Register as autónomo in Spain done right
Going freelance or self-employed in Spain? The autónomo registration involves two separate government bodies, strict deadlines, and forms only available in Spanish. We handle it all for you — in English.
Important: You must register as autónomo before you start working — not after. Operating without being registered exposes you to fines from both the AEAT and Social Security, even for a single day of freelance activity. Don't leave it until after you've invoiced your first client.
Do you need to become autónomo?
If you’re going to work for yourself in Spain — whether as a freelancer, consultant, contractor or small business owner — you are legally required to register as autónomo. This applies to EU and non-EU citizens alike.
Remote workers & digital nomads: Working remotely for foreign clients from Spain? Once you’re tax resident, you need to register as autónomo and declare your income.
Freelancers & consultants: Offering services to Spanish or international clients — design, marketing, legal, tech, or any other field — requires autónomo status.
Property owners renting short-term: If you manage holiday rentals actively and they generate regular income, you may be required to register as autónomo alongside your tourist licence.
What's included in our service
The deadline depends on how you use your property. Missing it triggers automatic surcharges — even before the AEAT sends you a letter.
What do you need to register?
Before we can register you, you’ll need to have these in place. Don’t worry if you’re missing something — we can help you obtain most of them.
NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero): your Spanish identification number for foreigners. Required for all tax and Social Security filings.
Digital certificate or Cl@ve PIN: needed to file documents electronically with the AEAT. We can help you obtain this as part of our service.
Spanish bank account: Social Security will direct-debit your monthly quota from a Spanish account. Most major banks offer non-resident accounts.
Spanish address: a registered address in Spain for correspondence with tax authorities. A rental contract or padron certificate works.
Your autónomo registration: step by step
Our team handles everything in English, fully online. No need to visit a Spanish tax office or understand a single Spanish form.
We'll ask for your NIE, passport, Spanish address, and information about your planned activity. We confirm everything looks correct before proceeding.
We file Modelo 036 or 037 with Spain's Tax Agency, selecting the correct IAE activity code, VAT regime and IRPF withholding settings for your situation.
We complete your registration in the Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers, set up your monthly quota based on your expected income, and link your bank account.
We send you confirmation of both registrations and explain your quarterly obligations (Mod. 130, 303, 349) — or we take care of those too with our monthly accounting package.
Frequently asked questions about autónomo registration
Yes — that’s exactly what we’re here for. All AEAT and Social Security systems are in Spanish, and the forms require precise knowledge of Spanish tax codes. We handle the entire process in English so you don’t need to deal with any of it directly.
Yes, a NIE is mandatory. Without it, you cannot register with either the AEAT or Social Security. If you don’t have one yet, we can advise you on how to obtain it — the process takes between 1 and 4 weeks depending on your province.
Once we have all your documents, we typically complete both registrations within 24 to 48 hours. The AEAT registration is instant once submitted; Social Security takes slightly longer to confirm. You’ll receive official confirmation from both bodies.
Once registered, you must file quarterly tax returns (Mod. 130 for IRPF and Mod. 303 for VAT) and an annual income tax return (Mod. 100). Our Base and Premium monthly accounting packages cover all of this for you from €59,99/month.
Yes. If you stop your self-employed activity, you must deregister with both the AEAT and Social Security within 30 days. Failing to do so means you continue to be charged the monthly Social Security quota. We can handle your deregistration too.
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