AssessmentPhase 1
Where your money comes from
We identify which part of the price comes from savings, a sale, an inheritance, a loan or abroad, and what has to be proved in each case.
The starting point.
Source of funds for buying property in Spain
To buy a home in Spain, you will have to explain where the money comes from: to the bank that makes the payment, to the notary (notario) who authorizes the deed and, if there is one, to the real estate agency. All three apply Law 10/2010. We prepare the proof of the source of your funds and, if you are asked for one, a formal document for the bank and the notary.
Buying a home? We’ll tell you what you need to prove
Tell us where the money comes from, how much it is and when you sign, and we will tell you which documents you need.
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- Who asks for it
- Bank, notary and real estate agency
- Means of payment
- Stated in the deed
- Cash with businesses
- Under €1,000
- Cash from abroad
- Declare €10,000 or more
How we help
Proof of your funds, ready before signing
We organize the proof of where your money comes from so that the bank, the notary and the real estate agency accept it without asking you for more.
EvidencePhase 2
The documents for each source
We gather pay stubs, income tax returns, deeds, inheritance documents, loan agreements and bank statements.
Dated and signed documents.
Money trailPhase 3
The path to payment
We document how the money reaches the account from which the deposit and the price are paid.
No gaps in the chain.
From abroadPhase 4
If the money comes from abroad
We prepare the justification before the money is sent, with apostilled or legalized documents and translations.
No holdups when it arrives.
DocumentPhase 5
For the bank and the notary
If you are asked for one, we prepare a formal document that summarizes and proves the source of funds, with the supporting documents attached.
A clear, organized explanation.
SigningPhase 6
Through to the deed
We check that the receipts for every payment are ready so that the deed can identify the means of payment.
No surprises at the notary’s office.
Common cases
Where the money for your purchase comes from
Each source of money is proved with different documents.
Savings
You pay with your savings
Pay stubs, income tax returns and bank statements explain how you built up the money.
Sale
You are selling another home to buy this one
The deed of sale and the receipt of the sale price are the core evidence.
Family
Your family is helping you
A gift or a family loan must be documented, together with proof of where the person giving you the money got it.
From abroad
The money comes from another country
It has to be justified before it is sent, with documents that are valid in Spain.
What the law says
Home purchases and money laundering, by the numbers
Figures from Law 10/2010, the Notarial Law, the Mortgage Law and Law 7/2012.
Law 10/2010, Art. 6
Source
The bank monitors your transactions throughout the relationship, including the source of funds.
Notarial Law, Art. 24
Means of payment
The deed states how much was paid, when and how: bank transfer, check or cash.
Mortgage Law, Art. 254(3)
No registration
If the parties refuse to identify the means of payment, the deed is not registered.
Law 10/2010, Art. 2(1)
Obliged entities
Banks, notaries, land registrars, developers and real estate agencies apply Law 10/2010.
Law 7/2012, Art. 7
€1,000
Cash payment limit when one of the parties is a business or professional; €10,000 for individuals without tax residence in Spain.
Law 10/2010, Art. 34
€10,000
Entering Spain with that amount of cash or more requires a prior declaration; the notary includes that declaration in the deed.
Signing soon and your money still isn’t justified?
We tell you which documents you need and organize them for the bank and the notary.
Frequently asked questions
Source of funds for buying property: common questions
Who will ask me to justify the money for the purchase?
Up to three obliged entities under Law 10/2010: the bank you pay from, the notary who authorizes the deed and, if involved, the real estate agency or the developer. All three must know the source of the funds, and they often ask for similar documents.
Which documents can prove the source of the money?
It depends on where it comes from: pay stubs and income tax returns for savings; the deed of sale if you are selling another home; the inheritance or gift document; the loan agreement if someone lends you the money; and the bank statements that show how it reaches the account you pay from.
What exactly does the notary ask for?
The deed must identify the means of payment: how much was paid, whether before or at signing, and how, whether by bank transfer, by check (a bank check or not, payable to a named person or to bearer) or in cash (Article 24 of the Notarial Law). The notary may also request any information they need to apply Law 10/2010 (Art. 19(2)).
Do I need a source of funds certificate?
Not always. Well-organized documents are often enough. But if the bank or the notary asks you for a formal document that summarizes and proves the source, we prepare it: we explain this on our source of funds certificate page.
What if my family helps me pay?
It has to be documented. If it is a gift, with the gift document; if it is a loan, with an agreement and a repayment plan. And in both cases, with proof of how the person giving you the money obtained it. Money from family paid in without paperwork is one of the most common reasons for a block.
Can I pay for part of the property in cash?
If the seller is a business or professional (a developer, for example), you cannot pay €1,000 or more in cash, or €10,000 or more if you pay as an individual without tax residence in Spain (Article 7 of Law 7/2012). In any case, the deed will record how the price was paid.
What if I bring the money from abroad?
It has to be justified before it is sent, so that the transfer does not get held up. If you bring it in cash, entering Spain with €10,000 or more requires a prior declaration (Article 34 of Law 10/2010), and the notary includes that declaration in the deed.
What happens if the source is not justified?
The bank will not execute the payment (Article 7(3) of Law 10/2010), the notary may refuse to authorize the deed for just cause (Art. 19(2)) and, if the means of payment are not identified, the deed is not registered (Article 254(3) of the Mortgage Law). If this has already happened to you, see what to do about a bank block on a property purchase.
