A British couple who just bought in Mijas want to spend October to April there each year. What must you tell them about the 90/180 rule?

1. Owning a Spanish home lets them stay as long as they like
2. The rule only applies to people without a property in Spain
3. As UK nationals they can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area, so seven months needs a long-stay visa
4. They can reset the count by flying to London for one night

What changed at Spanish borders for British owners with the EU Entry/Exit System (EES)?

1. Since 10 April 2026 the system is fully operational and records each entry and exit digitally with biometrics, so overstays are detected automatically
2. Nothing, it is still a voluntary pilot
3. It only applies to flights from outside Europe
4. It gives British owners an automatic 180-day allowance

A British client asks if he must apply for ETIAS before his viewing trip to Marbella in November 2026. What is the accurate answer?

1. Yes, it has been compulsory since 2025 and costs EUR 7
2. No, ETIAS was not yet operating in October 2026; when it launches it will cost EUR 20 and last three years, so check the official EU site before each trip
3. No, British nationals are permanently exempt
4. Yes, and it must be requested at the Spanish consulate in London

A Polish buyer and a Swedish buyer ask whether the 90/180 rule applies to them like it does to your British clients. What do you answer?

1. Yes, it applies to every foreigner who owns property
2. Only to the Polish buyer, because Poland joined the EU later
3. Only if they stay in a tourist rental
4. No. As EU citizens they move freely; if they stay more than three months they register in the Central Register of Foreign Nationals and receive a certificate with their NIE

What is the NIE, and why does every foreign buyer need one?

1. A personal tax identification number for foreigners, needed for the deed, taxes and bank account; it does not give residency
2. A residence permit that allows the buyer to live in Spain
3. A licence that allows foreigners to own property near the coast
4. A number issued only to EU citizens

A Gulf-based buyer wants to transfer EUR 2 million from several accounts to buy a villa in Sotogrande. Why should you prepare him for detailed source of funds questions?

1. Because Gulf buyers are banned from paying in cash in Spain
2. Because only Spanish banks can send money to a notary
3. Because estate agents, notaries and banks are obliged entities under Spain's anti-money laundering law and must identify the buyer and understand where the money comes from
4. Because the seller has the right to see the buyer's bank statements

A Dutch first-time buyer asks why she should pay an independent lawyer if the notary is already involved. What is the best explanation?

1. The notary works for the buyer and handles everything
2. Her own lawyer protects her interests: checks title, debts, licences and planning, reviews contracts, obtains the NIE and can sign with a power of attorney, while the notary is a neutral public official
3. The lawyer is only needed if she takes a mortgage
4. Lawyers are required by law for all foreigners

Which information will you NOT find in a nota simple from the Land Registry?

1. The registered owner
2. Registered mortgages and charges
3. The description and surface of the property
4. Whether the community fees and IBI are paid up to date

Why should the buyer's lawyer ask for the seller's latest IBI receipt before completion?

1. Because unpaid IBI is attached to the property itself, so the new owner can end up liable for the debt
2. Because IBI is only paid once, at the time of purchase
3. Because the IBI receipt replaces the nota simple
4. Because IBI is a tax paid by tenants

What document should a seller in a community building bring to the notary regarding community fees?

1. Nothing, community fees are a private matter
2. Only the community statutes
3. A certificate from the community administrator, approved by the president, showing the fees are paid or the amount owed
4. A letter from the town hall

A Belgian buyer loves a rural finca near Ronda that holds AFO status. What does AFO mean for him?

1. The house is fully legal and can be extended freely
2. The house was built without a licence; AFO recognises that it can no longer be demolished, but it does not legalise it and does not automatically allow extensions or new connections
3. The house is a protected heritage building
4. The house must be demolished within six years

Which conditions must an unlicensed rural house in Andalusia meet to obtain AFO recognition?

1. It must be less than two years old and have a pool
2. It must be owned by a Spanish resident
3. It must be inside an urban zone
4. At least six years since completion with no active sanction or demolition procedure, on ordinary rural land, with minimum safety and habitability conditions

An investor wants to buy a flat in Torremolinos that the seller says has a tourist licence. What should you check before he commits?

1. That the flat has a valid registration number in the Andalusian tourism register, that the community statutes and recent minutes allow it, and any municipal limits in force
2. Only that the flat is listed on Airbnb
3. Nothing, the licence passes automatically and cannot be cancelled
4. Only the energy certificate

Dutch buyers are now the largest group of non-resident foreign buyers. Where on the Costa Blanca do they search most?

1. Benidorm, Elche and Villena
2. Valencia city only
3. Jávea, Torrevieja and Dénia, then Orihuela, Moraira, Altea and Calpe
4. Inland Alcoy and Ibi

You prepare a three-day viewing trip for a German couple. What makes the trip most efficient?

1. Showing as many properties as possible without any preparation
2. Pre-screening a shortlist of six to eight homes with nota simple checks done, and planning a meeting with a lawyer and a bank on the last day
3. Avoiding any mention of costs until they choose
4. Letting them visit alone with the keys

A buyer in Benalmádena offers EUR 270,000 on a flat with a cadastral reference value of EUR 295,000. He thinks a lower price will reduce his transfer tax. What should you explain?

1. He is right, ITP is always on the agreed price
2. Reference values only apply to new builds
3. He can declare any price to the tax office
4. Andalusia taxes the higher of the price and the reference value, so his ITP base stays at EUR 295,000 whatever he negotiates below it

Belgian buyers ranked fourth among non-resident foreign buyers in 2025. What is a good first step when you receive a lead from Brussels?

1. Ask which language the client prefers (French or Dutch) and send material in that language
2. Always write in Spanish to show you are local
3. Assume every Belgian speaks German
4. Send the same English brochure to every Belgian

A non-resident buyer signs her deed. Which after-sales service adds real value?

1. Nothing, the agent's job ends at the notary
2. Telling her she has no Spanish tax to pay if she does not rent the flat
3. Reminding her that non-residents owe annual tax on imputed income even if the flat is not let, and introducing a tax representative for form 210
4. Offering to pay her IBI with your own money

A British seller is not resident in Spain. What should you tell him about the money he will receive at completion?

1. He receives the full price; taxes are settled later in the UK
2. The buyer withholds 3% of the price for the tax office, and the plusvalía municipal is usually retained too, so he receives less than the price
3. The notary keeps 10% as a guarantee for one year
4. The agent withholds his tax and pays it

A Swedish buyer needs a mortgage as a non-resident. Which expectation should you set at the first meeting?

1. She will get 100% financing like a resident
2. Non-residents cannot get Spanish mortgages
3. The bank will finance the price and all taxes
4. Spanish banks usually lend non-residents 60% to 70% of the value, so she needs 30% to 40% plus about 10% to 13% in costs from her own funds