Ukrainians buying property in Spain in 2026: 2,165 transactions and a path that runs through Torrevieja

Ukrainian citizens completed 2,165 property transactions in Spain in the first half of 2025, the highest figure ever recorded according to Idealista's foreign-buyer report. Ukrainians sit as the second-largest foreign buyer group in Spain. The first is the British community (5,731 transactions in the same period). The average Ukrainian buyer spent €1,832 per square metre, well below the foreign-buyer average. Costa Blanca pulled most of the volume. Torrevieja's town padron lists 10,787 Ukrainian residents as of May 2026, the largest Ukrainian colony anywhere in Spain.

Where Ukrainian buyers cluster, and why

The Marina Alta and the Vega Baja (south Costa Blanca) hold the densest Ukrainian presence in the country. Three drivers explain the concentration.

First, Torrevieja and the surrounding towns offer the cheapest €/m² on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Apartment-heavy supply, year-round services, and a long-running international community make settlement straightforward. The town has hosted a visible Ukrainian community since well before 2022. Newer arrivals built on that base.

Second, Valencia and Alicante airports both run direct seasonal connections to Krakow, Warsaw, Wrocław, and Riga, the typical onward routes used by Ukrainian families now that direct UA-ES flights remain suspended. The Valencia-Alicante-Murcia region holds over 88,000 displaced Ukrainians per regional registers, the largest concentration in Spain.

Third, the regional government chose Torrevieja as the site for Spain's national "House of Ukraine" (Casa de Ucrania), announced after President Sánchez's Kyiv visit in early 2025. Pre-existing administrative infrastructure and high Ukrainian density made it the natural pick. Valencia city opened a Ukrainian Cultural Centre in September 2025.

Buyer concentration follows the residency map:

Town	Coast	Why it works for Ukrainian buyers
Torrevieja	Costa Blanca South	10,787 registered Ukrainians. Largest community, most established services.
Guardamar del Segura	Costa Blanca South	Second-largest Ukrainian community. Calmer than Torrevieja, river and dunes.
Alicante	Costa Blanca	Provincial capital. Schools, jobs, airport 25 min south.
Valencia city	Comunitat Valenciana	Ukrainian Cultural Centre, university capacity, growing community.
Los Alcázares	Costa Cálida (Murcia)	Lower entry prices, family-friendly, growing UA share.
Castellón	Comunitat Valenciana	Province with rapid Ukrainian arrivals 2022-2025.

Documents and visa routes for Ukrainian buyers

Two distinct legal situations cover most Ukrainian buyers right now.

Buyers already in Spain under temporary protection (TIE card). The European Council extended temporary protection for Ukrainians until 4 March 2027 (Council Implementing Decision adopted in June 2024). Spain auto-extends existing TIE cards without re-application. Your current TIE keeps full validity for residence, work, healthcare, schooling, and banking. You can buy property using your existing TIE plus NIE without any extra immigration step.

Buyers still in Ukraine planning to relocate. Two main paths.

1. Travel to Spain on Schengen passport, apply for temporary protection on arrival. Free, fast (TIE card issued in 1-3 weeks at Comisaría de Policía). Gives you full residence rights immediately, including the ability to sign property contracts as a resident with 19% rental income tax rather than the 24% non-resident rate.

2. Apply from Ukraine through a Spanish consulate for a standard visa route. Slower (4-12 weeks), but possible if you do not qualify for temporary protection. Active routes: Non-Lucrative Visa for retirees with savings or passive income, Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers earning at least €2,650/month from outside Spain, Beckham regime for new tax residents earning Spanish salary.

The Golden Visa, which used to grant residency for €500k+ property purchases, was abolished in April 2024. It no longer applies, regardless of property value.

NIE first, always. Whether you arrive under temporary protection or as a Schengen visitor, the NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is your tax identifier and is required before any notary will sign your escritura pública. See our NIE guide for non-residents for the EX-15 + Modelo 790 process and the €9.84 government fee.

Banking and money transfers from Ukraine

This is where most Ukrainian buyers hit the biggest friction. National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) wartime restrictions limit personal foreign transfers to 100,000 UAH per month to non-account-holder destinations (about €2,300 at current exchange). That is nowhere near the €150,000-€350,000 needed for an average Costa Blanca purchase.

Workable routes in 2026:

• Sell Ukrainian assets and transfer property-purchase proceeds via SWIFT through your Ukrainian bank, declaring the property purchase abroad as the purpose. SWIFT transfers from Ukrainian currency-card accounts have been allowed since October 2022 with documented justification. PrivatBank, Raiffeisen Bank Ukraine, and Universal Bank handle large outgoing property-purchase transfers regularly.
• Move funds gradually into a Polish or Lithuanian EU bank account first, then SEPA-transfer to your Spanish lawyer's escrow. This route uses your right to maintain accounts in EU jurisdictions as a temporary-protected person. Many Ukrainian buyers in 2024-2025 used a Wise or Revolut intermediary account for the EU-side aggregation.
• Buyers with assets already outside Ukraine (pre-2022 EU savings, foreign business income, cryptocurrency holdings sold through licensed exchanges) face the simplest path.