Practical guide
How to justify the source of the money for your home
Good proof answers three questions: where the money comes from, how it reaches the account and how it is paid.
Prove where it comes from
Savings, a sale, an inheritance, a loan or money from abroad: each source, with its own documents.
Prove how it arrives
Bank statements that show the path of the money to the account you pay from.
Identify each payment
The deposit and the price, each with its receipt: this is what the deed will record.
Your proof of funds in 10 steps
- Work out how much you will pay and which source each part of the money comes from.
- Gather pay stubs, income tax returns and bank statements if you are paying with savings.
- If you are selling another home, keep the deed of sale and the receipt for the sale price.
- If your family is helping you, document the gift or the loan and the source of that money.
- If you are taking out a mortgage, be clear about which part of the price you pay with your own funds: that is the part you will have to justify.
- If the money comes from abroad, prepare the justification before sending it.
- Pay the deposit by bank transfer from an account in your name and keep the receipt.
- Give the documents to the bank before you request the check or the transfer for the price.
- Bring the receipts for all payments, including the deposit, to the notary’s office.
- Keep a copy of everything: the real estate agency may ask you for it too.
Source: Law 10/2010 (Arts. 2, 6, 7, 19 and 34), Notarial Law (Art. 24), Mortgage Law (Art. 254) and Law 7/2012 (Art. 7).
Working glossary
Key terms for source of funds in a property purchase
These terms come up in requests from the bank, the notary and the real estate agency.
SourceProof
Source of funds
Where the money used to pay for the home comes from.
Law 10/2010, Art. 6.
Obliged entityLaw 10/2010
Obliged entity
Anyone who must apply Law 10/2010: banks, notaries, land registrars, developers and real estate agencies.
Law 10/2010, Art. 2(1).
CDDObligation
Due diligence
Measures used to identify the customer and check their transactions.
Law 10/2010, Arts. 3–7.
Means of paymentDeed
Identification of the means of payment
A statement in the deed of how much was paid, when and how.
Notarial Law, Art. 24.
DepositArras
Deposit (señal or arras)
The amount paid when the preliminary contract is signed; it is also identified in the deed.
Best paid by bank transfer.
GiftFamily
Gift
Money given with no obligation to pay it back; it must be documented.
With proof of its source.
LoanFamily
Family loan
Money that has to be paid back; it requires an agreement and a repayment plan.
With proof of its source.
RegistrationRegistry
Registry bar (cierre registral)
The deed is not registered if identification of the means of payment was refused.
Mortgage Law, Art. 254(3).
CashLimit
Cash payment limit
Under €1,000 if one party is a business or professional; €10,000 for non-resident individuals.
Law 7/2012, Art. 7.
Playbook
What you will be asked for, depending on where the money comes from
Savings
What they want to know: how you built up that balance.
What you provide: pay stubs, income tax returns and bank statements.
Sale of another home
What they want to know: that the money comes from that sale.
What you provide: deed of sale and receipt for the sale price.
Inheritance
What they want to know: that the money is yours through the inheritance.
What you provide: deed or other document accepting the inheritance.
Help from family
What they want to know: whether it is a gift or a loan, and where it comes from.
What you provide: gift document or loan agreement, plus proof of the source.
Money from abroad
What they want to know: its source and its path to your Spanish account.
What you provide: source-of-funds dossier with apostilled or legalized documents.
Mistakes that complicate the purchase
These are the errors that most often hold up a property purchase.
- Money from family paid in with no gift or loan document.
- Paying the deposit in cash or from someone else’s account.
- Moving the money through many accounts just before signing.
- Bringing money from abroad without having the justification ready.
- Splitting payments so they look smaller.
Contact
Book a call
Tell us where the money for the purchase comes from, how much it is and when you sign, and we will tell you which documents you need.
Source of funds in a home purchase and Law 10/2010
Updated October 16, 2026
Law 10/2010 requires banks, notaries, land registrars and real estate professionals to know the source of the funds in a property purchase. In addition, the Notarial Law requires the deed to identify the means of payment, and the Mortgage Law prevents the purchase from being registered if they are not identified.
Who asks for it
Obliged entities include banks, notaries and land registrars, and real estate developers and intermediaries (Article 2(1) of Law 10/2010). Each of them applies its own due diligence measures, including the source of funds (Art. 6). We cover the obligations of real estate agencies in anti-money laundering for real estate agencies.
The deed
Article 24 of the Notarial Law requires the deed to state how much was paid, when and how. If cash brought from abroad was used, the notary includes the prior declaration of movements of means of payment; if it is not provided, the notary records this in the deed and reports it to the notaries’ centralized body.
The Registry
If the parties refuse to identify the means of payment, the deed is not registered (Article 254(3) of the Mortgage Law). The defect is cured with a new deed that identifies them (Art. 254(4)).
The formal document
Sometimes the bank or the notary asks for a document that summarizes and proves the source of funds. We explain it in source of funds certificate, and you can see an example in source of funds certificate template.
Where it fits
If the money is already being held, see what to do about a bank block on a property purchase. If you are buying as an investor or through a company, real estate due diligence is relevant to you, and if the money comes from abroad, see international source of funds.