The notarial power of attorney in Spain (Poder) – 2026 Guide

Dreaming of your own apartment in Tenerife, but work, family or distance won't let you fly in for every stage of the transaction? You don't have to. Spanish law provides a solution that more and more of our clients use: the notarial power of attorney in Spain, known as the Poder Notarial. With it, the entire purchase process — from the reservation, through obtaining the NIE number, to signing the notarial deed — can be carried out on your behalf by a trusted person or lawyer. In this guide we explain how it works step by step.

What is the Poder Notarial?

The Poder Notarial is a formal power of attorney drawn up as a notarial deed, authorising a designated person (the attorney-in-fact) to perform specific legal acts on your behalf in Spain. In the context of a property purchase, the attorney can, among other things:

• apply for the NIE number and collect it on your behalf,
• open an account with a Spanish bank,
• sign the reservation agreement and the preliminary agreement (Contrato de Arras),
• sign the purchase deed (Escritura de Compraventa),
• pay the taxes and register the property in the land registry,
• sign contracts with utility providers (electricity, water, internet).

Importantly, you define the scope of the power of attorney yourself — it can cover the entire transaction or only selected acts.

When is a power of attorney useful?

In our experience, three groups of buyers reach for the Poder Notarial most often:

• Foreign investors who don't want to fly to Tenerife repeatedly — one visit to view the property is enough, and the attorney handles the remaining formalities.
• Remote buyers who know the property from video presentations and documentation — the whole transaction happens without a single trip.
• Buyers mid-transaction whose notary appointment clashes with other commitments — the attorney signs the deed on the appointed day.

How to grant a power of attorney? Two routes

Option 1: Before a notary in Spain

The simplest route if you are in Tenerife even briefly. A visit to a Spanish notary takes around 30 minutes. The notary draws up the document in Spanish, and if you don't speak the language, an interpreter must be present. The cost is usually 60–100 euros. The document is valid in Spain immediately — no further formalities.

Option 2: Before a notary in your home country

If you are not planning a trip, you can sign the power of attorney at home. The procedure looks like this:

1. Preparing the content – a Spanish lawyer or our agency prepares the text of the power of attorney tailored to the transaction (ideally in a bilingual version).
2. A visit to your local notary – you sign the power of attorney as a notarial deed.
3. Apostille – the document must bear an apostille, issued by your country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It confirms the document is authentic and can be used abroad.
4. Sworn translation – if the deed was not drawn up bilingually, a sworn translation into Spanish by a translator recognised in Spain (traductor jurado) will be needed.
5. Sending the original – the apostilled document is couriered to the attorney in Tenerife.

The whole procedure usually takes 1 to 3 weeks and costs around 150–300 euros in total (notary, apostille, translation, courier).

Who should you appoint?

The attorney can be any adult — a family member living on the island, a Spanish lawyer (abogado) or a representative of the real estate agency. In practice we most often recommend an independent lawyer who is handling the legal side of the transaction anyway — combining the property verification with representation at the signing of the deed. It is a standard, fully safe practice on the Spanish market.

Is it safe? The key safeguards

• A precise scope – the power of attorney should specify the exact acts, and ideally also the specific property and a maximum purchase price.
• A time limit – you can set an expiry date for the document, e.g. 6 months.
• Revocability – you can revoke the power of attorney at any time before a notary.
• Money under your control – you transfer the purchase funds directly from your own account to the notarial account or the seller's account; the attorney never handles your cash.

The Poder and the other purchase formalities

The power of attorney is the tool that ties together all the stages of the transaction described in our step-by-step guide to buying property in Tenerife. Remember that whether you buy in person or through an attorney, you will need an NIE number and a budget for taxes and transaction fees — around 9–11% of the property price in total.

Summary

The notarial power of attorney in Spain is a proven way to buy a property in Tenerife without repeated flights — or even entirely remotely. The key is a well-prepared document, the right attorney and attention to the formalities: the apostille and the sworn translation.

Planning a remote purchase? We will help you prepare the power of attorney, recommend a trusted lawyer and handle the entire transaction for you. Write to us or call us on WhatsApp: +34 662 36 83 57.