Buying with a partner: joint mortgage rules in Girona

In Spain a mortgage application from a couple is treated as two individual financial profiles combined into one file, whether or not the couple is married. The bank in Girona will study each partner's income, existing debts and residency status separately, then decide together how much of the property price it is prepared to lend against. Marriage itself is not a requirement: unmarried and international couples apply on exactly the same basis, as long as both are named on the loan and, usually, on the title deed.

What does matter is that both applicants can document their financial position clearly. For buyers from the United Kingdom this means the bank will want to see UK payslips, tax filings and bank records alongside the Spanish paperwork, translated where the bank requires it. Colibrí Finances compares more than 20 Spanish banks and puts together a file that presents both partners' situations clearly from the start, at no cost while the study remains without obligation.

Girona province covers the Costa Brava coastline as well as inland countryside toward the Pyrenees, offering both beach towns and rural stone villages. Its proximity to France draws French, Belgian and Dutch buyers, alongside others wanting a quieter alternative to busier Spanish coasts.

Girona-Costa Brava airport serves the coast directly, with Barcelona airport also within reach for wider connections. Coastal areas see strong summer activity, while inland towns remain calmer, and property types range from apartments and townhouses near the sea to farmhouses further inland.

The figures below describe Girona (province) as it stands now — residents, advertised home prices, access routes and climate — each dated and sourced. Use them to form a realistic view of Girona (province) while you work out what you can afford.

Girona province, taken as a whole rather than just its capital, counted 830,429 registered residents on 1 January 2025 in the INE census. The number reflects the full territory, large and small municipalities alike, that makes up the province. In the province of Girona, 181,899 residents hold a foreign nationality, about 22 of every 100 people registered there. That is a significant but not dominant share, and it varies considerably from one town to another within the province.

Only 3,372 British nationals appear in INE's register for the whole province of Girona on 1 January 2025, a small number of compatriots. The padrón only counts people living there most of the year, so second-home owners in the province are not included. The table below lists the largest foreign nationalities registered in Girona (province) on 1 January 2025, among those INE publishes for every municipality.

This second table covers nationalities the census does not itemise separately, such as Germans, Italians, Dutch, Belgians or Scandinavians, across Girona province. The data come from 1 January 2022, the latest INE edition with full nationality detail, a year different from the table above.

Across the province of Girona, 3,863 homes currently listed carry a median price of €2,910/m² and a median ticket of €299,000. These figures sit mid-range, near the €3,210/m² median recorded across the 127 towns we track nationwide. Listings span a wide spread, but the middle half of the market sits between €2,050 and €3,870 per square metre, leaving room for both lower and higher asking prices.

Based on €299,000, the median asking price in Girona (province), transfer tax at 10 % comes to roughly €29,900; add about €3,600 for notary, registry and gestoría costs and the total reaches approximately €33,500. This amount sits outside the mortgage and has to be available in cash before completion. Bear in mind these are asking prices from adverts live on 2026-10-05, not the prices actually agreed. Negotiation sets the final figure, which depends on the home's condition, exact location and orientation.

Below is a comparison of the towns we follow in Girona, covering inhabitants, foreign residents per 100 inhabitants and median asking prices per square metre across the province.

Girona (province) showed 20,821 estimated holiday-let dwellings in 05/2026, per INE's experimental platform-based statistic, totalling 116,320 bed places and about 25 per 1,000 residents. This points to a moderate holiday-let presence, with a regional licence still required for tourist letting.

Girona has a single commercial airport, Aeropuerto de Girona-Costa Brava (GRO); depending on where exactly in the province your property is located, an airport in a neighbouring province may actually sit closer to your door. These weather readings come from Girona, the capital of the province, so inland areas, higher ground or other islands within the same province can show noticeably different conditions. The mean temperature in January is 7.1 °C (average daily minimum 1.1 °C) and in August 23.4 °C (average daily maximum 29.8 °C), a cold winter for this country. Buyers should budget for proper heating and insulation. This is a relatively wet part of Spain, with about 728 mm of rain a year falling on roughly 66 days. Buyers should pay attention to damp when inspecting any home. Climate data come from AEMET's 1981-2010 normals, recorded at its Girona Aeropuerto station around 9 km away; the actual spot may vary a little, particularly further inland or higher up.

INE recorded 15,293 home sales in Girona (province) in the year to 06/2026. That level of activity typically gives buyers more comparables to judge a fair price and a broader pool of properties to choose from. These are province-wide figures for Girona, and they can differ substantially depending on the town and the property in question. Tell us about your plans and we will go through the numbers for your case.

The transfer tax on a resale home is set by each Spanish region. In Girona the general rate is 10 %, and on top of it come notary, land registry and gestoría (roughly one more percent). On a new build you pay 10 % VAT plus stamp duty instead of the transfer tax. This money is not lent by the bank.

Spanish banks do not ask whether a couple is married before assessing a joint mortgage in Girona. What they look at is affordability: combined income, existing debt and the deposit each partner can contribute. Unmarried couples are assessed exactly like married ones, and a couple where one partner lives in the United Kingdom and the other already lives in Spain will simply have two different documentation sets to gather rather than a different process.

Ownership, however, is a separate question from the loan. The title deed signed before the notary can set out unequal shares between the two buyers, reflecting who contributed what to the deposit and the ongoing payments, regardless of what share of the mortgage each person is jointly and individually liable for. This distinction between loan liability and ownership share is worth discussing with the gestoría before signing, since it also affects what happens on a future sale or inheritance.

The table below is illustrative only: every bank sets its own list, but it shows the general pattern our team sees when preparing files for couples from the United Kingdom buying in Girona.

Since both applicants are assessed individually before the bank looks at the couple as a whole, each partner from the United Kingdom should prepare their own set of paperwork in parallel. Spanish banks translate this list slightly differently, but the core is consistent across the market.

Gathering these early, and having sworn translations ready, is usually what shortens the time a Spanish bank needs to give a first answer on a joint file in Girona.

Once the mortgage is agreed, the notary records the ownership shares each partner holds in the property, which can differ from the share of the loan each person is liable for. This matters later: as non-residents, each owner normally files an annual Modelo 210 tax return in Spain, and the double taxation agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom, together with a local tax adviser, determines how rental income or any future gain is reported to HMRC as well.

If the couple later sells, the buyer withholds 3% of the price on account of each non-resident seller's Spanish tax, applied to whatever share of ownership that seller holds. Because sterling and the euro move independently, couples paying from the United Kingdom should also budget for currency conversion costs when transferring funds for the deposit, ongoing mortgage payments or these purchase-related taxes.

Spain is a relatively short flight away from most UK airports, making regular visits to a Spanish property straightforward for owners based in Britain. Many British buyers are drawn to Spain for its climate, coastal lifestyle and established expatriate communities. One practical point to bear in mind is that Spanish inheritance law differs from UK rules, so it is worth taking specific advice on how it may affect the property and one's estate. Currency movements between sterling and the euro can also affect the overall cost of purchase and ongoing expenses.

Spain and the United Kingdom have a double taxation agreement in place, and a local tax adviser should confirm how rental income or gains from Spanish property must be declared and reported to HMRC.

As the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member state, British citizens may stay in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and must apply for a visa or residence permit for longer stays.

Since the United Kingdom uses the pound sterling (GBP) rather than the euro, buyers should factor in exchange-rate movements and currency conversion costs when paying for a property or transferring funds to Spain.