The mayor of Barcelona Jaume Collboni has reopened the debate in Spain over restricting non-resident foreigners from buying properties as a way of alleviating the city’s housing problems.
"I would prohibit it," the mayor told national broadcaster RTVE when asked if non-EU citizens should be allowed to buy homes in the Catalan capital as second homes or for speculative investment reasons.
In 2025, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez made international headlines when he announced that his leftist government would seek to impose a 100 percent tax on property buyers from outside of the EU, effectively doubling the purchase price from them.
Sánchez also suggested banning non-EU buyers completely if they had no family or other ties to Spain, but finally it was the 'super tax' that was lodged as a proposal in the Spanish Congress, a measure which is yet to be voted on.
READ MORE: What happened to Spain's 100 percent property tax for foreign buyers?
The Catalan government has commissioned four expert reports on how to address speculative housing purchases in the northwestern region, one of which argues that the city is losing housing for residents to high-income foreigners.
According to Collboni, they are "super-rich" individuals who buy properties in various parts of the world and also want “a small apartment in Barcelona” when they visit the city.
Foreigners made up half (49,6 percent) of all apartment buyers in Barceloneta in 2025, the Barcelona neighbourhood popular with tourists and which contains the Catalan capital's most famous beach.
The proportion of foreign buyers was also particularly high in Ciutat Vella - the old town just next to Barceloneta - accounting for 42 percent of transactions in 2025, according to City Council data.
Central neighbourhoods and those on the coast also have percentages of foreign buyers exceeding 35 percent.
"For those who buy homes to speculate and then rent them out, the gravy train in Barcelona is finished," the Socialist mayor said.
Collboni admitted that any prohibition or restriction on non-EU second home owners would be legally challenging to get passed, but he would still opt for a more forceful approach. In fact, it's not the first time Barcelona City Council has proposed the idea of banning non-resident buyers.
It is unclear which foreigners exactly Collboni would ban from buying properties in Barcelona if any law were approved.
With Pedro Sánchez’s proposal, the 100 percent tax would apply to people with residency outside of the EU rather than to people with non- EU nationality.
Lawyers have previously told The Local that any such move by Spain would end up in the EU’s courts for being discriminatory.
INTERVIEW: 'Spain's 100% tax on foreign buyers will end up in EU courts'
The property crisis has been at the centre of public debate in Catalonia this week as the regional government is in the process of approving limits to speculative property purchases.
For some time now, soaring prices are displacing residents from their lifelong neighbourhoods in Barcelona due to demand from investment funds and foreigners.
One of the groups most negatively impacted by the arrival of large investment funds is the elderly, which has spurred mayor Collboni to approve a €400 monthly benefit for over-55s in the city who are struggling to pay for their housing.
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