Mortgage for a holiday home in Cádiz: what non-residents should know

Spanish banks do not have a separate mortgage product for holiday homes. Whether the property in Cádiz will be lived in full time or visited a few weeks a year, the lender looks at the same things: the property, your income, your existing debts and your profile as a non-resident borrower.

What does change is the buyer's situation compared with someone moving to Spain permanently. You will still need a Spanish tax number (NIE) and a Spanish bank account to complete the purchase and make payments, and the bank will still ask for proof of income and debts from the United Kingdom, usually with a sworn translation.

Cádiz province stretches along the Atlantic Costa de la Luz, known for whitewashed towns, wide sandy beaches and a windier climate than the Mediterranean coast, with Tarifa a hub for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Buyers here often want an authentic Andalusian setting rather than a purely resort atmosphere.

Jerez airport serves the area, with Gibraltar and Seville also within driving distance. The coast is lively in summer but quieter otherwise, and property ranges from town houses in historic centres to villas near the beach or countryside fincas further inland.

Before you commit to the numbers of a mortgage, it helps to know the place: dated figures on population, asking prices, transport links and climate in Cádiz (province), each with its source. Together they give a grounded sense of Cádiz (province) to weigh against your budget.

The province of Cádiz as a whole, not merely its capital city, had 1,261,420 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to the INE annual census. This figure covers every municipality within the province, from its largest towns to its smallest villages. Across the whole province of Cádiz, 68,798 residents are of foreign nationality, roughly 5 of every 100. This low average for the province can mask towns where the share is far greater.

According to INE, 7,150 British nationals were registered in the province of Cádiz on 1 January 2025, among the largest foreign communities found there. This suggests that compatriots of the reader are well settled throughout the province. Numbers have risen since 2021, when there were 6,587 registered. The upward trend points to continued interest in settling in the area. Below are the main foreign nationalities registered in Cádiz (province) as of 1 January 2025, taken from the figures INE publishes municipality by municipality.

For nationalities the census groups together rather than listing them individually, such as Germans, Italians, Dutch, Belgians or Scandinavians, we turn to the detailed INE register for Cádiz province. Unlike the table above, this count dates from 1 January 2022, the most recent detailed edition.

Of the 3,514 homes for sale across the province of Cádiz, the median works out at €2,220/m², with a median ticket of €224,000 in our data. That is below the €3,210/m² median across the 127 towns we track, making the province one of the more affordable among them. Prices vary considerably from one listing to the next, though the bulk of the market, its middle half, falls between €1,550 and €3,070 per square metre.

In Cádiz (province), the regional transfer tax rate of 7 % applied to the median asking price of €224,000 gives a tax bill of about €15,700, plus roughly €2,700 for notary, registry and gestoría charges. That puts the total near €18,400, money the mortgage will not cover. The figures reflect asking prices in listings live on 2026-10-05, rather than prices actually paid. Final amounts are agreed through negotiation and vary with the state, location and orientation of each property.

This table sets out population, foreign residents per 100 people and median price per square metre for the towns we track in Cádiz (province), highlighting how much local markets can vary.

INE's experimental statistic, based on listings from the main holiday-rental platforms, counted 15,116 holiday-let homes in Cádiz (province) in 05/2026 (73,667 bed places), about 12 per 1,000 residents. That is a moderate presence, and tourist letting still requires a regional licence.

Cádiz has a single commercial airport, Aeropuerto de Jerez (XRY); depending on where exactly in the province your property is located, an airport in a neighbouring province may actually sit closer to your door. The figures that follow reflect conditions in or around Cádiz, the provincial capital; elsewhere in the province, particularly inland, at altitude or on other islands, the climate can vary considerably. The mean temperature in January is 12.7 °C (average daily minimum 9.4 °C) and in August 25.0 °C (average daily maximum 27.9 °C), marking a genuinely mild winter. Heating needs tend to be modest compared with much of Europe. Rainfall is moderate: about 523 mm a year, spread over roughly 51 days with measurable rain. Source: the 1981-2010 climate normals published by AEMET, the state weather agency, for its Cádiz station, some 5 km from here; local conditions can differ, especially inland or at altitude.

In the twelve months to 06/2026, 18,439 homes changed hands in the province of Cádiz, INE figures show. Such activity tends to bring more reference prices and a larger selection for anyone searching. The figures above cover the whole province of Cádiz, but they vary widely from town to town and from property to property. Share what you are searching for and we can review the details with you.

The transfer tax on a resale home is set by each Spanish region. In Cádiz the general rate is 7 %, 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.

A non-resident buying a holiday home in Cádiz goes through the same underwriting process as any other non-resident purchase: the bank studies the property, your income and your existing commitments before deciding whether to lend and on what terms. There is no separate, lighter track just because the home will sit empty part of the year.

What is consistent across Spanish banks is that non-residents are usually asked for a larger deposit than residents, and the exact share depends on the bank, your country and your profile. Mortgage terms in Spain typically run until the borrower is around 70 to 75 years old, and you can choose between fixed, variable (Euribor-linked) or mixed rates.

Before a Spanish bank will study a file for a property in Cádiz, you need an NIE and a Spanish bank account open, since both are required to buy and to pay. The list of supporting documents varies by bank, but it usually includes proof of income, your UK tax return, recent bank statements and details of any existing mortgage or loan commitments, translated by a sworn translator.

Because the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member state, this also affects how long you can be in Spain while the process runs and afterwards, and it is worth planning visits around that limit rather than assuming an open-ended stay.

The mortgage is only part of the budget. On top of the price of a home in Cádiz, buyers pay transfer tax on resale homes, set by each region, or 10 % VAT plus stamp duty on a new build, along with notary fees, land registry fees, gestoría costs and the bank's valuation of the property.

Once you own the property, non-resident owners must file an annual Modelo 210 tax return in Spain. Spain and the United Kingdom have a double taxation agreement, and a local tax adviser should confirm how any rental income or eventual gain is declared both in Spain and to HMRC. Because the UK uses sterling rather than the euro, it is also worth planning for exchange-rate movement and conversion costs when transferring funds for the purchase or the ongoing mortgage payments.

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.