Company formation in Spain

Company formation in Spain is a chain of offices: the Registro Mercantil Central for the name, a bank for the capital, a notary for the deed, the tax agency for the tax number and the Registro Mercantil for registration. A formation provider’s job is to run that chain for you and keep it moving while you are abroad.

There are 592 firms on Accountanty offering company formation in Spain. Most are accounting firms, and the right one depends less on the incorporation itself than on who will keep your books and file your taxes afterwards. This page covers what a provider does, what it needs from you, what a fair quote should spell out and how to choose.

Choose a provider that will also handle your accounting and tax filings after incorporation, that speaks your language and that can explain each fee in its quote. Give it your passport details, NIE or the power of attorney it needs, your name choices and your business plan in outline. Our guide to setting up a company in Spain covers the legal steps.

Firms offering company formation in Spain

Asepyme

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Valencia

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +2 more

Languages: Spanish

View profile of Asepyme

DAEM

Accounting firm · Medium-sized firm

Barcelona

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +3 more

Languages: Spanish

View profile of DAEM

DiG Abogados

Law firm · Medium-sized firm

Barcelona

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +2 more

Languages: Spanish · Catalan · English · French …

View profile of DiG Abogados

iPimes

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Barcelona

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +2 more

Languages: Spanish · Catalan · English

View profile of iPimes

JAIZME

Accounting firm · Boutique firm

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

  • Company formation
  • Accounting and bookkeeping
  • Tax compliance
  • +1 more

Languages: Spanish · English

View profile of JAIZME

568 more firms offering company formation in Spain

Who handles company formation in Spain

Three kinds of firm do this work, and Spanish founders often use them interchangeably:

Of the 592 formation providers listed on Accountanty, 504 are accounting firms, 71 are law firms and 17 are corporate service providers. By size, 493 are small firms, 85 are medium-sized and 14 sit in large networks. For a simple SL with one or two owners, a gestoría or asesoría usually covers everything. Bring in a lawyer when the shareholder arrangements, the funding or the structure need tailored documents.

What a formation provider does for you

A full-service provider usually handles each step of company formation in Spain and the filings that follow:

  1. Tax numbers. It prepares the NIE application for each foreign shareholder and director, or the NIF filing for a corporate shareholder.
  2. Name certificate. It requests the name certificate from the Registro Mercantil Central and watches the expiry date.
  3. Bank account. It introduces you to a bank that accepts non-resident founders and prepares the documents for its checks.
  4. Bylaws and deed. It drafts the bylaws, books the notary and, when you cannot travel, prepares the power of attorney for you to sign at home.
  5. Registration and tax. It files the deed with the Registro Mercantil and the tax agency, then completes the census registration, VAT status and activity code.
  6. Post-registration filings. It files the foreign investment declaration and the Social Security registrations if you hire.

Some firms also file through the government’s online CIRCE system as Puntos de Atención al Emprendimiento; several providers on Accountanty state that they are registered PAE points. Ask whether your file will go online or on paper, because it changes who books the notary.

What the provider needs from you

Have these ready before you ask for quotes, and the provider can give you a firm price and timetable:

Documents issued abroad generally need legalisation and a sworn Spanish translation. Ask the provider which documents need them before you order anything, so you only pay for what the notary and the bank will actually ask for.

What a company formation quote should include

Request a written quote in which the provider’s own fee is kept apart from the costs it pays for you. A clear quote lists:

Prices vary with the number of shareholders, whether anyone is a company, and how much of the work happens at a distance. Only 106 of the 592 providers publish any prices; with the rest, a written quote is the only basis for comparison.

Choosing between Spanish formation providers

Look past the incorporation fee. Forming the company happens once; bookkeeping, quarterly VAT and the yearly accounts run every year. Most formation providers on Accountanty also offer accounting (570) and payroll (514), so ask for the ongoing price at the same time.

Check the language. Of the 592 providers, 231 state they work in English, 72 in French, 32 in German, 26 in Russian and 24 in Italian. Accountanty also lists Italian-speaking accountants in Spain.

Ask about foreign clients. 243 providers say they focus on foreign clients. Ask how many non-resident founders they set up each year and how they handle the NIE and the bank when you are not in Spain. To narrow the search, use our list of accountants for foreign clients in Spain.

Ask about professional memberships. Firms on Accountanty name memberships such as a Colegio Oficial de Gestores Administrativos, a bar association, a college of economists or AEDAF, the Spanish association of tax advisers. Ask which professional body the person handling your file belongs to.

Match the city. Pick a firm near where the company will operate if you expect to meet them, rent premises or hire staff. Accountanty lists firms in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Alicante and Marbella, among other cities.

Check what comes after. Planning to move to Spain? Ask whether the firm also covers residency and visas, which 191 formation providers on Accountanty list. If you need help with the bank, 48 list bank account assistance.

Getting quotes for company formation in Spain

Send the same brief to two or three providers and compare their written quotes line by line, including the first year of accounting. A provider that asks good questions about your shareholders and your business before quoting is usually one that will spot problems before the notary does.

To skip writing to each firm in turn, you can file a single free quote request through Accountanty. Our team checks the request, then forwards it to firms that fit, and each replies with its terms.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to set up a Spanish SL?

The total depends on the provider's fee, notary and registry costs, translations of foreign documents and the share capital, which can be as little as one euro for an SL. Ask each provider for a written quote that separates its own fee from costs paid at cost, and price the first year of accounting alongside it.

Do I need to travel to Spain to incorporate a company?

Not always. A representative can sign the deed before the Spanish notary under a power of attorney, and the NIE can be requested at a Spanish consulate abroad. Ask the provider which form of power it needs, and whether it must be legalised and translated, before you sign anything at home.

Can I start a business in Spain without knowing Spanish?

Yes, if your adviser bridges the language. Deeds, bylaws and filings are in Spanish, so you need someone who explains them in yours. Of the 592 formation providers listed on Accountanty in Spain, 231 state they work in English, 72 in French, 32 in German and 24 in Italian.

How to verify a company in Spain?

A Spanish SL or SA only exists once the Registro Mercantil has registered its deed, so ask any company, including your own provider's firm, for its registry details and tax number. For an adviser, also ask which professional body the person handling your file belongs to.

How long does company registration in Spain take?

It depends mostly on the slow steps before the notary: tax numbers for foreign shareholders and the bank's checks. Official deadlines set the pace after that: the name certificate is valid for three months for the deed, and the permanent NIF is requested within one month of registration.

Other services in Spain

Accountants by city in Spain

Setting up a company in Spain: the guide and every firm

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and fees change: check them with the official sources linked on this page or with a qualified adviser before you act.