My move to Spain
Your length of stay, personal circumstances and timetable are used to create an organised list of tasks and documents.
Personal action plan with document folder · about 7 minutesView the process →Spain Services · complete business course
Self-employment and business in Spain
The complete start-up and business journey for a sound start in Spain
11 chapters · 55 lessons7 to 9 hours, including practical exercisesAs at 29 August 2026
Introduction
A business does not begin with a form
Spain has a particular knack for prompting both business confidence and administrative doubts in the same morning. The idea already seems market-ready in the café, while the first form gently reminds you that an economic activity is also a tax matter, a social security relationship, a web of contracts and a question of local permits. This is not unique to Spain. It is simply especially useful in Spain to know the right order.
This course therefore does not offer a collection of supposed start-up tricks. It begins with the business model and your personal role, assesses the legal form, residency status, professional regulations and location, then organises registration, social security, tax, invoicing, contracts, data protection, staff and finance. Each lesson ends with a task for your own business file. This turns general knowledge into a decision that can be checked.
The language of entrepreneurship loves big words: scaling, disruption, freedom. Everyday life prefers smaller, more dependable terms: margin, deadline, evidence, responsibility and liquidity. You cannot judge a good business by how quickly it was set up. You can judge it by whether its customer promises, price, costs, obligations and responsibilities all tell the same story.
Legal, tax, social security and permit requirements depend on the specific circumstances, region, local authority, industry and personal situation. The course therefore does not replace individual advice. It ensures that you ask the right questions, prepare your documents in an orderly way and seek professional advice before a deadline or payment has already made the decision for you.
Free taster lesson
What problem are you solving – and for whom, exactly?
Do not start with your product, but with an observable situation. Who experiences what problem, how often does it occur, and what do they do about it now? A German-language service for newcomers may be useful; it only becomes a business when the target group, need, outcome and willingness to pay are described more precisely.
Distinguish users, buyers and decision-makers. In business-to-business sales, the person using your service may not be the one who approves the budget. In consumer businesses, trust, language, accessibility and questions of cancellation rights or guarantees also matter. So frame your offer as a customer promise that can be tested, not as a description of yourself.
What you will take away
- A specific customer problem, not a general target group
- Distinguish users, buyers and decision-makers
- Describe the benefit as a measurable outcome
The complete learning path
Eleven chapters take you from market assessment to a robust business file.
- 01Business model, market and an honest assessment of your role as founderDescribe your offer, the Spanish market and your personal role as an entrepreneur precisely enough to form sound assumptions to test.
- 02Autónomo, S.L. or existing business: choosing the right structureCompare self-employment, a Spanish company and a cross-border structure in terms of liability, costs and actual management.
- 03NIE, NIF, residency status and digital identityOrganise personal and business identifiers, professional regulations, powers of attorney and digital access before registration begins.
- 04Set-up and registration in the right orderBuild a controllable start-up process from CIRCE, DUE, tax registration, RETA, registers and local permits.
- 05Social security and the economic reality of the autónomoOrganise RETA, income forecasts, later adjustments and multiple roles so that contributions and cover are predictable.
- 06Taxes: reading activity, legal structure and cash flow togetherDistinguish income tax and corporation tax, IVA, withholdings and cross-border transactions, and create a tax calendar.
- 07Invoices, accounting and cash flowDevelop a record-keeping and payment process that brings together legal requirements, digital systems and business management.
- 08Contracts, data protection, trade marks and business risksDefine the scope of services and liability, organise data protection and safeguard your key intangible and business assets.
- 09Hiring staff and taking responsibilityPlan your first employee as a complete employer process, from the need and contract to payroll, workplace safety and management.
- 10Finance, grants and controlled growthEstablish your true capital requirements, compare sources of finance and manage growth through liquidity, margin and operational resilience.
- 11Business culture and the 90-day launch planTurn relationships, reliability and regional practice into clear business processes, and complete the course with a full start-up file.
Included in Spain Services
Unlock the complete business course
Includes all 55 lessons, narrated presentation, practical exercises, knowledge checks and printable start-up dossier.
From your question to the next step
What specifically would you like to resolve in Spain?
Traditional Spain guides provide general answers. Spain services go further: answer a few straightforward questions and receive an organised checklist, a document folder and links to relevant up-to-date services.
