Mortgages and bridging for international buyers in San Sebastián (Donostia) — La Concha and Ondarreta seafront apartments, Gros city flats, and Igueldo and Ategorrieta hillside villas.
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Last updated Reviewed by our Clifton International finance team.
In short
Can foreign buyers get a mortgage in San Sebastián?
Yes. Non-residents can normally borrow 60–65% of value on San Sebastián property over terms of five to twenty-five years. Lenders assess documented worldwide income rather than rental potential, and completion usually takes eight to fourteen weeks.
Apartments, townhouses and villas across La Concha and the Centro and the wider area are financeable.
Fixed and Euribor-linked variable rate options are available.
San Sebastián is one of Spain's most supply-constrained prime markets, with values per m² rivalling central Madrid.
Bridging can be used where a purchase must complete in weeks rather than months.
At a glance
Key facts
Figures reviewed:
Maximum LTV
Up to 65%
Loan size
€200k – €10m+
Term (mortgage)
Up to 25 years
Bridging term
6 – 24 months
Currency
EUR, GBP, USD
Indicative pricing
From 0.70% per month (bridging) / from 3.5% p.a. (term)Priced to profile, LTV, asset and lender. Live pricing confirmed on enquiry.
Typical set-up costs
10% – 12% of purchase price (taxes, notary, registry, legals)Purchase costs in Spain are payable in addition to your deposit.
Typical timeline to drawdown
4 – 8 weeks (bridging faster where required)Assumes a complete file; valuation and legal capacity drive the critical path. Where speed is required consider short term bridging finance to secure the property.
Adviser response time
Within one working day
Indicative figures for guidance only, correct as at October 2026. Rates, costs and timelines vary by lender, borrower profile, asset and jurisdiction, and are not an offer of finance. How we derive these figures.
Methodology and assumptions
Figures are compiled by Clifton International specialists from live lender term sheets, indicative quotes and completed transactions arranged over the preceding 12 months.
Rates and costs are stated as ranges rather than a single number because pricing is set case-by-case on borrower profile, residency, asset type, location and loan-to-value.
Timelines assume a complete document file from the outset; valuation, legal capacity and (in Spain) NIE and notary availability drive the critical path.
Costs exclude any lender, broker or third-party fees not stated on the page, and exclude currency movement between agreement and drawdown.
Figures are reviewed monthly and re-checked against lender pricing whenever a material market change occurs.
Last reviewed . Read the full Key facts methodology, or speak to our team for a quote based on your circumstances.
Local data
San Sebastián prices and purchase taxes
Price data
Transfer tax in Spain is set by each autonomous community, not centrally — the same €1m purchase costs materially more in some regions than others. These are the figures that apply to a San Sebastián purchase.
Official price per m² and purchase taxes for San Sebastián, Q2 2026
Autonomous community
País Vasco (Basque Country)The three Basque foral territories set their own rules. This illustration uses Gipuzkoa's published 4% housing ITP and 0.5% AJD; confirm the province and any reduced rate with your lawyer.
Average valued price per m² (MITMA)
€5,208 / m²San Sebastián/Donostia municipality average, based on 424 valuations.
Resale transfer tax (ITP)
4% for housing (Gipuzkoa)
Stamp duty (AJD)
0.5% (Gipuzkoa)Applies to new-build purchases and to the mortgage deed.
New build from a developer
10% IVA + 0.5% AJD (Gipuzkoa)
Total purchase costs (resale)
Approx. 9% – 10% of priceTaxes, notary, land registry and legal fees, payable on top of your deposit.
Source for price per m²: Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible (MITMA), Valor tasado de la vivienda libre, Q2 2026 (published September 2026). Figures are the official average bank-valuation price of private housing (vivienda libre), in euros per m², for municipalities over 25,000 people or, where a town is not published, the province or region shown. Valuation prices usually sit below portal asking prices. Tax rates are the headline rates published by each autonomous community. Guidance only — not tax or legal advice; confirm the rate applying to your purchase with your Spanish lawyer. View the official MITMA data · Compare all 30 Spanish locations · Data disclaimer · How we compile these figures.
Non-resident residential lending to a maximum of 65% for prime San Sebastián property.
Bridging finance
Short-term facilities for off-market, auction and refurbishment purchases across San Sebastián.
Local knowledge
Deep experience across La Concha and the Centro, Gros, Ondarreta, Antiguo, Ategorrieta and Igueldo.
Multi-currency lending
GBP, EUR and USD income accepted by selected lenders, with multi-currency facilities available.
Refinance and equity release
Raising capital against San Sebastián property you already own, typically to 60% of value.
One point of contact end-to-end
A single international specialist managing lender, notary and legal liaison.
Borrower eligibility
Who we can help
International buyers and expatriates purchasing in San Sebastián
Non-EU nationals purchasing holiday or second homes
HNW individuals and business owners
Buyers of apartments, townhouses and villas
Purchases via personal name, SL, SPV or trust
Typical lending criteria
Indicative parameters
Maximum LTV
Up to 65%
Loan size
€200k – €10m+
Term (mortgage)
Up to 25 years
Bridging term
6 – 24 months
Currency
EUR, GBP, USD
Indicative only. Actual terms depend on borrower profile, asset and lender criteria.
