22 Nov, 2021 @ 15:37
1 min read

MUST READ: Important news for UK buyers of holiday homes in Costa Blanca and Murcia areas of Spain

Important news for UK buyers looking for holiday homes in Costa Blanca and Murcia areas of Spain
Housing development in San Vicente de la Barquera, Cantabria. There has been EU funding for many building projects in Spain.

PROPERTY buying in parts of Spain will become easier for British purchasers after the scrapping of an old Francoist law.

Non-EU home buyers in areas like the Costa Blanca and Murcia have been frustrated with delays over the need to get ‘military authorisation’.

News of the change was sent in a notification from the Defence Ministry to the General Council of Notaries.

It said that it ‘did not want to hinder the revitalisation of the economy after the pandemic’.

The law goes back to the 1970’s which required official permission to buy property in areas deemed as being of ‘strategic interest’ for the defence of Spain.

No deed or registration could be granted before authorisation came from the Defence Ministry.

On the Costa Blanca, for example, that meant prime British home buying areas like Torrevieja, the Orihuela Costa, and Pilar de la Horadada were in the military zone.

The obligation to get clearance was tagged onto the new Spanish Constitution created after the death of dictator General Franco’s death in 1975.

The Defence Ministry said the old rules ‘did not respond to the dynamics of permanent change of the new society’.

Murcia promoters association president, Jose Ramon Blazquez, said: “The old requirement had been a real break on non-EU buyers, especially those from Britain.”

On the southern Costa Blanca, regional promoters association, Provia, claimed that around 800 sales annually involving British buyers faced delays of up to eight months.

The log-jam involved obtaining original documents that should have been filled in up to 40 years ago.

Promoters said Chinese and Russian buyers were put off from purchasing homes needing ‘military clearance’ and spent their money in parts of Spain that did not need authorisation.

Image Credit: Cordon Press

READ MORE: WHY BREXIT AND GENERAL FRANCO ARE DELAYING UK HOUSE BUYS ON THE COSTA BLANCA

Alex Trelinski

Alex worked for 30 years for the BBC as a presenter, producer and manager. He covered a variety of areas specialising in sport, news and politics. After moving to the Costa Blanca over a decade ago, he edited a newspaper for 5 years and worked on local radio.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

View of Alpujarras and Orgiva Miguel Ossorio/Flickr
Previous Story

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Decapitated head’ found by dog walker in popular expat haunt of Orgiva, near Granada in southern Spain

‘Serial predator’ and evangelist is arrested in Spain’s Valencia for ‘sexually abusing eight young girls’
Next Story

Judges veto COVID-19 passport plans for nightlife and restaurants in Basque Country of Spain

Latest from Costa Blanca

Go toTop

More From The Olive Press