Catastro — Spanish Property Glossary

The Catastro is Spain's official land and property registry managed by the Ministry of Finance (Hacienda). It records the physical characteristics of every property in Spain, including its location, boundaries, size, use, and catastral value. The catastral value is an administrative valuation used to calculate several taxes including IBI (annual property tax), plusvalia (municipal capital gains tax), and certain income tax obligations for non-residents. Catastral values are typically 30% to 50% of market value, though this ratio varies significantly by municipality and when the area was last revalued. Every property has a unique 20-digit referencia catastral that identifies it in the system. You can look up any property on the Catastro website (sedecatastro.gob.es) using the address or referencia catastral. The Catastro is separate from the Registro de la Propiedad (Land Registry). While the Land Registry records legal ownership and charges, the Catastro records physical and fiscal characteristics. Discrepancies between the two are common and should be resolved before completing a purchase.