Nota simple
The official Land Registry extract showing a property's current owner, boundaries, and any registered charges.
A nota simple is the official extract from the Registro de la Propiedad (Land Registry) showing the current legal status of a property. It is the single most important due-diligence document in a Spanish property transaction.
A nota simple discloses: the current registered owner, the property's legal description and boundaries, any registered mortgages or other charges (cargas), any easements (servidumbres), and the property's registry reference number.
Your lawyer obtains a fresh nota simple as part of the due-diligence stage between the reservation and the arras contract. If the nota simple reveals an undisclosed mortgage, an outstanding charge, or a discrepancy in ownership, the transaction is paused while it is resolved.
A nota simple is not the same as the escritura — the escritura is the deed of transfer; the nota simple is the public record extract. Buyers should always see a recent nota simple (within 30 days) before signing the arras.