Every year more Italian families, retirees and remote workers choose the south of the Costa Blanca, and many of them walk into our office in Torrevieja. The reasons are easy to understand: around 300 days of sun, a sea that feels like home, property prices well below those of Liguria, Sardinia or the Amalfi Coast, and a Spanish way of life that Italians adapt to in weeks, not years. This guide is written with Italian buyers in mind, but it is useful for anyone thinking about a move. We cover where Italians tend to buy, the paperwork on both sides (Spanish registration and Italian AIRE), how Italian pensions and property are taxed, healthcare, flights home and how we help you buy from a distance.
Why Italians feel at home in Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa
The south of the Costa Blanca has a mild climate all year: winters are usually around 16–18 °C during the day and summers are hot but tempered by the sea breeze. The coastline mixes small rocky coves (Cabo Roig, Punta Prima) with long sandy beaches (La Mata, Guardamar), and the two salt lagoons of Torrevieja give the town its pink-tinted landscape.
For Italians, the cultural distance is minimal. Spanish is quick to pick up, meals are late and sociable, markets sell fresh fish and vegetables, and there are plenty of Italian-run restaurants, pizzerias, gelaterie and delicatessens along the coast. Torrevieja is a genuinely international town, so you will meet Spanish neighbours as well as northern Europeans, Ukrainians and Russians, and a growing Italian community, many of them retirees and families who moved after 2020.
Above all, there is value for money. A sea-view apartment that would cost a small fortune on the Italian Riviera is still within reach here.
Where Italians buy: our area-by-area picture
- Torrevieja: the choice of those who want to live without a car. Promenades, the Friday market, the port, a public hospital and every service within walking distance. Resale apartments are the most affordable on the coast.
- La Mata: a long natural beach and a quieter, village feel just north of Torrevieja, popular with Italians who love the sea first thing in the morning.
- Orihuela Costa (La Zenia, Playa Flamenca, Cabo Roig): modern residential communities with pools, the La Zenia Boulevard shopping centre and coves within walking distance. Strong demand for both living and renting out.
- Ciudad Quesada and Benijófar: inland, 10–15 minutes from the beach, with detached villas and private pools for the budget of a coastal apartment.
- Villamartín: for golfers, with the Plaza bars and restaurants and several courses close by.
As an approximate guide from our own sales, resale two-bedroom apartments in Torrevieja usually start at around €120,000–160,000, while detached villas with a pool in Ciudad Quesada or Orihuela Costa generally start above €300,000. Prices move with location, condition and distance to the sea, so browse current listings for an up-to-date picture.
Moving as an EU citizen: Spanish registration and AIRE
As Italians you need no visa to live in Spain. If you stay longer than three months, you must apply in person for the certificado de registro de ciudadano de la Unión (EU registration certificate) within three months of arrival, at the Oficina de Extranjeros or the national police station. You must show that you work, are self-employed, or have sufficient means plus public or private health insurance covering Spain. The certificate carries your NIE, which you need anyway to buy property.
Then you register on the padrón at your town hall, which you need for healthcare, schools and local services.
On the Italian side, if you move for more than 12 months you must register with AIRE (Anagrafe degli Italiani Residenti all'Estero) through the competent consulate (for the province of Alicante, the Consulate General in Barcelona, with an honorary consular office in Alicante for some services) within 90 days. Since 1 January 2024 (Law 213/2023), Italian municipalities can fine those who fail to register from €200 to €1,000 for each year, for up to five years.
Italian pensions and taxes once you are resident in Spain
If you live in Spain for more than 183 days a year, or your main centre of interests is here, you are normally tax resident in Spain and file the Spanish income tax return (IRPF) on your worldwide income. The Italy–Spain double tax treaty then decides where each income is taxed:
- Private-sector pensions (for example INPS pensions for former private employees): taxed only in Spain. To stop Italian withholding you must apply to INPS with the specific form (EP-I) certified by the Spanish tax office; tax already withheld can be reclaimed within set deadlines.
- Public-sector pensions (former state employees, teachers, local authorities) of Italian nationals: as a rule taxed only in Italy, although Spain may take them into account to set the rate on your other income.
Since 2024 the Italian rules on tax residence (Article 2 TUIR) have changed, and AIRE registration alone is no longer decisive. Get advice before the move, not after: one year of dual residence can be costly.
Keeping Italian residence and owning a holiday home in Spain
Many of our Italian clients buy a holiday home first and move later. In that case you remain an Italian resident and, as a non-resident owner in Spain, you file the Modelo 210 each year: if the property is not rented, Spain taxes an imputed income of 1.1% or 2% of the cadastral value at 19% (the rate for EU residents). If you rent it out, you pay on the actual rental income, with deductible expenses for EU residents. On top of that come the local IBI and community fees.
In Italy you must report the property in the RW section of your return and pay IVIE: since 2024 the standard rate is 1.06% (it was 0.76%), calculated for properties in the EU on the cadastral value or, failing that, on the purchase price. IVIE is not due if it amounts to €200 or less, and a credit may apply for property taxes paid in Spain. Your commercialista should check the calculation.
Healthcare, daily life and language
If you are an Italian state pensioner, ask your ASL for the S1 form: once registered with the Spanish social security, it gives you access to the Valencian public health system with the SIP card. Workers and the self-employed are covered by paying Spanish social security contributions. The main public hospital for the area is the Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja, and there are private clinics with international staff.
Your Italian driving licence remains valid in Spain; when it expires you renew it here. Spanish comes quickly to Italians, but it is worth taking a course, which many town halls offer cheaply. For shopping you will find Italian products in the large supermarkets and in specialist shops, and the weekly markets are an Italian's paradise for fruit, fish and cheese.
Getting back to Italy: flights and driving
Alicante-Elche airport is about 40–50 minutes by car from Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa, and Murcia airport (Corvera) is a similar distance. From Alicante there are direct flights to Italy; Ryanair, for example, has announced an Alicante–Venice Marco Polo route from September 2026. Routes and frequencies to other Italian cities change by season, so check current schedules before buying with a particular airport in mind. Valencia airport, about two hours away, offers more connections.
Many Italians also come by car: the drive from Milan is roughly 1,600 km via the French and Catalan coast, useful for the first trip with all your belongings.
How we help Italian buyers, even from a distance
Most of our Italian clients start with video viewings and make one or two trips to see a shortlist. We check the property's legal status (nota simple, debts, licences, community fees) before you commit, coordinate the NIE, the Spanish bank account and the signing at the notary. If you cannot travel, you can sign a power of attorney in Italy in front of a notary, with the Hague apostille, so that your lawyer can sign on your behalf.
Looking for a rental first to test the area? See our long-term rentals in Torrevieja. To talk through your plans, contact us.
This guide is general information, checked in October 2026, and is not legal or tax advice. Rules change: confirm your case with a Spanish lawyer and an Italian commercialista.