Hi Don, Thanks for your question!

We've checked in with Margaret Summerfield, Real Estate Trend Alert, to get an answer to your question. Here is her response,

The cost would depend on a number of factors – where the property is located, if the seller is tax resident in Spain, etc. The typical costs are:

1, real estate agent fees (vary from 3% to 10%)
2, capital gains tax – which can be up to 24% of the gain for a non-resident, non EU/EEA seller. Deductions are allowed, and the tax can be lower if the seller is tax resident/selling a primary residence/using the proceeds to buy a primary residence
3, plusvalia (like a municipal land tax) – this is based on the rise in value of the land the property sits on from the time of purchase to the time of sale - and is on a sliding scale based on how long the seller has owned the property. If say you have held it for up to 5 years, it’s around 3.7%
4, legal costs (around 1%)
5, You also need to pay for certificates (including an energy performance certificate), cancelling a mortgage if there is one, etc.

You may want to reach out to Ronan McMahon's team of experts at Pangea as they have done a lot of scouting in Spain (albeit much of it on the coast... still, they may have a broker to recommend who does long-term rentals in the San Sebastian/Donostia area and if so, that'll be info worth having):

Email: info@pangearesearchgroup.com
Website: https://pangearesearchgroup.com

Best,

IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch

Hi Don and Yvonne,
To aswer you question I would need a lot more information. Are you asking about income tax, property tax, corporate tax, etc.? Are you looking for a tax expert in Spain? I would like to answer better, but I need a more specific question with details.

Regards,
Sally

Hi Joe,

Marijuana laws in Spain are complicated. Basically, private use is legal in your own home or on private property. Buying or selling marijuana is illegal and could land you in jail.

Medical marijuana falls under the same laws as recreational marijuana. Cultivation in your home is legal, but you can only have two plants that are not in public view.

It is legal to buy and sell paraphernalia, seeds, and hemp products.

CBD oil is legal (for topical use, not consumption) and widely available.

Although you may see people smoking openly on the streets, in the parks and on the beaches, don’t do it! You could be fined and/or sent to jail.

The legal way to use cannabis in Spain is to join a private, members-only cannabis club. These clubs are considered private spaces, so you can only enjoy your marijuana socially within the walls of the club. No weed can leave the premises and you cannot bring your own onto the premises.

Clubs are not allowed to advertise, so you will have to ask around. Some only allow Spanish citizens. Some require a referral from a current member. You pay a membership fee in cash and select from the products they have available. Some clubs have become sources of medical marijuana.

In Cataluña, marijuana use is legal but only within the context of the clubs. Beware of sellers telling you marijuana is legal on the streets of Barcelona. For all the rules, visit this website.

Hi Joanne,

Although citizens of EU countries have the right of residence throughout the Union, rules for spousal visas depend on the country you want to live in.

As an Irish national, you have the right to live in Spain. You must establish residency there before you can apply for a spousal visa for your husband. That means finding a place to live, opening a bank account, getting a cell phone contract, and other things that tie you to Spain.

Once you’ve done that, your husband can come to Spain, and on arrival you would declare that he is a family member of an EU citizen resident in Spain. That will give him a one-year renewable residency permit. Once he’s got that, you can apply for a permanent family reunification visa.

This would be quite a bit simpler and less confusing than having him apply for a visa on his own account. If he did that, he would have to make the application from outside Spain, and await the outcome before going there.

It’s likely that Spanish authorities would even notice that he has an EU spouse already living in Spain and tell him simply to join you there and apply for a spousal visa as above.

For more details on how to establish residency in Spain, consider our Escape to Spain guidebook.