Rates this month
Spanish mortgage rates for non-residents
Last updated:
12-month Euribor (September 2026)
3.247%
+0.293 on August 2026
Variable margin
0.90% – 1.75%
over Euribor
Indicative variable rate
4.15% – 5.00%
Euribor + margin
Non-resident fixed
2.80% – 3.90%
10–25 year products
Euribor: official September 2026 12-month average from the Banco de España / BOE, published 2 October 2026. Fixed rates and margins: Clifton International lender panel, reviewed 2 November 2026. Indicative only — not a quote or recommendation. Try the mortgage calculator.
Worked example
A €500,000 San Sebastián purchase at this month's rates
Recalculated with rates published
An international buyer purchasing a €500,000 resale property in San Sebastián with a 65% LTV non-resident mortgage. With 12-month Euribor at 3.247% (September 2026), the €325,000 loan over 25 years currently costs between €1,742 and €1,899 a month on a variable rate, or about €1,601 on a mid-band fixed rate.
Cash needed for a €500,000 San Sebastián resale purchase at 65% LTV
Item
Amount
Deposit (35%)
€175,000
Gipuzkoa transfer tax (ITP, 4% housing rate)
€20,000
Notary, registry and legal fees (indicative ~2%)
€10,000
Total cash needed
€205,000
Mortgage at 65% LTV
€325,000
Monthly repayment on €325,000 over 25 years at this month's rates
Product
Rate
Monthly repayment
Fixed (mid-band)
3.35%
€1,601
Variable, lowest margin
4.15%
€1,742
Variable, highest margin
5.00%
€1,899
Transfer tax: 4% for housing (Gipuzkoa), using the published headline rate for País Vasco (Basque Country). The three Basque foral territories set their own rules. This illustration uses Gipuzkoa's published 4% housing ITP and 0.5% AJD; confirm the province and any reduced rate with your lawyer. Notary, registry and legal fees are an indicative estimate, not an official figure. Official price and tax data · Data and estimates disclaimer.
Euribor: official September 2026 12-month average (3.247%) from the Banco de España / BOE. Fixed, mixta and margin bands: Clifton International lender panel, reviewed 2 November 2026; mid-points used. Indicative only — not a quote, offer or recommendation.
Yes. Non-residents — including US, UAE, UK and European buyers — can typically borrow up to 65% of value on San Sebastián property through Spanish and international lenders. San Sebastián is one of Spain's most supply-constrained prime markets, with values per m² rivalling central Madrid.
Around 35–40% of the price in cash, plus purchase costs and taxes on top. Funds must be traceable and evidenced before a lender will issue a formal offer.
La Concha and the Centro, Gros, Ondarreta, Antiguo, Ategorrieta and Igueldo are all well-evidenced lending locations. Less liquid or rural stock is still financeable, usually at a slightly lower loan-to-value.
Yes. Short-term bridging is regularly arranged for off-market and auction purchases, refurbishment projects and to bridge a home-country sale, typically over 6–24 months.
Yes. Selected international lenders will lend in GBP or USD, or offer multi-currency facilities, against San Sebastián property — useful where your income is not in euros.
Yes — both are required to sign at notary and draw down a Spanish mortgage. We coordinate NIE, bank account opening, lawyer engagement and FX alongside the finance.
The city is hemmed in by hills and the sea, so buildable land is scarce. Frontline La Concha stock regularly exceeds €9,000/m², which shapes both valuation and lender appetite.
National banks compete with Basque regional lenders, and above roughly €1.5m private banks will look at interest-only structures against a broader relationship.
Yes. Gipuzkoa sets its own transfer-tax rules — broadly 7% on resale purchases — separate from the state regime, so your lawyer should confirm the applicable rate for your structure.
Local coverage
Where our funding partners lend in and around San Sebastián
Centro, Gros, Ondarreta, Igueldo and Zarautz. We also arrange property finance across the neighbouring areas below — one adviser, one conversation, whichever location you buy in.
What documents do you need for a Spanish mortgage?
Identity and NIE, two years of income evidence, six months of bank statements, source of wealth and the property paperwork — our free checklist sets out every document Spanish lenders ask international buyers for, by applicant profile.
Need to move faster than a Spanish mortgage allows?
Non-resident Spanish mortgages typically take 8–14 weeks. Where timing is tight — auctions, off-market deals, chain-breaks or a pending home-country sale — short-term bridging can complete in 2–4 weeks and refinance onto a mortgage later.
Your mortgage covers part of the price. Your currency covers the rest.
Most non-resident buyers fund the deposit, taxes and fees from sterling or dollars. A 5% move in GBP/EUR between the arras contract and the notary can add thousands to your euro cost — we introduce you to a specialist currency partner who can fix your rate early.
Forward contracts to fix your euro cost from the reservation to completion
Typically much tighter margins than a high-street bank transfer
Timed around your arras deposit, notary date and mortgage release
Clifton introduces clients to a specialist currency partner and does not hold, convert or transfer client funds.
We facilitate non-resident mortgages and bridging finance across every major Spanish market. Explore the other cities we cover, or jump straight to a specific service.
A discreet, no-obligation conversation with an international specialist with deep expertise in the Spanish lending landscape for US, UAE, UK and European buyers.