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VIRTUAL ONE STOP SHOP FOR INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS

/Doing Business in Spain

Basic information on the procedure.

/ Object

/ Basic information

The main ways that a foreign person or company can operate in Spain are as follows:
    1. Setting up a Spanish company: the most common corporate forms are the Limited Liability Company (SL) and the Public Limited Company (SA). In both cases, the liability of the partners is limited to the capital they have paid in.
    2. Registering as an individual entrepreneur: the business activity is carried out directly by the individual, with no distinction between personal and business assets. His or her liability will be unlimited.
    3. Establishing a representative office: this is a minimal structure that is often used prior to the establishment in Spain of the foreign company through a branch, subsidiary, etc. It lacks its own legal personality and cannot carry out an economic activity.
    4. Establishing a Branch or permanente establishment: they do not have their own legal personality, so their legal liability is linked to the foreign parent company.
    5. Establishing a subsidiary: this is a new company with its own independent legal personality, although it is controlled by the foreign parent company.
    6. Through business cooperation (Temporary Business Union –UTE-or Economic Interest Grouping -AEI-): this is one of the main ways to partner with established companies and entrepreneurs in Spain. Economic Interest Groupings have their own legal personality.
For more information, click here: Plataforma Pyme

/ Links to the municipal areas and institutions in charge of the procedure

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/ Approximate costs

The costs will depend on the corporate form chosen to operate in Spain.

/ Resolution period

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/ Professional knowledge required

To carry out the necessary administrative formalities to start doing business in Spain, the following professionals / institutions may be involved: notaries, the Commercial Register, public administrations, and other organizations. It is recommended to seek legal advice to determine the most appropriate corporate structure for your needs and to facilitate the completion of the necessary formalities in each case.

/ Where and how to submit documentation

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/ Modalities

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/ Type of procedure

Incorporating a company | Limited Liability Company | Public Limited Company | Individual entrepreneur | Branch

/ Related procedures

/ Version and date of the last update

Version 1.0 Date September 2023

Consult other procedures