BOE auctions portal: how to search and bid in Spain (2026 guide)

subastas.boe.es. That URL is what separates the investors who really make the most of court auctions from those who know they exist but have never gone in. The Portal de Subastas del BOE (the auction portal of the BOE, Spain's Official State Gazette) is the official platform where all of Spain's court auctions have been published and held since 2015. And although at first sight it looks like a public administration website—with everything that implies for usability—once you know your way around it, it's an extraordinary source of information.

What you can find on the BOE portal

The portal publishes three types of asset:

• Court auctions: Called by courts all over Spain to enforce debts. They're by far the majority.
• Administrative auctions by the tax authority (Hacienda): The Agencia Tributaria (the Spanish tax agency) enforces against assets for tax debts. A similar process, but with its own particularities.
• Social Security auctions: Less frequent, but they do appear too.

For every auction published you get access to: the official appraisal of the asset, the starting price, known charges, basic land registry information, photos when there are any (which is less often than it should be), and the option to lodge the deposit and bid.

How to search for property auctions step by step

Go to subastas.boe.es and open the "Buscador de Subastas" (the auction search). The filters you'll care about most:

• Type of asset (Tipo de bien): Filter by "Inmueble" (real estate) to keep only homes, commercial premises, land and the like. Without this filter, vehicles and machinery you're not interested in will appear.
• Province (Provincia): Narrows it down geographically. If you're interested in Madrid or Barcelona, filter by that province. If you're searching nationwide, leave it open and sort by price.
• Auction status (Estado de la subasta): "En plazo de presentación de ofertas" (open for bids) to see the ones live right now. Auctions run for twenty calendar days from when they open.
• Appraisal value (Valor de tasación): Very useful for narrowing down by budget.

What to look at inside each auction

When you open a specific auction, the first thing to do is review the Edicto de Subasta (the auction notice), the official document that contains all the legal information. Pay special attention to:

• Earlier charges that aren't cancelled: If the property has an earlier mortgage that the proceedings don't cancel, that charge passes to you. It's money you don't see in the price but that you'll have to take on. Always check the Registro de la Propiedad (the Land Registry) before bidding.
• Possession status: The notice states whether the property is occupied or vacant. "Ocupado por el ejecutado" (occupied by the debtor) means the debtor still lives there and you'll have to recover possession through the courts after the property is awarded to you.
• Cadastral reference: With it you can check the Catastro (Spain's property cadastre) to verify the real floor area and spot possible discrepancies with the auction data.
• Type of auction and percentage: It tells you the starting price and what happens if nobody bids. It changes depending on whether or not it's a main residence.

How bidding has worked since April 2025

BOE auctions accept bids for twenty calendar days from when they open, and in proceedings started on or after 3 April 2025 (the reform introduced by Ley Orgánica 1/2025) bids are sealed. Auctions from earlier proceedings, of which there are still many, keep the old rules: a 5% deposit, visible bids and forty days to pay. Under the new rules, while the auction is running, the portal doesn't say whether there are any bids or how much they are. Each bidder states the maximum amount they're offering; if two match, the one submitted first wins. To take part under the new rules:

1. Register on the portal with a digital certificate or Cl@ve (the Spanish government's online ID system).
2. Lodge the deposit to bid: 20% of the auction value, with a minimum of 1,000 euros (10% for movable goods). The notice may set a different percentage if the court so decides; check it. It's paid within the portal itself, from an account of yours at a bank that collaborates with the Agencia Tributaria; you don't have to make any transfer to the court.
3. Once the deposit has been validated, you can submit your bid and say whether you consent to the reserva de postura (your deposit being held so that you're next in line if the winner doesn't pay).
4. When the auction closes, the bids are revealed. If the best one is equal to or above 70% of the auction value, the sale is approved; if it's lower, the debtor has ten days to present someone who improves on it.
5. If you win, you have twenty days from the close to pay the rest. Your deposit is put towards the price.
6. If you don't win, the deposit is returned in the following days.

How to set up alerts so you don't miss anything

Very few people know this: the portal has a subscription system where you can set up alerts by province, type of asset and price range. When an auction that matches your criteria is published, you get an automatic email.

To switch it on, register on the portal and look for "Mis alertas" (my alerts) or "Suscripciones" (subscriptions). It takes two minutes to set up and lets you stay on top of things without checking the portal every day.

The mistake almost every beginner makes

Going to the first auction with a good starting price without having done their homework. The price that appears on the portal is only the STARTING price. To know whether it's really an opportunity you need to: check the market price of equivalent properties in that area, review the Land Registry for charges, and verify whether it's occupied and how much it would cost to recover possession. Only with those three pieces of information can you work out your maximum bid rationally.

How much bidding costs and how long the process takes

Beyond the price you win it at, it's worth being clear about the costs and timescales before you get involved. The outlay doesn't end with the bid:

• Prior deposit (20% of the auction value, minimum 1,000 euros): The money you lock up to be able to bid (5% in proceedings started before 3 April 2025). If you don't win, it's returned to you; if you win, it's deducted from the final price.
• The rest of the price: You have twenty days from the close of the auction to pay the difference (forty in proceedings started before 3 April 2025). If you don't pay, you lose the deposit.
• Taxes: ITP (the property transfer tax, between 4% and 10% depending on the region, and higher on the sliding scales for expensive properties) on most court awards, or IVA (VAT) + AJD (stamp duty) in some cases of company-owned property. It's the cost most often forgotten when working out the return.
• Registry and notary: The certified copy of the award decree (testimonio del decreto de adjudicación) and the entry in the Land Registry have their cost, usually lower than in a traditional sale.
• Recovering possession: If the property is occupied, add the time and cost of the court eviction. It can be the factor that turns a "bargain" into a problem.

As a quick rule, allow an extra 10-15% on top of the winning price for taxes and costs. An asset that looks 50% below market can end up at a real 35% once you add everything up: still excellent, but do it with the numbers in front of you.

Frequently asked questions about the BOE portal

Do I need a digital certificate to bid? Yes. To register as a bidder and submit bids you need a digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN. To just look at the auctions you can browse without identifying yourself.

Can I view the property before bidding? Hardly ever. Most auctions don't allow an interior viewing, especially if the property is occupied. That's why it's key to review the notice, the Catastro and the Land Registry: as for the condition inside, you're bidding practically blind.

What happens if I win and then change my mind? You lose the deposit. The bid is a firm commitment to buy; there's no cooling-off period as there is when buying from a private individual. Hence doing your homework beforehand is non-negotiable.

Can you get a mortgage for a BOE auction? It's possible but complicated because of the deadlines: you have twenty days from the close to pay (forty in proceedings started before 3 April 2025), and approving a mortgage usually takes longer. People who win auctions normally go in with pre-approved financing or with cash.

How many auctions end with no bidders? A far from negligible percentage, especially for non-residential assets. That opens up another route to a discount.

Resources to go to the portal prepared: Before bidding, understand how court auctions work and what each term in the notice means. If you want to see assets pre-filtered by AI Score without trawling the portal by hand, go to RadarPro's auction detector.