On the listing
Many Spanish portals and agents print it under “Referencia catastral” or “Ref. catastral”. If it isn’t there, ask the agent. A seller has no reason to refuse.
Check a Spanish property before you pay a deposit
Enter the address or the referencia catastral. We check it against the Catastro, the national aerial photos and the flood maps, and get back to you by email, in English.
- Free first check
- Checked against Catastro, IGN and MITECO
- Just your email, no account
- Official sourcesCatastro records, IGN aerial photos and MITECO flood maps
- Free checkNo account and no card, just an email address to reply to
- €0 to youWe earn only if you choose a partner lawyer or service
- No spamWe use your email only to reply about the property you asked about
What we look at
The official record, translated into plain English
The Spanish Catastro holds the description of every property: what it is, how big it is and what’s been declared as built. We look it up for you, set it against the maps and tell you what stands out.
- Built area, plot size and year built: compare them with the listing
- Each declared structure: house, pool, storage, porch, with its floor area
- Aerial photo with the parcel boundary: see what’s actually on the land
- 100-year flood zone from the national flood map, as an overlay
Before you start
1 · LISTING
2 · IBI BILL
3 · CATASTRO MAP
Where to find the referencia catastral
It’s a 20-character code, and every property in Spain has one. You don’t need an account to find it.
On the council tax bill
The seller’s annual IBI (property tax) receipt shows it. Asking to see the latest one also confirms the tax is being paid.
On the official map
Find the building on the Sede del Catastro map, click it and copy the reference shown.
What it checks
Four checks, and the ones we don’t do
A free check is a first filter, not a green light. Here is exactly what it covers, and where to get the rest.
The reference is real
We confirm the reference or address matches a real Catastro property, and the right unit in a block of flats.
CatastroWhat’s declared
Use, built area, plot size, year built and every declared structure, so you can spot a pool or extension that was never registered.
Dirección General del CatastroWhere it really is
A current aerial photograph with the legal parcel outline over it. Check the boundary matches the fence.
IGN PNOA + Catastro mapFlood zone
The official 100-year flood zone drawn over the map. It’s a visual check, not a certificate.
MITECO SNCZIWhat this free check does not tell you
- Who owns it, and any mortgage, seizure or chargeOnly the Land Registry’s nota simple shows this. How to get one.
- Whether it’s legal to live in, extend or letPlanning status and licences sit with the town hall. Ask your lawyer to check.
- The coastal protection line (deslinde)The national coastal map service is not responding reliably, so we don’t show it yet.
- Condition and a fair priceSpain has no public sold-price register. Use a surveyor and an independent valuation (tasación).
Compare
Where a free check fits
What each option gives an English-speaking buyer, from the providers’ own published pages.
| SpanishPropertyCheckFree check | CasaValidatorStandard · €19.99 | CasaValidatorFull · €49.99 | Spanish property lawyertypically 1% + VAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | €0 | €19.99 | €49.99 | ≈1% of price + VAT |
| How you get it | We reply by email | PDF in 2–24 h | PDF in 2–24 h | Report, in days |
| Catastro record in English | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aerial photo + parcel outline | ✓ | Not listed | Not listed | – |
| Flood zone | ✓ map | Not listed | ✓ | On request |
| Owners, mortgages, charges | – order the nota simple | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Photo condition analysis | – | ✓ AI | ✓ AI | – |
| Legal advice and liability | – | – | – | ✓ |
CasaValidator prices, turnaround and plan contents as published at casavalidator.com/en, checked 25 September 2026. Lawyer fees vary by firm; 1% + VAT (often with a minimum) is a common quote. We are not affiliated with CasaValidator.
Buying in Spain as a foreigner
The five steps, in order
Where the free check fits in a purchase, and what comes after it.
Check the property
Run the free check on any listing you’re serious about. Rule out wrong sizes and undeclared builds early.
Free checkGet your NIE
The foreigner’s tax number, needed to sign and to pay. Form EX-15 plus the Modelo 790-012 fee, at a consulate or police station.
NIE guideHire your own lawyer
Never the seller’s or the agent’s. They order the nota simple and check planning, debts and community fees.
Choosing a lawyerSign the arras contract
The deposit contract, usually 10%. Walk away and you lose it; the seller walks away and pays you double.
Buying step by stepComplete at the notary
Sign the escritura, pay the balance and taxes, then register the deed in your name.
Costs and taxes
Guides
Everything else a foreign buyer needs
Plain-English guides, checked against official Spanish sources.
NIE number
How to get the foreigner’s tax number from abroad or in Spain, and what it costs.
Read the guideNota simple
The Land Registry extract that shows owners, mortgages and charges, and how to read it.
Read the guideProperty taxes
What you pay to buy, own and sell: ITP, IVA, IBI, non-resident tax and plusvalía.
Read the guideProperty lawyer
How to choose an independent lawyer, and what their checks should cover.
Read the guide
Why it’s free
The data is public. The hard part is reading it.
The Catastro, the national aerial photography and the flood maps are published free by the Spanish state, but only in Spanish, spread across different websites and written in administrative codes. We join them up and translate them.
We don’t sell your details or build a database of properties. When you need a lawyer or a mortgage, our guides explain what to look for.
Run a free check
Questions
Before you check
Is this an official document?
No. It shows public Catastro, IGN and MITECO data, translated. It carries no legal weight and isn’t a Catastro certificate. For anything legally binding, use the nota simple and your lawyer.
What is a nota simple, and why isn’t it here?
It’s the Land Registry extract that shows the owner, mortgages and charges. Spanish law forbids resellers from storing it in a database, so order it directly from the Registry (about €9) or through your lawyer.
The areas don’t match the listing. Is that bad?
Not always, because listings often include terraces or common areas. But a large gap, or a pool or extension missing from the Catastro, is a question for your lawyer before you sign the arras.
What do you do with my email?
We use it to reply about the property you asked about. We don’t sell it or share it, and we won’t add you to a newsletter without asking. See our privacy policy.
How soon will you reply?
As soon as we can. Every check is looked at by a person. If we can’t match the address to a property, we’ll ask you for the reference from the listing or the seller’s IBI bill.
Does it cover the Canaries, the Basque Country and Navarre?
The Canaries and Balearics, yes. The Basque Country and Navarre run their own separate cadastres, which the national service doesn’t cover.
Check it before you sign the arras
An address or a reference is all we need to start.
Check a property free