Company formation: learn more
Here are the steps in brief:
- Once you fill out our service agreement, we begin working immediately on your company.
- When everything's ready, we'll contact you so you can schedule a trip to the notary for the signing. The moment you sign, you will have a legal company with a tax ID, so your company may begin operations in Spain.
- After about one month, the company will be fully registered.
For more information about our company formation service, please contact us.
FAQs:
How long will it take?
Do I need a NIE?
What are the steps to form a company in Spain?
What information do we need from you to get started?
Will the company have a VAT number?
What costs are involved in forming a company in Spain?
Can a foreign company be the sole shareholder?
Can I avoid the trip to Spain?
What are the tax and accounting obligations for a company in Spain?
Should I form a new company or buy an off-the-shelf company?
Why is it so expensive to form a company in Spain?
What should I look out for when shopping for incorporation services in Spain?
How long will it take?
Once you have your NIE, the following chart shows the usual time scale for the company to be fully established. However, if your company requirements fulfill the new regulations, then we can establish the company faster.
| Task | Time to complete |
|---|---|
| Get the name certificate | 4-6 days* |
| Prepare to sign at the notary | 1 day** |
| Get the company tax ID (CIF) | 1 day |
| Receive mercantile registry certificate | 15-30 days*** |
*If all three names you provide are rejected, then we will ask you for three more names, and repeat the process. For this reason, it's important that your third choice is a safe choice that will ensure approval.
**Completing this process requires that you have a NIE. Getting a NIE may take time, so you should begin that process as soon as possible.
***We cannot guarantee this time, since this depends on the Mercantile Registry, but this is the usual time frame.
Do I need a NIE?
Yes, all directors and shareholders of the company need a NIE, as a result of the Fraud Prevention Act which came into force on February 2005. If you don't have a NIE, please read our guide to obtaining a NIE number.
What are the steps to form a company in Spain?
The steps are as follows:- Register the company name at the national Mercantile Register, making sure the name chosen is unique.
- Draft the statutes and by-laws for the company's constitution.
- Get a temporary tax ID number (CIF) for the company.
- Communicate with the notary: Review all documents, and make all necessary preparations for the signing.
- Go with the client to sign at the notary's office.
- Pay the transfer tax/stamp duty.
- Register the company at the local Mercantile Registry.
- Publish the company information in the Mercantile Registry's Boletín Oficial.
- Get a permanent tax ID number (CIF) for the company.
We guarantee that all required tasks to form your company will be completed.
What information do we need from you to get started?
We need:- A filled out service agreement.
- A scanned or faxed copy of the passport and NIE of the director(s).
- Payment by credit card or bank transfer.
Will the company have a VAT number?
Yes, the company will have a Spanish tax ID (CIF), which is the VAT number. You will have the tax ID the day you sign at the notary. With the tax ID, your Spanish company can do business anywhere.
If the company will be exchanging frequent invoices with companies in the EU but outside Spain, then you may want to be listed in the EU VAT registry (VIES) so you won't have to bill and be billed for VAT in your EU transactions. Please see our VIES registration page for more information, or contact us to apply for VIES listing for your company.
What costs are involved in forming a company in Spain?
You can either choose our standard company formation (1200€) or our offer of a free company when you pay for one year of accounting. In both cases, all fees are paid for -- notary fees, mercantile registry fees, and transfer tax/stamp duty (based on the minimum share capital of 3000€).Note that before you can form a company in Spain, you need to have a NIE. Just let us know if you don't yet have one.
Once the SL is established, you are required to fulfill tax and accounting obligations, even if you have no invoices.
If you would like to sign with a notary of your choice, or in a city where we are not represented, then please contact us for a quote.
Can a foreign company be the sole shareholder?
Yes. Note, however, that a company may not be the director. The director has to be a person.Can I avoid the trip to Spain?
Yes, you can give us a power of attorney. Please contact us about the best way to get a power of attorney.What are the tax and accounting obligations for a company in Spain?
You are required to file tax forms every quarter, as well as yearly tax forms. You are also required to fill out four accounting books, and present them yearly to the Mercantile Register. These requirements hold true even if your company has no financial movement. See our accounting page for more information.Why is it so expensive to form a company in Spain?
In the UK and the USA, forming a company can be done online. In Spain, company formation requires at least eight visits in person to various offices.What should I look out for when shopping for incorporation services in Spain?
- Be sure to find out whether the price of the service includes the notary and registry fees, as well as transfer tax/stamp duty.
- When a company is formed, a temporary CIF (tax ID) is requested. Later, this CIF is made permanent. Be sure that the CIF you receive is permanent.
- Once you have the CIF, you can start billing for the company. However, you cannot activate your bank account for the company until the company has been registered at the Mercantile Register. The time it takes to register varies from province to province, so make sure you ask when you will be able to start using your bank account.
- Once the company has been formed, make sure the form to initiate business activity has been presented and stamped.