Property due diligence pathway
Organises the checks to make before a reservation, private purchase contract and notary appointment – including the land register, encumbrances and additional costs.
Saveable due diligence checklist · about 6 minutesView the process →Retirement compass
Brings together residency, health insurance, tax residence, housing and regional climate risks in a robust assessment plan.
Personal retirement checklist · about 6 minutesView the process →My interactive Spain travel guide
Your region, time of year, mobility and interests are used to create personalised travel preparations with direct links to services.
A personalised travel plan instead of a standard list · about 5 minutesView the process →Spain courses
Knowledge that lasts beyond the next news story
Each course includes practical tasks, knowledge checks, editable checklists and a documented update status. Full courses open directly in the protected service area.
Settling in Spain
Tackle NIE, registration, residency, healthcare, banking and your vehicle in the right order.
7 chapters · 28 lessons · around 3 hoursView the syllabus
- Preparing before departure
- NIE and Spanish identity in everyday dealings with the authorities
- Empadronamiento and residence registration
- Health and social security
- Banking, digital identity and ongoing contracts
- Vehicle and driving licence
- Personal 90-day roadmap
Buying property in Spain – without costly mistakes
Check the legal position, registry, building condition, costs and contracts before a deposit turns assumptions into facts.
10 chapters · 40 lessons · 6 to 8 hoursView the syllabus
- Market and regions
- Budget and additional costs
- Nota Simple and ownership
- Cadastre and planning permission
- Community and ongoing charges
- Technical inspection
- Reservation and arras
- Financing
- Notary and registry
- Handover and first 100 days
Planning your retirement in Spain
Bring healthcare, pensions, tax, housing and climate risks together to make a sustainable life decision.
8 chapters · 40 lessons · 6 to 7 hoursView the syllabus
- Ideal vision and reality
- Residence options
- Pension and evidence
- S1 and healthcare
- Tax residence
- Housing, inheritance and provision
- Regions in a changing climate
- Moving roadmap
Self-employment and business in Spain
Prepare thoroughly for autónomo or company status, tax, social security and business culture.
11 chapters · 55 lessons · 7 to 9 hoursView the syllabus
- Business model, market and founder’s role
- Autónomo, S.L. or existing business
- NIE, NIF and digital identity
- Formation and registration
- Social security
- Tax
- Invoices, accounting and cash flow
- Contracts, data protection, brand and risk
- Employees
- Financing, grants and growth
- Business culture and 90-day launch plan
Understanding Spain
Understand regions, languages, politics and everyday culture without getting stuck in Spanish stereotypes.
8 chapters · 40 lessons · 6 to 7 hoursView the syllabus
- One country, many Spains
- Autonomous Communities
- Languages and identities
- Political system
- Family and social closeness
- Time, work and keeping commitments
- Festivals, food and public life
- Act with cultural confidence
Travel safely in Spain
Take heat, wildfires, water, transport and emergencies into account from the earliest stages of travel planning.
8 chapters · 40 lessons · 6 to 7 hoursView the syllabus
- The journey as a changing system
- Weather, heat and physical strain
- Wildfires, heavy rain and terrain
- Sea, sun and leisure
- Roads, hire cars and accidents
- Train, plane, bus and ferry
- Health, documents and personal safety
- The emergency plan that really works
The real promise
Spain won’t get any simpler. But it can be more manageable.
Spain Services does not sell an infallible oracle. It continuously organises available news and services so that a general country platform becomes a personal working tool.
My Spain
Your region and places take centre stage – not some abstract national average.
Stay informed in time
You can change your newsletter choices at any time in your service account.
Take practical action
Traffic, appointments, wildfires and other services are brought together in one place.
No subscription trap
3 months’ access, one-off payment and no silent renewal.
A clear distinction
Free offers and additional services
Explore Spain
- latest news and overviews
- Regional news with a free choice of region
- Official weather warnings, AEMET warning map and weather forecast
- Hotels and holiday rentals
- Emergencies, important numbers and immediate assistance
- general search across news
Organise my Spain
- Newsletters for current affairs, a topic, briefings and football results
- protected service pages within the service interface
- personal dashboard and country compass
- interactive advice and personal travel guide