To check an off-plan project in Spain, match what the developer tells you against the official record before each payment. Start with the 4 official registers listed below, then ask the questions that the 48 projects we track in Spain most often leave open.
The check most often missing in Spain: permit or licence number (not public for 43 of 48 projects).
- Official registers
- What projects here leave out
- Questions to ask the developer
- What our live lookup reads
- The law, quoted
- Free check
- Questions and answers
Step 1: official registers in Spain#
Catastro (Spain)
- What it proves
- The plot, its boundaries, use and built area for tax purposes.
- What it does not prove
- Legal ownership or charges: that is the Registro de la Propiedad.
- How to search
- Search the Sede Electronica del Catastro by address or cadastral reference.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) www.sedecatastro.gob.es
From our register guide.
Registro de la Propiedad (Spain)
- What it proves
- A nota simple shows the registered owner, mortgages, charges and any declared new building.
- What it does not prove
- That a planning licence exists.
- How to search
- Request a nota simple online by address, owner or registry details.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) sede.registradores.org
From our register guide.
Municipal licences (Ayuntamiento) (Spain)
- What it proves
- The building licence (licencia de obra) for the works, and the first occupation licence (or equivalent) once finished.
- What it does not prove
- That your deposit is protected.
- How to search
- Ask for the licence number and date and check it with the town hall planning department.
No public online search; ask the authority directly.
From our register guide.
Deposit guarantee (aval or insurance) (Spain)
- What it proves
- Spanish law (Ley 38/1999) requires off-plan payments for homes to be guaranteed by a bank guarantee or insurance and paid into a special account.
- What it does not prove
- There is no public register: the guarantee is only as good as the individual certificate issued to you.
- How to search
- Ask for an individual guarantee certificate in your name for each payment, and confirm it with the issuing bank or insurer.
No public online search; ask the authority directly.
From our register guide.
Step 2: what off-plan projects in Spain leave out#
Share of the 48 tracked projects that make each check public, and how many are confirmed by an official register or independent source.
| Check | Public | Not public | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit or licence number | 5 (10%) | 43 | 4 |
| Deposit protection | 20 (42%) | 28 | 0 |
| Construction progress | 21 (44%) | 27 | 14 |
| Site or floor plans | 36 (75%) | 12 | 0 |
| Developer track record | 38 (79%) | 10 | 31 |
| No guaranteed-return language | 48 (100%) | 0 | 0 |
Step 3: questions to ask the developer#
The questions our research agent raised most often for projects in Spain, with how many projects they apply to. Each one points at a gap in what the developer publishes.
- No building permit mentioned: ask for the number before paying. (46 of 48 projects)
- Completion advertised for 2028: does progress on site match? (33 of 48 projects)
- No deposit protection published: will your payments go into an escrow or trust account in your name? (28 of 48 projects)
- A permit number is published: does it exist in the official register and match this plot? (5 of 48 projects)
- Title type not stated: leasehold, freehold or a company structure? (4 of 48 projects)
- A building permit is claimed: does it exist in the official system and match this plot? (2 of 48 projects)
Send them in writing: ask the developer with our template.
What our live lookup reads in Spain#
Spain. Online means our lookup queries the official source itself; manual means a person checks it.
Read online, automatically
- Cadastral record by reference: address, use, built area, plot area, year built: Sede Electrónica del Catastro, Consulta_DNPRC
- Cadastral parcel nearest to map coordinates: Sede Electrónica del Catastro, Consulta_RCCOOR_Distancia
Checked by hand
- Ownership and charges (nota simple): Registro de la Propiedad (paid extract)
- Company acts of the developer: BORME (daily bulletin, no name search API)
- Building licence: The town hall (ayuntamiento) of the municipality
Needs a site visit
- Works match the licence and the cadastral record
- Plot boundaries and access
The law, quoted#
5 rules from official sources. Read them with the quoted text.
- In Spain, money paid before completion must be guaranteed and kept in a special account (Law 38/1999 on Building Regulation (Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación), first additional provision, First additional provision, One, 1 (a) and (b))
- Penitential deposit (arras): buyer walks away and loses it, seller walks away and pays it back double (Spanish Civil Code (Código Civil), Article 1454)
- If the home is not delivered, the buyer can cancel and get the money back with legal interest, or agree a new date in writing (Law 38/1999 on Building Regulation (Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación), first additional provision, as in force, First additional provision, Four (Cuatro))
- The contract must say the developer will refund payments plus legal interest if the deadlines are missed (Law 38/1999 on Building Regulation (Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación), first additional provision, as in force, First additional provision, Three (Tres) (a) to (c))
- If the developer does not refund within 30 days of a formal demand, the buyer can claim from the insurer or bank (Law 38/1999 on Building Regulation (Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación), first additional provision, as in force, First additional provision, Two (Dos), 1 (h) and 2 (b) and (c))
Step 4: run a free check#
Paste the project page into the free desk review: our agent reads it, quotes every claim and looks it up in the registers above where it can. Then see all projects we track in Spain.
Questions and answers#
What should I check before buying off-plan in Spain?
The permit or licence number, deposit protection, construction progress, plans, the developer's track record and any guaranteed-return promise. In Spain the check most often missing is permit or licence number (43 of 48 tracked projects do not publish it).
Is there an official register to check an off-plan project in Spain?
Yes: Catastro; Registro de la Propiedad; Municipal licences (Ayuntamiento); Deposit guarantee (aval or insurance).
What do developers in Spain most often leave unanswered?
No building permit mentioned: ask for the number before paying. (46 of 48 projects).
Are you the developer, or did we get something wrong? Send documents and we add your reply or correct the record: right of reply · corrections. Every figure here is computed from the open dataset (/data/bali-cases.json, CC BY 4.0) and changes when the data changes.