Certificate of No Planning Infringement in Spain: What It Is, Why It Matters and How to Get It (2026)

A practical guide to the Town Hall certificate confirming there are no open planning enforcement files on a property in Spain: what it proves and what it does not, its role in purchases and age-based new-build registration (art. 28.4 Land Act), Valencian time limits and how to apply.

Legal review: Gabriel Padilla Franco, ICAE no. 1265 · 19 October 2026

Before buying a home on the Costa Blanca, almost everyone asks for the land registry extract (nota simple). Very few ask for the certificate of no planning infringement (certificado de inexistencia de infracción urbanística). Yet it is the document that tells you whether the Town Hall has opened any file over illegal works on that property: an unlicensed pool, an enclosed terrace, an added floor or a storeroom turned into a bedroom.

This guide explains, in practical terms, what it is, what it proves (and what it does not), when to request it and how to apply for it in Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Moraira, Jávea, Calpe or Elche.

What the certificate of no planning infringement is

It is a document issued by the Town Hall where the property is located. It states that, on the date it is issued, there is no open planning enforcement or legality-restoration file against that home, premises or plot.

Depending on the municipality it goes by other names:

  • Certificate of no planning breach (certificado de no infracción urbanística).
  • Certificate of no planning enforcement file.
  • Planning status certificate, or certificate of age and no infringement (when requested together with the age of the works).

It can confirm that there are no pending penalty proceedings, demolition orders, works stoppage orders, sealing orders or legalisation requirements.

What the certificate does NOT say

This is where most confusion arises:

  • It is not a certificate of legality. No open file does not mean everything built has a licence. There may be illegal works the Town Hall has not yet detected.
  • It is a snapshot. It is valid on its issue date. A file could be opened the next day.
  • It does not replace the first occupancy licence or the habitation certificate. They are different documents with different purposes.
  • It says nothing about registered charges (mortgages, embargoes): that is what the nota simple is for.

So in a purchase the certificate is one piece of the due diligence, not the only one.