The left-wing coalition Sumar has registered an initiative in the Spanish Congress aimed at legalizing the rental market, which provides for a ban on cash payments for rent and the transfer of payments to electronic, traceable channels, according to Spanish media reports.
According to the published details, payments are to be made by bank transfer or other electronic means, and financial institutions servicing such transactions will be required to automatically transfer information to the Spanish tax service (AEAT) to identify undeclared income and strengthen tenant protection by confirming payment with bank statements.
A separate element of the package is a 1% withholding from the rent amount, which the landlord will have to transfer to the AEAT on a monthly basis. The materials emphasize that this levy is also seen as a tool for forming a more accurate indicator of rental price dynamics across regions.
Sumar estimates the scale of tax losses from violations and evasion in the rental income segment at over €12.5 billion per year and proposes to strengthen the resources of the tax service, including the creation of specialized units to detect violations in the real estate market.
For banks, implementing this approach means an increase in the share of payments passing through accounts and, at the same time, an expansion of the role of compliance and data exchange with tax authorities. For the housing market, this could mean an acceleration of the “whitening” of rents and increased price transparency, but the parameters and timing will depend on the initiative passing through parliament.
In Spain, measures to tighten rules in the seasonal rental segment and prevent abuse are being discussed in parallel, with the government having previously announced the preparation of a corresponding package. For comparison, in Greece, a rule will be introduced on January 1, 2026, according to which rent must be paid through registered bank accounts, and cash payments will no longer be accepted.
Kernel, one of Ukraine’s largest agricultural holdings, has discussed new opportunities for development in the EU market and agreed on prospects for deepening its partnership with Spanish sunflower and olive oil supplier Aceites Abril, the agricultural holding’s press service reported on Facebook.
It is noted that the topic of the meeting in Orense (Spain) was the expansion of vegetable oil supplies to Europe and the adaptation of logistics. The parties discussed the range, potential volumes, and practical solutions to ensure the stability and predictability of exports.
“We talked about specific things: logistics, supply flexibility, and opportunities to expand the range for the EU. It is important for us to build predictable, long-term models of cooperation. We continue to develop partnerships in the EU, focusing on supply stability, effective commercial solutions, and long-term mutually beneficial cooperation,” said Andriy Paladiy, director of oil and protein trading at the agricultural holding, whose words are quoted in the report.
Founded in 1962, Spanish company Aceites Abril S.A. is one of Spain’s leading family-owned vegetable oil producers. It specializes in the production of Extra Virgin and Virgin olive oil, as well as sunflower, soybean, and grape seed oil. The company owns a factory in the industrial zone of San Sibao das Vinhas and its own logistics terminal in the port of Vigo, which exports products to more than 60 countries around the world. The company is consistently among the ten largest players in the industry in Spain.
Before the war, the Kernel agricultural holding company ranked first in the world in sunflower oil production (about 7% of global production) and exports (about 12%). It is one of the largest producers and sellers of bottled oil in Ukraine. It is also involved in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
The Spanish government has announced its intention to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of migrants who are working or residing in the country without permission, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Tuesday, citing Social Security and Migration Minister Elma Saiz.
She told reporters that immigrants can begin applying for legalization in April, when the relevant decree is expected to come into force. The permit will apply to those who arrived in Spain before December 31, 2025, have stayed in the country for at least five months, and have no criminal record.
According to various estimates, 500,000 to 800,000 migrants could benefit from the Spanish authorities’ plans. Many of them are from Latin America and Africa and are employed in agriculture, tourism, and the service sector.
AP explains that this decree will allow the government to circumvent a similar initiative that has not yet been approved by parliament.
In November 2024, Saiz stated that the Spanish authorities intend to legalize up to 300,000 migrants per year to fill the labor shortage in the country due to the aging population. At that time, she said that the policy of attracting migrants would last three years. She specified that Spain needs 250,000 to 300,000 foreign workers per year who are able to pay taxes in order to maintain the welfare state.
Citizens of Ukraine at the end of the third quarter of 2025 entered the top ten largest foreign buyers of real estate in Spain – they accounted for 758 sales transactions, according to the data of the Spanish Registration Service (Registrars) for Q3.
Leaders among foreign buyers were citizens of the UK (1 871 transactions), Germany (1 539) and the Netherlands (1 416). Romania (1,321) and Morocco (1,317) followed, as well as France (1,241) and Italy (1,177).
Poland (1,096) and Belgium (1,021) are also in the top 10. Ukraine ranked 10th (758), ahead of China (687) and Sweden (578).
Other countries represented in the statistics include Ireland (424 transactions), the US (405), Russia (403) and Bulgaria (251).
In Spain, foreign property buyers have slowed down a bit, but they’re still the main drivers of the market – especially folks from the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.
According to the Spanish property registry, foreigners purchased nearly 23,700 residential properties in the third quarter of 2025, which is 4% less than in the same period in 2024. The share of transactions involving non-residents fell to 13.6% from 14.9% a year earlier, but is still about 36% higher than the average for the last ten years.
Who is buying: top nations in the Spanish housing market
In the third quarter of 2025, the largest groups of foreign buyers were:
Among other important buyers in the third quarter, moderate growth was recorded from Romania and Morocco, while demand from France, Italy, Belgium, and Poland declined slightly. Interest from buyers in the US and Morocco remained close to last year’s level. Demand from the Russian Federation and China fell significantly, by approximately 34% and 23%, respectively.
The full picture for 2024
According to the summary data for 2024, foreigners bought about 93,000 residential properties in Spain, accounting for about 14.6% of all transactions on the market. This is one of the highest figures in the history of observations.
According to the results for 2024, the main national groups are as follows:
Thus, the top ten in terms of purchase volume is primarily made up of Europeans – British, Germans, Moroccans, Dutch, Romanians, Italians, French, and Poles, supplemented by buyers from China and Ukraine.
Regions that attract foreigners
The most popular regions among foreign buyers remain the Mediterranean coast and islands: the Valencian Community, Andalusia, Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands. They account for the vast majority of foreign purchases, and in some provinces, such as Alicante and Malaga, the share of foreigners in the total volume of transactions reaches 30-40%.
What does the correction in demand mean?
Experts view the slight decline in the number of transactions in the third quarter of 2025 as a technical correction after a record-breaking 2024 rather than a reversal of the trend.
The share of foreigners remains significantly higher than the pre-crisis average, and Spain continues to attract buyers with its combination of climate, relatively affordable prices, and developed infrastructure.
At the same time, the structure of demand is gradually changing: the positions of the British and Germans remain strong, but buyers from the Netherlands, Central and Eastern Europe, and North Africa are playing an increasingly prominent role. For the local market, this means that the high proportion of foreign buyers will remain, but with greater diversity in terms of nationalities and sources of capital.
Source: https://open4business.com.ua/hto-z-inozemcziv-lidyruye-z-pokupky-zhytla-v-ispaniyi-analiz/
According to the project Relocation.com.ua, Spain has become the largest “issuer” of first residence permits (first residence permits) in the European Union in 2024, followed by Germany and Poland, according to Eurostat data.
According to statistics, Spain issued 561.64 thousand first residence permits, Germany – 544.987 thousand, Poland – 488.846 thousand, Italy – 346.411 thousand, France – 342.208 thousand. European Commission
These five countries together accounted for 65.1% of all first residence permits issued in the EU in 2024. In total, EU countries issued 3.5 million first residence permits to non-EU citizens in 2024, 8.3% less than in 2023.
http://relocation.com.ua/spain-and-germany-lead-the-way-in-issuing-the-first-npi/
