The largest group of foreign home buyers on the Costa Blanca is no longer British. According to the notaries' statistics for the province of Alicante, buyers from the Netherlands have bought more homes than buyers from the United Kingdom in every quarter since the end of 2024. Over the whole of 2025 the Dutch accounted for 12.5% of foreign purchases in the province and the British for 10.9%. Across Spain the race is closer still: in the second quarter of 2026 the Property Registrars recorded 1,843 purchases by British buyers and 1,830 by Dutch buyers, a gap of 13 homes.
Seven years ago the picture was very different. In 2018 the British bought one in five homes sold to foreigners in Alicante province, four times as many as the Dutch. Below: what the data from the notaries and the registrars show, where in the province Dutch buyers concentrate, how their budgets compare, and what the change means for a buyer or a future seller on the coast.
Two sources, two counts: Spain has two official statistics on home sales. The notaries (Consejo General del Notariado) count deeds on the day they are signed and publish detailed figures by nationality and province. The Property Registrars (Colegio de Registradores) count purchases when they are registered, a few weeks later, and publish nationality only for Spain as a whole. The figures differ slightly but point the same way.
Alicante province: the Dutch moved into first place
The notaries' Alicante series shows how gradual the change has been. British purchases have fallen steadily since 2018, while Dutch purchases have tripled. The turning point came in the last quarter of 2024, when Dutch buyers signed 935 purchases against 901 by British buyers.
| Period | British buyers | Dutch buyers | Belgian buyers | Polish buyers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4,935 (21.3%) | 1,116 (4.8%) | 2,431 (10.5%) | 575 (2.5%) |
| 2021 | 3,423 (15.9%) | 1,761 (8.2%) | 2,352 (10.9%) | 879 (4.1%) |
| 2023 | 3,942 (13.1%) | 2,717 (9.0%) | 3,159 (10.5%) | 2,159 (7.2%) |
| 2024 | 3,594 (11.6%) | 3,328 (10.7%) | 3,092 (10.0%) | 2,933 (9.5%) |
| First half of 2025 | 1,684 (11.0%) | 1,879 (12.3%) | 1,397 (9.1%) | 1,224 (8.0%) |
| Full year 2025 | 10.9% | 12.5% | 8.8% | 8.2% |
Number of homes bought and share of all purchases by foreigners in the province of Alicante. Source: Colegio Notarial de Valencia, Alicante housing statistics; full-year 2025 shares from the notaries' statistical portal.
Foreign buyers as a whole are now the majority in the province. In the twelve months to April 2026 they signed 51.5% of all home purchases in Alicante, according to the notaries. The registrars, counting slightly differently, put the foreign share at 46.43% in the second quarter of 2026, the highest of any province in Spain.
Across Spain: 13 homes apart
In the registrars' national figures for the second quarter of 2026, British buyers still lead with 6.99% of all purchases by foreigners, but the Dutch follow with 6.94%. A year earlier the British had 7.77% and the Dutch 6.46%, behind the Germans. Purchases by Dutch buyers rose by 20.2% in a year; purchases by British buyers by 0.7%.
| Nationality | Homes bought, second quarter of 2026 | Share of purchases by foreigners |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1,843 | 6.99% |
| Netherlands | 1,830 | 6.94% |
| Germany | 1,612 | 6.11% |
| Morocco | 1,606 | 6.09% |
| Romania | 1,504 | 5.70% |
| Italy | 1,353 | 5.13% |
| France | 1,310 | 4.97% |
| Poland | 1,143 | 4.33% |
Key point: among buyers who do not live in Spain, the Dutch are already first nationwide. In the notaries' figures for the first half of 2026, they made 12.6% of all purchases by non-residents, ahead of the Germans (11.8%) and the British (10.4%). These are holiday-home and second-home buyers, the core of the Costa Blanca market.
Where Dutch buyers purchase, and what they pay
Dutch buyers spread across the whole Costa Blanca, but their pattern differs from the British one. In 2024, according to the notaries, the towns with the most Dutch purchases were Orihuela (384), Torrevieja (291), Xàbia (238), Rojales (169), Teulada-Moraira (153), Guardamar del Segura (137), Dénia (127) and Calp (125). British purchases were concentrated further south: Orihuela alone accounted for 864, followed by Rojales (308) and Torrevieja (300). In other words, the Dutch buy in the south like everyone else, but they are also a leading group in the villa markets of the north, around Jávea, Moraira, Dénia and Calpe.
They also spend more. In the second quarter of 2025 the average purchase by a Dutch buyer in Alicante province was €325,725, the highest of any large nationality, against €277,395 for Belgians, €249,729 for Germans and €229,411 for British buyers. The average for all foreign buyers was €218,574. Press reports of the notaries' data for the first quarter of 2026 put the Dutch average at €369,270 and the British at €252,544.
What this means for a buyer on the Costa Blanca
1. Demand at the upper end is broader than it used to be
The Dutch, Belgians and Germans now account for a larger share of foreign purchases than the British, and they buy at higher average prices. For a buyer looking at villas in the north of the Costa Blanca, this means competition for well-located homes comes from several countries at once, and good properties sell without long negotiations. It is worth having your finances and documents ready before viewings, starting with the NIE.
2. Resale demand is spread across more nationalities
When you sell, your buyer is likely to be foreign: more than three quarters of purchases in Orihuela and Torrevieja, and between two thirds and three quarters in Calp, Xàbia and Altea, are made by foreigners. A buyer pool spread across the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom makes the market less dependent on any single country's economy or exchange rate.
3. No 90-day limit for EU owners; British owners plan around it
Since Brexit, British owners without Spanish residence can stay in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, like other visitors from outside the Schengen area. Dutch, Belgian and other EU owners have no such limit; an EU citizen who stays in Spain for more than three months only has to register with the foreigners' registry. Local press cites this rule as one reason for the shift in buyers; it is a plausible explanation rather than a measured one. For buyers from outside the EU it is a practical point to plan for before choosing a home for long stays.
4. The steps are the same for every nationality
Whatever your passport, buying in Spain follows the same sequence: NIE, Spanish bank account, reservation, private contract and deed at the notary, with taxes and fees of around 10% to 15% on top of the price. Our guide to buying property in Spain takes you through each step.
Outlook: the Dutch could lead nationwide in 2026
The registrars publish their third-quarter figures in the coming weeks. With Dutch purchases growing at 20% a year and British purchases flat, the Netherlands could become the largest foreign nationality in the national figures as well, after decades of British leadership. On the Costa Blanca, the change has already happened. For buyers it confirms what the data have shown for some time: the market on this coast rests on broad, mainly European demand, and no single country now sets its pace. To see what is for sale in the area with the largest foreign market in Spain, browse property for sale on the Costa Blanca.
Sources: Colegio de Registradores, Estadística Registral Inmobiliaria, second quarter of 2026 and second quarter of 2025; Colegio Notarial de Valencia, housing purchases by foreigners in the province of Alicante (data to the second quarter of 2025); Consejo General del Notariado, first half of 2026 and the notaries' statistical portal (May 2025 to April 2026).
