German buyers have extended their lead among non-resident foreigners applying for mortgages to purchase homes in Spain. Not only did they top the ranking in the second quarter of the year, but they also widened the gap over the British, who remain in second place. Swiss buyers have also gained prominence, climbing to third position.
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According to the latest report published by idealista/hipotecas, German citizens accounted for 15.6% of mortgage applications from non-residents seeking to buy a home in Spain through idealista's mortgage broker. This was five percentage points higher than the share recorded by the British, the second most prominent nationality in the ranking.
Swiss buyers also feature prominently, ranking third in spring with 9.4% of applications, ahead of the French (9.1%), Dutch (8.3%) and Americans (5.9%). Ireland (4.5%), Belgium (3.6%), Sweden (3.6%) and Italy (2.3%) also appear in the top 10.
In total, mortgage applications from non-residents represented 3% of demand on idealista/hipotecas between April and June, compared with 81.8% for primary home purchases, 8.9% for second homes and 4.5% for improving the terms of existing mortgages. Their share of mortgages completed through idealista's brokerage service also stood at 3% in the second quarter, compared with 84.5% for primary residence purchases, 6.9% for mortgage refinancing and 4.8% for second-home purchases.
The coast leads demand and the average income exceeds €6,000
The vast majority of mortgage applications from non-residents looking to buy a home are concentrated along the Mediterranean coast. The Valencian Community accounts for almost a third of demand (32.3% of the total), followed by Andalusia and Catalonia with 19.9% and 14%, respectively. The next most prominent regions are Madrid (6.5%), the Canary Islands (6.3%), the Balearic Islands (5.8%) and Murcia (5.4%). The remaining autonomous communities each account for less than 2% of the total.
This coastal focus contrasts with domestic buyers' mortgage demand, where the main centres are Madrid (16.7%) and Barcelona (13.1%), followed by Valencia (7.8%) and Alicante (5.6%).
Applicants' income and purchase price
The report places the average purchase price sought by non-residents at €265,093, 3.6% higher than in spring 2025 and above the national average (€207,569). However, almost 70% of applications are for properties priced below €200,000, while only 2.7% of financing requests involve homes valued at more than €500,000.
Regarding the disposable income of foreign applicants, almost half report more than €6,000 per month, with an average household income of €6,779 in the second quarter of the year. This is double the national average of €3,385 per household. However, there are significant differences by nationality.
According to the study, Swiss applicants stand out, with an average household income of more than €9,300 per month, followed by Americans at €8,514. Applicants from the UK (€6,977), Ireland (€6,669) and Sweden (€6,601) also recorded high averages. Below €6,600 per month are applicants from Germany and the Netherlands, while the three countries with the lowest averages are Belgium (€5,889), France (€5,845) and Italy (€5,249).
The idealista mortgage broker also places the average age of foreign mortgage applicants in spring at 44 years, above the range of 41 to 43 years recorded in previous quarters.
By contrast, the average financing requested has fallen to 68% of the property's value, compared with 71% to 75% in previous quarters. The level of indebtedness has also declined, with mortgage repayments accounting for 23% of income, the lowest figure of the past year and four percentage points lower than in the first quarter of 2026.
Foreign buyers who take out mortgages earn more than €10,000
The idealista/hipotecas study also analyses the income, purchase prices and debt levels of non-resident foreigners who ultimately take out a mortgage. The figures are significantly higher than the averages for all foreign applicants combined.
For example, average household income reaches €10,320 per month, while the average purchase price is close to €403,000 and the average mortgage amount stands at around €235,000, representing a 15% year-on-year increase. Both the average purchase price and the average mortgage amount have reached the highest levels in the historical series compiled by idealista's mortgage broker since 2022.
Regarding age, completed transactions place the average non-resident foreign mortgage holder at 41 years old, three years younger than the average applicant. These buyers also record an average loan-to-value ratio of 62% relative to the purchase price. Only 12.8% of completed mortgages have a loan-to-value (LTV) of between 70% and 80%, while the average debt burden stands at 24%.
As for mortgage types, fixed-rate mortgages remain the clear market leader, accounting for 85% of transactions, compared with 15% for mixed-rate mortgages. Variable-rate mortgages had virtually no presence among non-resident borrowers in the second quarter.
