Registro de la Propiedad
The Registro de la Propiedad is the public register where all real estate transactions in Spain are recorded. When you buy a property and sign the escritura, the notary sends a copy to the Registro for inscription. Once inscribed, your ownership is protected against claims from third parties. Without inscription, your ownership is valid between you and the seller but vulnerable to competing claims.
Why inscription matters
Spanish law follows the principle of fe pública registral: what is inscribed in the register is presumed accurate and takes priority. If a seller sells the same property to two buyers, the one who inscribes first wins, regardless of who signed the escritura first. This is why your lawyer or notary should submit the inscription immediately after signing.
Registro versus Catastro
The Registro de la Propiedad records legal ownership, mortgages, and encumbrances. It answers the question: who owns this property and what debts are on it? The Catastro records physical and fiscal characteristics: surface area, boundaries, building type, and the valor catastral used for IBI calculations. They are maintained by different institutions and frequently contain discrepancies. A property might have 120 square meters registered in the Catastro but only 110 in the Registro. Reconciling these before purchase is part of due diligence.
How to access it
You can request a nota simple extract online at registradores.org. For more complex queries (historical ownership chain, detailed mortgage conditions), you can visit the physical Registro office where the property is registered. Each property belongs to the Registro of its municipality or judicial district.
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