FAQs
Questions on company creation in Spain
See a list of the most frequently asked questions here.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Why buy a company that already exists?
Someone who wants to start their business activity immediately, without wasting time and energy on administrative formalities.
To do this, the entrepreneur will need their identity documents as well as all the details of the company (company name, corporate purpose, registered office, capital, shareholders, capital ownership and director(s)).
Buying a Sociedad Limitada off the shelf offers 3 advantages.
The first is to safeguard the anonymity of the shareholders; in practice, only the shareholder that set up the company remains recorded in the Company Register and hence visible to the public.
The second is to save time and energy by avoiding the bureaucracy and delays associated with all administrative formalities and to devote yourself in full to your project.
Lastly, the third advantage - if you buy a company with the option of a bank account - is that you do not have to advance all the capital and you can sell and receive monies immediately.
It is extremely simple to buy a Sociedad Limitada off the shelf. Once you have signed for the purchase of the company with a notary you can then start doing business.
The company is ready to invoice as soon as you have signed with the notary.
Once we have all the details you wish to change regarding the company (corporate purpose, registered office, identity of the shareholders and director(s), and potentially the capital) and your ID documents (ID card or passport and NIE if you are not Spanish), the time taken just depends on the notary's availability for the signing of the purchase of the shelf company.
In general, we can obtain an appointment within 48 hours of receiving all the information. Once you have signed the deed of purchase with the notary, you can start doing business immediately.
The shareholders and directors must be physically present to set up a new company or purchase a shelf company.
Of course. If you want to change the name of the company, we advise you to do it at a later stage once you have bought the company, so as not to delay the start-up of your company. We can handle these formalities for you.
It is also possible to commercialise your services to your customers under a trading name that differs from your official registered company name.
Our quote shows the overall cost of the transaction, including our fees, those of the notary and the costs related to all the registration formalities associated with the Company Register.
Is there a risk with buying a shelf company?
It is perfectly legal and commonplace to purchase a Sociedad Limitada in Spain. The practice is recognised by the Spanish government.
This option primarily enables you to save time as it can take between 30 and 45 days to set up a new company. It also allows you to safeguard the anonymity of your shareholders.
All the companies we have available for sale have been set up by ourselves, solely for the purpose of selling them. We can therefore guarantee that they have never been used.
How do you set up a company?
A Sociedad Limitada is a commercial limited liability company owned by one or more shareholders. The company must have minimum capital of €3,000, which can be contributed in the form of cash or assets. Each shareholder's liability is limited to the amount of their capital contribution.
You can set up a company with a single partner, in which case the company is a Sociedad Limitada Unipersonal (SLU).
You can choose the person you wish to appoint as director, provided they are of majority age and not barred from managing a company or from holding a bank account. A director does not have to be a shareholder of the Sociedad Limitada.
The shareholders and directors must be physically present to set up a new company or purchase a shelf company.
All the originals of the official Company documents are available between 30 and 45 days after signing, once they have been recorded in the Registro Mercantil (company register).
However, to enable you to proceed with other formalities, you can access electronic copies of the signed documents the day after signing with the notary.
A CIF is a Spanish trade and company register number. It is mandatory and is needed to identify yourself with the Spanish tax authority.
Our quote shows the overall cost of the transaction, including our fees, those of the notary and the costs related to all the registration formalities associated with the Company Register.
Why register a company in Spain?
Since European borders were opened in 1993, all European nationals have been able to create a company in a member state of their choice without being resident in that country, providing they respect national company law and in accordance with the 11th Directive of the Council of Europe (89/666/EEC).
In general, once you have all the company's details (company name, corporate purpose, headquarters, capital, shareholders and capital ownership, director), it usually takes between 30 and 45 days to create a company.
Any physical or legal person may be a shareholder or director of a Spanish company, providing they are of majority age and not barred from managing a company or from holding a bank account.
Each shareholder or director must provide an ID document and an NIE if they are foreign.
Yes, of course. The foreign company must simply obtain a tax number in Spain (Spanish CIF) prior to the purchase of the Spanish company.
Yes, an NIE is mandatory if you are foreign. The procedure involves arranging an appointment online with the local authorities. We can help you with this procedure.
There is no prohibition on creating a company in Spain for people who are barred from managing a company or from holding a bank account in a country other than Spain.
What administrative formalities need to be completed after setting up or buying a company?
As soon as your company is registered, we advise you to seek the assistance of a Spanish accounting firm for the completion of all subsequent administrative formalities. In particular, you need to activate the company, i.e. officialise the company's start-up with the Spanish tax authority (Hacienda) by completing form 036 (modelo 036) and by declaring yourself as an autonomo if it is your first company in Spain.
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