Spain officially asks the EU to let the Canary Islands restrict property purchases by non-residents
The Spanish Government has formally asked the European Commission to authorise restrictions on the purchase of property in the Canary Islands that is not going to be lived in by the buyer. The proposal aims to ease pressure on the archipelago’s overheated property market and improve access to housing for residents.
More than one-third of all homes sold in the Canary Islands are currently bought by non-resident foreigners, while property prices have risen by over 50% in the past decade.
The measure is part of a wider package submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for inclusion in the forthcoming revision of EU rules governing the Union’s outermost regions (RUP), which include territories belonging to France, Portugal, and Spain recognised for their geographical disadvantages.
The Canary Islands Government had already approached the EU Commission with a separate request seeking the ability to prohibit or limit purchases by non-resident foreign buyers. President Fernando Clavijo travelled to Brussels to present data showing that one in every four properties sold in the islands goes to foreign citizens, arguing that the archipelago’s fragmented and limited territory exacerbates market pressures on local residents.
Spain publicly backed the Canary Government’s initiative last November and has now presented a broader proposal to Brussels. According to Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres, the aim is clear: “We propose legislative mechanisms to restrict the acquisition of property in the outermost regions for non-residential use, so that prices can fall and young people and vulnerable groups can access housing.”
Additional proposals for the outermost regions
Spain’s contribution to the debate over future RUP regulations extends to several areas critical to the Canary Islands: agriculture, migration, and State aid.
On migration, Madrid is calling for an EU framework that enables the redistribution of unaccompanied minors and the transfer of migrants from outermost regions to mainland Europe to prevent their concentration in territories like the Canary Islands.
In 2025, the islands were responsible for almost 6,000 unaccompanied minors arriving in small boats, now being relocated to other Spanish regions following reforms to Spain’s immigration law.
Spain is also requesting greater flexibility for State aid approvals in the outermost regions, without limits on sectors, amounts, or timelines, provided that internal EU cohesion is not compromised.
Finally, Madrid has encouraged the EU to use the RUP territories as a controlled “testing ground” for innovative legislative approaches, simplifying procedures and reducing administrative burdens before such measures are rolled out across the wider Union.
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