Cedula de la Habitabilidad

Residence permit in Spain

An important document for buying a property in Spain is the Cedula, or residence permit. This document is issued once the property is found to be 'habitable' from a legal point of view.

For a newly built house, the habitability of the house is assessed upon completion of the property. Following this, a Cedula will be issued. This licence is very important as without a Cedula, you absolutely cannot get a mortgage from the Spanish bank. You will also run into problems with other things, such as applying for connection of water or electricity.

De cédula de habitabilidad

Literally means document of habitability. It is therefore a document stating that the space meets some minimum requirements and can therefore be declared habitable. This requires, among other things, a healthy and hygienic room with a solid construction.

Applying for the cédula / residence permit

To grant the cédula de habitabilidad, therefore, certain things about the property must be established and noted. This is generally done by a lawyer in Spain.

In addition, a certificado de la habilidad is required to apply. This is issued only by an architect, who must inspect the property and check whether the properties are in accordance with local legislation.

Note: Often the cedula is a restriction when buying a rural property (also called finca rustica). Read more about this in the blog: finca rustica vs urbana.

Need help with the application?

Good that you are thinking about this. A lawyer can help with this. You arrange this easily and quickly through Spain Purchase Guide. Check out the options: