Frequently asked questions

It is a company created from scratch, with its public deed freshly signed and filed with the Commercial Registry, as opposed to buying an existing one. It starts with no history and no hidden liabilities, but also with no track record, no credit history and no licences granted.

With the paperwork in order and foreigner identification numbers already obtained, the circuit up to signing before the notary takes days, and the registry filing adds a few weeks. The real delays usually come from identification numbers for non-resident shareholders, opening the bank account and legalising foreign documents.

Yes. Neither Spanish nationality nor residency is required to be a shareholder or director. You do need a Spanish foreigner identification number and, if you cannot travel to sign, an apostilled power of attorney. Setting up the company does not by itself give you the right to live in Spain: that is a separate procedure.

Sole trader is faster and cheaper at first, but you answer with your personal assets. A limited company separates assets, reads better to large clients and makes it easier to bring in partners or sell the business, at the cost of more expense and formal accounting. The decision usually turns on expected profit and the risk of the activity.

A branch is an extension of the parent, with no separate legal personality, and the parent answers for its debts. A subsidiary is an independent Spanish company owned by the parent, which in principle answers only with its own assets. A branch is lighter; a subsidiary protects better and works better with Spanish banks and clients.

It is worth a range, not a figure. That range comes from normalising the real profit, applying the multiples paid in your sector and size band and cross-checking against asset value and comparable transactions. Revenue recurrence and dependence on the owner weigh heavily.

Yes, and that is the norm. The listing is anonymous — sector, province, figures — and the name is only disclosed to parties who have signed confidentiality. Staff are informed when the deal is virtually closed, respecting the legal obligations that apply.

It is counted in months, not weeks. You have to value, prepare the information memorandum, find a counterparty, negotiate, run due diligence and sign. What lengthens the process most is starting at a price the market will not support and having to correct it half a year later.

Buying shares gives you the whole company, with its licences and contracts but also its tax and employment history. Buying assets gives you the tangible items, the brand and the client base, leaving the company past behind, though licences and contracts must be renegotiated. It affects price, taxes and warranties.

It is the thorough review of the business before signing: financial, tax, employment and legal. It is normally commissioned and paid for by the buyer, who carries the risk of anything undetected. Its findings translate into price adjustments or contract warranties.

The initial valuation and the first conversation are free. Most of our fees are tied to closing and are agreed in writing before we start. Fixed-dedication work, such as a formal valuation report, is quoted separately.

Because almost all sales are run confidentially. Publishing the name of a clinic or a restaurant that is for sale affects its staff, its suppliers and its clients. We identify the opportunity by sector, province and figures, and give the name once a confidentiality agreement is signed.

That we have checked there is a real seller or promoter with authority to decide, that the figures match the documentation provided and that there are no charges or disputes that make the deal unviable. It does not replace due diligence, which comes later and goes deeper.

No, and be wary of anyone who does. The returns on the sheets are promoter estimates based on a business plan, not commitments. Our job is to give you complete, verified information so you can decide for yourself.

No. Registering and receiving opportunities filtered by your capital, sector and area are free. When a deal progresses, remuneration is agreed in writing before anything is committed.

Yes. You need a Spanish foreigner identification number, an appropriate corporate structure and compliance with the applicable foreign investment declaration obligations. We work in Spanish, English, French, Chinese and Arabic.

Not automatically. Buying or incorporating a company and obtaining a residence authorisation are separate procedures with their own requirements. There are residency routes linked to investment or entrepreneurship, but their thresholds and categories have changed in recent years, so it is worth checking before committing capital.

It depends on the route and the body handling it. Applications going through the unit specialising in entrepreneurs, investors, transfers and digital nomads are usually resolved in weeks; those going through a consulate or immigration office take longer. Legalising documents is what stretches timelines most.

On the entrepreneur, investor, digital nomad and intra-company transfer routes, yes: spouse or partner and dependent children, and in certain cases dependent ascendants. Preparing the family file at the same time avoids repeating translations and legalisations.

A refusal can be appealed within the deadline, but often the most effective way forward is to reframe the application under the route that actually fits. We review the decision and tell you frankly whether appealing or reapplying is the better option.