Working remotely from Spain

Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt, April, 1. 2022

Lawyer Raymundo Larrain runs us through the basic pointers on relocating to work in Spain.

Marbella-based Larraín Nesbitt Abogados (LNA) has over 19 years’ taxation & conveyancing experience at your service. We offer a wide range of 50 legal and corporate services. Our team of native English-speaking lawyers and economists have a long track record successfully assisting expats all over Spain.

You can review here our client’s testimonials.

By Raymundo Larraín Nesbitt
Director of Larraín Nesbitt Abogados
8^th of April 2022

War, Covid-19, high taxes, lousy weather, living new experiences, enjoying quality of life, etc There are simply too many reasons to collate on why people decide to pack up and move over to Spain.

It is undeniable that the virus outbreak has changed and shaped our mentality redefining our outlook on life. Millions of workers the world over have taken time to sit down and reflect upon their lives. Thousands have handed in their resignation and have made the decision to set up shop in Spain.

Spain has so much to offer that it comes as no surprise how over the last two years dozens of thousands of talented individuals, and their families, have made the move and are now living the (great) life in Spain. As a result of this large influx of foreign remote workers, the Spanish Government has seen fit to approve a bill that further improves and expands work conditions to attract talented immigrants: Spain’s new Entrepreneur Law.

In this short article, I give some basic pointers so you can plan ahead:

Residency permit. Whether you belong or not to the European Union, if you spend more than 90 consecutive days in Spain within a calendar year, you need to apply for a residency permit. The main difference is that EU nationals are fast-tracked and can easily attain one at a very competitive cost. Non-EUs (i.e. British) are required to attain a visa to bypass the dreaded 90/180-day rule. We cover the topic of all the visas available in our in-depth immigration article: How to spend over 90 days in Spain – Residency visa overview.
Work permit. EU nationals can automatically work in Spain without any further red tape, but what about non-EUs? Non-EUs require a work permit to work in Spain. Not all visas have associated a right to work in Spain. Visas which do are: Golden Visa, Marriage Visa, Business Visa, Work Visa. A Student Visa does not allow you to work but you can do internships in companies. A new visa will be approved further on this year which is the optimal choice for remote workers: digital nomad visa. It has associated significant tax benefits.
Taxation. Spain is not a uniform country. It is comprised by a series of nations that speak their own regional languages, have their own cultural heritage and bear their own idiosyncrasy. Spanish is the official language that applies nationwide, but there are four other languages that are also used regionally. As a result of this diversity, regions have devolved competencies on several matters, including taxation. This is extremely relevant, as there are huge variations (understatement) when it comes to taxing legal or physical persons on income tax, inheritance, gift tax etc. Some regions are tax-friendly (Andalusia, Madrid), with ultra-low taxation, whereas other regions in Spain have very high taxes in place. Before you make the move to Spain, for your own sake, make sure you have researched the taxation of the region you pick.
Climate. Spain has a diverse climatology, it’s not all sun and palm trees. As a general rule, Mediterranean coastal areas have a pleasant and mild all-year-round weather. Inland and Atlantic coastal areas are cold and rainy with sharp contrasts in temperature between winter and summer.
Language. You know that Spanish you learnt in secondary? Well, it may be for naught if you choose the wrong region in Spain. As written above, in Spain we have four co-official languages besides Spanish. In some regions, with strong nationalist views (read separatist) Spanish is shunned and they do not even use it on official administrative procedures or schools. Please ensure the region of Spain you pick actually does use Spanish. This is obviously a non-issue for those that don’t speak Spanish.
Accommodation. The best advice I always give is that when you have chosen an area to settle down in, before you commit buying any property, you should rent out a place for 4 to 6 months. Bear in mind, tourist hotspots change dramatically from low to high season. That quiet shack on the beach next to you, that remains shut all winter, springs into life during the summer season with booming latino music for 3 months non-stop!

To close, I add my shameless plug on the beautiful region of Andalusia, which ticks all the boxes above! This could be your new life in Spain: The Passion of Andalusia.

At Larrain Nesbitt Abogados, we have made true the dreams of hundreds of non-EU investors, and their families, assisting them to attain residency permits. You can browse our clients’ visa testimonials here.

“Ukraine is entitled to its sovereignty, no matter who its neighbors happen to be. In the modern era, great countries accept that, and so must Mr. Putin. That is the message undergirding recent Western diplomacy. It defines the difference between a world governed by the rule of law and one answerable to no rules at all.” – Madeleine Albright

Marie Jana (Madeleine) Korbelova Albright (1937 – 2022). Was born in a family of Czechoslovakian immigrants who fled from the terrors of a war-torn Europe following the end of WWII to settle down in the U.S., which would become her new adopted home. She was a brilliant student that spoke eight languages. She became an American diplomat who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She was the first female Secretary of State in U.S. history. She was an outspoken advocate of freedom and a staunch defender of democratic values that showed a will and tenacity seldom seen our days.

Madeleine is a role model to young women and to all those that defend and uphold Western democratic values.

Residency services available from LNA

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Larraín Nesbitt Lawyers is a law firm specialized in conveyance, taxation, inheritance, residency and litigation. We will be very pleased to discuss your matter with you. You can contact us by e-mail at info@larrainnesbitt.com, by telephone on (+34) 952 19 22 88 or by completing our contact form to book an appointment.

Please note the information provided in this article is of general interest only and is not to be construed or intended as substitute for professional legal advice. This article may be posted freely in websites or other social media so long as the author is duly credited. Plagiarizing, whether in whole or in part, this article without crediting the author may result in criminal prosecution. VOV.