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Protected housing for under-35s: programmes, quotas and guarantees

8 min read · basic level · reviewed on 15 September 2026

What protected housing programmes and mortgage guarantees are there for under-35s in Spain?

Being under 35 opens three doors: youth quotas in many draws, State Housing Plan 2026-2030 grants (up to €300 a month towards rent, €15,000 to buy in small towns, €28,800 when exercising a purchase option) and the ICO guarantee, covering up to 20% of a first-home mortgage (25% if the home has an energy rating of D or better). None of them allocates a home on its own.

The programmes in one table

Programmes for under-35s related to protected housing. Status, and the date we read the official source.

ICO first-home guarantee (aval ICO, RD 1/2024)

Who it is for
Up to age 35 (no one can have turned 36 when signing) or families with dependent children; two years of legal residence in Spain; first home, used as main residence. Income: until 18 June 2026, 4.5 times the IPREM (the state income index used to set the caps); from 19 June 2026, the IPREM multiple in force in each province
What it gives
A free guarantee covering 20% of the loan, 25% with an energy rating of D or better, for 10 years, so the bank can lend up to 100%
Status (date checked)
In force; loans can be signed until 31 December 2027 (ico.es, 15 September 2026)

Youth rent grant (State Housing Plan 2026-2030)

Who it is for
Up to age 35, income up to 5 times the IPREM, rent of up to €1,000 (€500 in towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants)
What it gives
Up to €300 a month, never more than 60% of the rent; €200 for a room
Status (date checked)
No region had opened the call for applications as of 8 September 2026 (RD 326/2026)

Buying a first home in a small town

Who it is for
Up to age 35, towns of up to 10,000 inhabitants (20,000 if justified)
What it gives
Up to €15,000, at most 20% of the price
Status (date checked)
Waiting for the regional call (8 September 2026)

Rent-to-buy (alquiler con opción a compra) of permanently protected housing

Who it is for
Up to age 35, when exercising the option; the rent already paid counts as an advance
What it gives
Up to €28,800
Status (date checked)
Waiting for the regional call (8 September 2026; RD 326/2026, art. 87)

Youth quota in draws

Who it is for
Each call sets the age: Navarra holds draws in groups for people aged 35 or under; Elciego reserves homes for under-36s; the Plan Vive in San Sebastián de los Reyes plans 880 homes for under-35s
What it gives
Competing on a shorter list; not a home
Status (date checked)
Depends on the call (pages checked on 6 September 2026)

Comunitat Valenciana: increase per young person

Who it is for
Each household member aged 18 to 35
What it gives
The income cap rises by 0.5 times the IPREM for each young person; the special youth regime starts at 5.5 times
Status (date checked)
In force (Decreto 180/2024, art. 42)

Regional guarantees

Who it is for
Madrid, Mi Primera Vivienda: up to age 40. Andalucía, Garantía Vivienda: up to 40. Murcia, Aval Joven: up to 40. Catalunya, emancipation loan: 18 to 40
What it gives
Financing above 80% and up to 100%; in Catalunya, an interest-free loan for the down payment, up to 20% of the value
Status (date checked)
In force when we read their official pages (June and August 2026)

Euskadi and Navarra

Who it is for
Outside the State Housing Plan (they have their own tax regime, régimen foral): they run their own programmes, such as Gaztelagun in Euskadi
What it gives
Their own rent and emancipation grants
Status (date checked)
Check Etxebide and navarra.es; we do not give figures here that we have not read

Quotas: the surest advantage you have

Almost every call for applications (convocatoria) reserves a block of homes for young people and holds a separate draw (sorteo) for them. If you are the age the rules (bases) set, you compete on a much shorter list. It is free and you only need to prove it on time with your ID (DNI); no one applies it for you automatically, and some people end up in the general pool because they did not tick the box.

Your age is checked on the date the rules say, usually when the application period closes or when the call is decided. If you have already turned 35, "under 35" and "35 or under" are two different quotas: read which one yours uses. How quotas are drawn is explained in how a VPO is allocated.

The ICO guarantee in 2026: what changed on 19 June

The ICO guarantee is not money: it is a free state guarantee on the part of the mortgage the bank does not usually lend. It covers up to 20% of the loan, or 25% if the home has an energy rating of D or better, for the first ten years, and lets the bank lend up to 100% of the price. It works for protected and open-market homes alike, as long as it is your first home and your main residence.

Two changes worth knowing. Since 19 June 2026 the income cap is no longer 4.5 times the IPREM for everyone: it is the multiple in force in the province where you buy, published by the ICO. And none of the buyers can have turned 36 when signing the loan; if two of you are buying, you both have to meet this. Loans can be signed until 31 December 2027.

The State Housing Plan grants you cannot apply for yet

The State Housing Plan 2026-2030 (Plan Estatal de Vivienda) sets aside three grants for under-35s: up to €300 a month towards rent, up to €15,000 to buy a first home in a small town and up to €28,800 for anyone exercising the purchase option on a permanently protected home. The money comes from the state, but each region opens its own call, and as of 8 September 2026 none had done so.

Euskadi and Navarra are outside the plan because of their own tax regime (régimen foral) and fund their own programmes. Each region's status, with the date we checked it, is in the State Housing Plan region by region. This is exactly what an alert is for: when your region opens, we will tell you.

What does not exist: a VPO for young people without a draw

None of these programmes allocates a home. Quotas improve your chances in a draw; guarantees and grants help you pay for the home you get. The path is still the usual one: sign up on the applicant register (registro de demandantes), meet your region's requirements and apply to every call that is open and that fits you.

Check whether I am under the income cap

With your age in the household (unidad de convivencia), the Comunitat Valenciana raises the cap; elsewhere the multiple is your regime's. No sign-up.

Check whether I am under the income cap

Frequently asked questions

Is there 0% VAT or a 0% loan for under-35s?

No. The September 2026 housing decree (Real Decreto-ley 26/2026) created the 0% TU CASA loan, with no age limit in its text, and did not include any 0% VAT (IVA) for young people. Congress repealed it on 2 October 2026, so there is no TU CASA loan either. What is in force for the down payment is the ICO guarantee.

Can I use the ICO guarantee to buy a VPO?

Yes, if it is your first home and will be your main residence, and you meet the age limit, the two years of legal residence and the provincial income cap the ICO publishes. The guarantee covers the part above 80% of the price or of the valuation (tasación), up to 100%.

What happens if I turn 35 during the call?

It depends on the date the rules set for proving your age. With the ICO guarantee the date is the day you sign the loan: no one can have turned 36 on that day.

Can I apply for the youth rent grants yet?

As of 8 September 2026, no region had opened the State Housing Plan 2026-2030 call. When it opens, you will apply to your region, not to the Ministry, and with its own deadlines.

Can I combine a regional guarantee with the ICO one?

Each programme sets its own compatibility rules, and they are usually alternatives, not stackable on the same part of the loan. The bank handles both and will tell you which one applies to your purchase.

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Official sources

General guidance, not legal advice. The rules that apply are your region's and those on the home's own qualification.

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