Spanish anti-money-laundering rules require source-of-funds documentation for every property purchase above €100,000. For Ukrainian buyers this means: notarised sale contract for any Ukrainian property sold to fund the move, tax filings, employment letters, or bank statements covering at least the last 12 months. Spanish notaries and banks both check. A bank that opens your account without asking these questions is a red flag.

Spanish bank account for Ukrainian non-residents. Sabadell, BBVA, and Santander all open accounts for Ukrainian passport holders. CaixaBank's "HolaBank" non-resident product is the most expat-friendly. A TIE card simplifies everything (counts as resident, fewer questions). A Ukrainian passport without TIE works but expect more documentation requests.

Services and language support on the ground

The infrastructure has grown faster than the rest of Spain caught up.

• Casa de Ucrania (Torrevieja) opens as a national-level Ukrainian community centre. Legal advice, document translation, integration support. Free to Ukrainians.
• Ukrainian Cultural Centre Valencia (opened September 2025) runs Ukrainian-language classes for children, cultural events, integration workshops.
• Ukrainian-language schools and Saturday schools operate in Torrevieja, Guardamar, Valencia, Alicante, and Castellón. Most are volunteer-run, some recognised by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education for parallel diploma issuance.
• Ukrainian-speaking lawyers practice across Torrevieja, Alicante, and Valencia. Vet by checking ICAB (Barcelona) or ICALI (Alicante) bar association registration plus client references in the Ukrainian community.
• Doctors and dentists with Ukrainian language: search through the Ukrainian Telegram channels active in each town. Sanitas and Adeslas private health insurance both list multilingual practitioners.
• Ukrainian church communities active in Torrevieja, Alicante, and Valencia (both UGCC and UOC parishes).
• Local Ukrainian businesses: bakeries (Torrevieja, Alicante), grocery stores selling Ukrainian products, beauty salons, accountants. Mostly mapped on Telegram groups by town.

For Wesna buyers: we work with Ukrainian-speaking lawyers and document translators in Alicante and Valencia provinces. Our internal handling includes Ukrainian-language onboarding (Erick, our GM, signs off on every Ukrainian-buyer file personally) and we coordinate cita previa for NIE applications via partner law firms.

FAQ

Чи можу я купити нерухомість в Іспанії, маючи лише тимчасовий захист (TIE)?

Так. Тимчасовий захист дає повне право на купівлю нерухомості в Іспанії. Потрібен лише NIE (як у будь-якого іноземця) та TIE як підтвердження вашого статусу. Нотаріус підпише escritura без додаткових вимог.

Які податки я плачу при оренді своєї іспанської нерухомості, якщо я під тимчасовим захистом?

Якщо ви маєте TIE, ви вважаєтесь податковим резидентом Іспанії і платите 19% з орендного доходу (можна вираховувати витрати). Якщо ви залишаєтесь нерезидентом, ставка - 24% без відрахувань. Різниця суттєва.

Що буде з моїм TIE після березня 2027 року?

Європейська Рада продовжила тимчасовий захист до 4 березня 2027 року, із автоматичним продовженням існуючих карток. Іспанська влада також готує процедуру переходу на постійне посвідку для українців, які вже інтегровані. Слідкуйте за оновленнями від UNHCR Spain.

Скільки грошей я можу перевести з України на купівлю житла в Іспанії?

NBU обмежує особисті перекази 100,000 грн/місяць на карту нерезидента. Для покупки нерухомості реальний шлях - SWIFT-переказ зі своєї валютної картки українського банку, з документальним обґрунтуванням (купівля житла за кордоном). PrivatBank, Raiffeisen та Universal Bank проводять такі перекази регулярно.

Чи можу я перевести нерухомість у Іспанії на ім'я моїх дітей-громадян ЄС?

Так, але це окрема процедура. Якщо дитина є резидентом ЄС (наприклад, через попередній шлях італійського або польського громадянства), оформлення можна зробити безпосередньо на її ім'я. Іспанські закони про неповнолітніх вимагають оформлення опіки в нотаріальному акті. Радимо проконсультуватись з адвокатом перед покупкою.

Чи є у Wesna україномовна підтримка?

Так. Ми працюємо з україномовними юристами в провінціях Аліканте та Валенсія. Внутрішнє оформлення українських клієнтів координує наш Generальний Менеджер з роботи з клієнтами особисто, від першого контакту до підпису escritura.

Browse property in Ukrainian-community zones

Where most Ukrainian buyers already live: Torrevieja, Guardamar, Los Alcázares, Alicante, Valencia, Castellón.

Want a 2-bed apartment for €150,000-€220,000 in walking distance of the Ukrainian community? Apartments in Torrevieja is the densest match for that brief.

Want a villa with garden for a relocating family? Houses in Los Alcázares and houses in Guardamar carry the strongest stock in that price band.

If you would like to discuss your specific situation (current TIE status, source-of-funds questions, preferred town, budget), get in touch. The first conversation runs in Ukrainian and is free.

By Erick Kit, General Manager at Wesna Group.