Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a growing number of Eastern Europeans – particularly Poles – have been buying homes on the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands, according to new property data. Figures from Spain’s College of Registrars show that Poles are increasingly favouring regions such as Andalusia and Valencia, as well as the Canary Islands.
While the majority of Europe’s foreign buyers in Spain are drawn to high-end villas or elegant holiday apartments with sea views, most Polish, Ukrainian and Lithuanian buyers are opting for modest properties between 646 and 861 square feet, rather than sprawling luxury homes. Polish demand has grown faster than any other nationality since the war began. In the second quarter of 2025, Poland once again recorded the sharpest rise in foreign property purchases, following its entry into the Balearics’ top 10 nationalities for the first time the previous year. This comes as the country is consistently named as one of Vladimir Putin’s next targets for invasion after Ukraine.
Daniel Arenas, president of ABINI – an association of national and international estate agencies – told local media: “It’s a nationality we didn’t usually work with much, but we have noticed a significant change. When you talk to those looking for homes, they admit they’re afraid. They tell you about the Russian drones that fly freely across their borders. It’s not a flood, but it’s noticeable.”
Meanwhile, Hans Lenz, managing director of Engel & Völkers in southwest Majorca and the former ABINI president, said the role the Russia-Ukraine war has played is “undeniable”, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
“These are people looking for peace and security,” he added.
Now, the Express has spoken to a couple of experts in the Spanish property industry, who have also witnessed this shift in property purchases by Polish residents.
Deepak Shukla, British-Indian entrepreneur, three times TEDx speaker, as well as founder and CEO of Pearl Lemon Properties, told the Express: “Since the war in Ukraine began, I’ve seen a clear shift among Polish buyers. They’re prioritising security and lifestyle diversification. Spain and the Balearics represent both physical and financial safety.
“Poland’s proximity to the conflict has driven many families and investors to move assets westward into stable EU markets with strong property laws and rental yields.”
Meanwhile, Luther Yeates, Head of Mortgages at UK Expat Mortgage, said that his business has also seen growing interest from Polish estate agents in Spain.
“We work with one international Spanish brokerage who stated that Polish buyers made up 5% of their completed mortgage cases a few years ago – this is more than from the US at 4.1%. While this percentage might seem small, it represents a substantial increase in market activity.”
“There are the obvious geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe […] that have driven demand for stable overseas investments, and the Spanish property market has been very stable since 2007, with some expecting prices to boom as they’ve been fairly stagnant for the last decade, so potential strong returns.”
According to data from the Registradores de España in May, Polish investors purchased almost 1,000 flats and houses in Spain between January and March 2025 – nearly 25% more than during the same period in 2024. This means that in just over four years, the number of properties purchased by Poles on the Iberian Peninsula has already reached almost 12,500.
Poland has been at the centre of many recent concerns about World War 3 in recent months. In September, its air forces were compelled on several occasions to scramble aircraft after Russian drones violated its airspace. On the night of September 9, Russia conducted 19 incursions of drone-type objects, which the Permanent mission of France to the UN said “posed a real threat to the civilian population, the infrastructure, and aviation safety”.
Then, last month, Vladimir Putin’s mouthpiece, Vladimir Solovyov, demanded that Russia “write off” Poland if the US arms Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. Solovyov said it would be “just wonderful” for the US to give Ukraine Tomahawks, before saying Russia should also take out all places from which missiles would be fired at his country. He said the parts of Poland where Ukrainian forces are being trained and weapons are manufactured and stored should “burn and explode”.
