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Setting up as autónomo, social security, and tax

Last updated on 2022-09-17 at 12:48:31

Required Documents

  • Passport

  • NIE

If one of you wonderful readers can add to this section, that would be awesome – because I used an accountant to do the whole thing for me.

Social security payments are a requirement of every tax-resident in Spain (With various exemptions for retired/unemployed people). They're a killer if you're Autónomo, and there's talk that they'll only get worse (although you get a significant discount for the first year; at the time of writing this was of the order of €60/month for the first year, twice that the next year, and then about €230/month thereafter). However, this gives you access to essential services, like healthcare, which in Spain is top notch. Also, everything may balance out in the end, because the income tax rate may well be lower than in your home country.

Health care: Non-EU citizens are otherwise required to get private medical insurance. And anyone can opt into the public healthcare system after a year on the padron municipal for a flat-rate monthly payment.

There are various options in getting set up, but I personally would strongly encourage the use of an asesor fiscal (accountant). They can take care of your tax submission and registration for you, and all you'll need to do is show up to an office in Vuegeta and show your ID and NIE as a once-off. It should be possible then for your acccountant to get you a digital certificate, and once your have this, everything can then be done online. In terms of digital stuff, the Canary Islands are actually way ahead of the Peninsula).

Doing your own accounts: Some may suggest that you can do your taxes yourself online. Even if you speak Spanish, I personally think that people who suggest that should have their heads examined.