This post is also available in:
Nota Simple in Spain:
What It Is and How to Get One
What Is a Nota Simple?
A nota simple is the official extract issued by the Spanish Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad). In a single document it tells you who legally owns a property, exactly what is registered, and whether anything is attached to it — a mortgage, an embargo, a right of way or a planning restriction.
It is informative rather than binding: it does not itself transfer ownership and it is not a certificate. But it is the document every buyer, and every lawyer acting for a buyer, reads first. In Spain charges follow the property rather than the person, so a debt you did not check for can become yours the day you complete.
If you are buying from abroad and have never dealt with the Spanish system, this is the single most useful document you can ask for before parting with any money.
What Information Does a Nota Simple Show?
The registered owner
The full name of the current owner and the share each owner holds, which matters when a property belongs to several people or to an estate.
The description of the property
Surface area, boundaries, and whether it includes a garage, storage room or plot. Discrepancies between this description and what you were shown are common, particularly with extensions and pools that were never declared.
Charges and encumbrances
Mortgages, embargoes, easements, rights of use, and any restriction registered against the property. This is the section that most often changes a decision.
Reference details
The registry, volume, book, page and property number (finca), which identify the property unambiguously.
What it does not show is equally worth knowing: it says nothing about unpaid community fees, unpaid IBI council tax, or whether the property has a valid occupancy licence. Those need to be checked separately, which is part of what a conveyancing lawyer does.
How to Request a Nota Simple (and What It Costs)
You can request one online from the official Land Registry portal, in person at the registry where the property is filed, or through your lawyer. The official fee is a few euros — it is one of the cheapest safeguards available in a Spanish property transaction.
To request it you need to identify the property, ideally by its finca number or its cadastral reference. If you only have the address, the registry can usually locate it, though in rural areas with imprecise addressing this is less reliable. We routinely obtain notas simples from the registries of Altea, Callosa d’en Sarrià, Benidorm, Calpe, Jávea and Dénia, and from any other Land Registry in Spain.
The document itself is inexpensive; interpreting it correctly is where the value lies. A nota simple is written in Spanish registry language, and the entries that matter most — a conditional resolution clause, an old easement, a note of a pending planning file — are rarely obvious to someone reading it for the first time.
Nota Simple, Escritura and Catastro: What Is the Difference?
Nota simple
An informative extract of what the Land Registry says today. Quick and cheap, and the usual starting point.
Escritura
The public deed signed before a notary. This is the title document itself, the instrument that transfers ownership.
Catastro
The cadastre, a separate tax record describing the physical property and setting the cadastral value used to calculate IBI and non-resident tax. It frequently disagrees with the Land Registry.
Discrepancies between the registry and the cadastre are one of the most common problems we find, particularly where a property has been extended. They can usually be resolved, but it is far cheaper to deal with them before completion than after. We explain the full picture, including the costs of buying a property in Spain, before you commit. The difference is explained in full in our article on the Cadastre versus the Land Registry.
What We Look For on a Nota Simple Before You Buy
- A mortgage still registered against the property, even if the seller says it has been paid — cancellation has to be registered, not merely settled.
- An embargo or seizure noted by a creditor, the tax office or the social security.
- A registered surface area that does not match what you have been shown, which usually means an undeclared extension.
- Ownership in the name of someone who has died, meaning the estate has not been formally processed and the seller may not yet be entitled to sell.
- Notes referring to planning proceedings, protected land or conditions attached to the original licence. If any of these appear, we escalate the case to our town planning team.
- A right of way or easement that affects how you can use the property.
Get Your First Consultation for FREE!
Thinking of making an offer on a Spanish property? We will obtain the nota simple and tell you what it actually says, before you commit any money.
Our Land Registry Check Includes
- Obtaining an up-to-date nota simple for the property before you pay any deposit.
- Translating and explaining every entry in plain English.
- Verifying that the seller is the registered owner and entitled to sell.
- Checking for mortgages, embargoes and other charges.
- Cross-checking the registry description against the cadastre.
- Identifying undeclared extensions, pools and outbuildings.
- Checking easements and rights of way that affect the property.
- Confirming the position on community fees, IBI and the occupancy licence.
- Advising on how to resolve any discrepancy before completion.
- Re-checking the registry immediately before signing at the notary.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Nota Simple
How much does a nota simple cost?
The official Land Registry fee is only a few euros. It is one of the least expensive documents in the whole purchase process and, given what it reveals, the best value check available to a buyer.
Can I get a nota simple myself?
Yes. It can be requested online from the official Land Registry service or in person at the relevant registry. The difficulty is not obtaining it but interpreting it: the entries are written in Spanish registry terminology and the significant ones are not always obvious.
Is a nota simple the same as the title deed?
No. The nota simple is an informative extract of what the registry currently records. The escritura is the notarial deed that actually transfers ownership. You need the nota simple before buying and you receive the escritura when you buy.
How recent should the nota simple be?
As recent as possible. Registry entries change, so we obtain one at the start of the process and check it again immediately before signing at the notary, to make sure nothing new has been registered in the meantime.
What if the nota simple shows a mortgage?
It is very common and not necessarily a problem. The mortgage must be cancelled at or before completion, with the amount deducted from the price and paid directly to the lender. What matters is that the cancellation is properly registered, not merely promised.