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How it works

From a decision abroad to a Spanish company that operates.

Setting up in Spain is five connected phases, not one filing. This is the map — what happens at each stage, which of our services owns it, and the guides that explain the decisions along the way. One accountable team across all five.

Phase 01

Plan & structure

The decisions made before you file are the ones that are expensive to reverse. We settle the structure against how you will actually operate.

Owned by
Consultation & roadmap ↗
What happens
  • Choose the vehicle — SL vs SA, and whether a holding layer belongs above it.
  • Set share capital proportionate to the business a bank will read.
  • Map ownership and control — shareholder split, UBO chain, director role.
  • Define the activity and where the company will genuinely be managed.
Guides for this phase
Phase 02

Incorporate

The company is constituted before a notary and registered — and for a non-resident, almost entirely from abroad by power of attorney.

Owned by
Company formation ↗
What happens
  • NIE for shareholders and the administrador.
  • Name certification and an apostilled power of attorney — so you need not travel.
  • Notarial deed — capital declared, estatutos and the director remuneration clause set.
  • Provisional NIF and Commercial Registry inscription. The company exists.
Guides for this phase
Phase 03

Activate for tax

Incorporated does not mean operational. Activation aligns tax status, VAT, digital access and the reporting calendar with the real business.

Owned by
Tax & compliance ↗
What happens
  • Modelo 036 — tax activation with activities and regimes aligned to the deed and CNAE.
  • VAT and ROI — the NIF-IVA and intra-EU registration where trade requires it.
  • Digital certificate for filings and official notifications.
  • Director Social Security and a monitored reporting calendar.
Guides for this phase
Phase 04

Open banking

For a foreign-owned company this is the hardest step. We build the KYC file so the case reads consistently to a compliance team.

Owned by
Banking preparation ↗
What happens
  • Source of funds documented and traceable end to end.
  • UBO chain mapped to natural persons on a clear organisational chart.
  • Business model narrative — what the company does and why it exists in Spain.
  • Bank matching — the right institution for the profile, not the best-known name.
Guides for this phase
Phase 05

Operate & scale

Once running, the questions become structural: holding and IP, real substance, permanent-establishment exposure and cross-border flows.

Owned by
Holding & IP structures ↗
What happens
  • Holding & IP — where dividends, licensing and the IP layer should sit.
  • Substance & governance — genuine management, so the structure is defensible.
  • PE & treaty management — keeping cross-border activity inside the rules.
  • Digital governance — contracts, reporting and compliance in one system.
Services & guides for this phase
Specialised tracks

Two paths that run alongside the five phases.

Some founders arrive with a specific starting point. These tracks plug into the same five phases with their own considerations.

By country of origin

Structure shaped by where you come from

Treaty rates, banking realities and the vehicle that fits — guides for founders from Germany, the UK, the US, the UAE, India, Israel, Turkey, Chile, Morocco and more.

EU AI Act

For non-EU AI companies selling into Europe

Whether you need an EU entity or an authorised representative, how the Act classifies your system, the 2026 deadlines, and why Spain is a strong place to anchor.

One accountable teamAll five phases carried by the same people — no handoffs between firms that never speak.
One consistent fileDeed, tax, banking and corporate records that agree, because they were built together.
Structure before paperworkWe decide what the company should be, then file it — not the other way around.

Not sure which phase you are in?

Tell us what the company will do, where it will trade and what is already done. We will place you on the map and tell you the next right step — honestly.

Book a free consultation ↗
Straight answers Plan · Incorporate · Activate · Bank · Scale
20 minutes · No commitment

Voixa Consultors S.L. · Barcelona · Corporate services for international founders in Spain. General information, not legal or tax advice.