When you start dealing with inheritance in Tenerife, the paperwork suddenly feels very… Spanish.
New words. Official sounding documents. Forms with numbers instead of names.
So here’s a simple glossary in plain English. No legal waffle.
Apostille
An international certification added to official documents so they’re legally recognised in Spain.
If someone passed away abroad, you’ll almost certainly need one.
Basura Tax
Your local rubbish collection tax.
Not glamorous. Still has to be paid.
Escritura de Herencia
The official inheritance deed signed at the notary.
This is the document that confirms who inherits what.
No escritura, no transfer.
IBI Tax
The annual property tax.
If you’re from the UK, think of it as council tax… but generally much cheaper.
Modelo 650
The official Spanish inheritance tax form.
It must be completed and submitted, even if no tax is ultimately due.
Spain likes paperwork.
NIE
Número de Identidad de Extranjero.
The identification number every non-Spaniard needs to own property or deal with tax matters in Spain.
No NIE, no progress.
Nota Simple
A document from the Land Registry showing:
- Who owns the property
- Whether there are debts or charges against it
It’s basically a property snapshot.
Plusvalía Municipal
A local town hall tax based on the increase in land value over time.
It’s charged when a property is inherited or sold.
It’s not the same as inheritance tax… and yes, people mix them up all the time.
Poder Notarial (POA)
Power of Attorney.
This allows someone to act on your behalf.
Very useful if heirs live in different countries and can’t all fly to Tenerife every five minutes.
Once you understand the terminology, the whole inheritance process feels far less intimidating.
It’s mostly just forms, signatures and procedure.
And now at least the words won’t catch you out.
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