by the seller or the agent, so that no conflict of interest arises.

Short answers for Gulf buyers in Marbella

General guide, as of 13 October 2026. Tax rates, costs, conditions and requirements can change and depend on the property, the bank and your personal situation. This text is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Information on fees is on our regulatory and fee information page.

Where to find binding information

• Agencia Tributaria: the Spanish tax authority (modelo 210, tax obligations).
• Registradores de España: the property register and the register extract (Nota Simple).
• Consejo General del Notariado: notaries and the deed.
• Sede Electrónica del Catastro: cadastral data and cadastral value.
• Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores: Spanish embassies and consulates, visas and the NIE application from abroad.

Do you know what you can buy in Marbella?

If you want to know how much a Spanish bank might lend against your income and own funds, start the FCG online application or speak with us before you sign a reservation. Start the online application →

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