
Spain is an attractive destination for foreign entrepreneurs despite the effects of the economic crisis that affected the entire country several years ago. According to the data provided by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Spain ranks as the sixth largest country amongst the European states receiving foreign direct investments (FDI).
Following the end of the economic crisis,
Spain has become a more competitive country and numerous investors preffered to
invest on this market. This country is an
important receiver of FDI not only in
Europe, but also at a
global level.
UNCTAD stated that, in
2016,
FDI increased by approximately
50% compared to the previous year, from
USD 11.9 billion to
USD 16.8 billion.
Spain attracts numerous investors due to its
tourism and to the opportunities in other fields, such as
research,
renewable energies,
broadcasting and others.
Our team of lawyers in Spain can advise businessmen on
how to register a company in one of these business sectors.
Foreign entities interested in operating here should take into consideration that the
Spanish authorities want to make
Spain one of the
leading countries for reseach activities. In this sense, the local institutions have developed the
Malaga Valley project, which has as a main target
becoming the largest European center for
research and innovation in the field of ICT.
Foreign companies in Spain
Most of the foreign investors choose to
open a limited liability company, which is the
most preferred business form for
doing business in this country, or a
subsidiary/
branch of their
company based abroad.
There are over 9,000 foreign citizens and entities that
own a company registered in Spain and a third of them are established in the
Barcelona area. A
large number of foreign companies are registered in the
Catalonia region and more than 40% of them have been operating on the local market for more than 10 years.
Most of the foreigners who
arrive in Spain for
business purposes are from
the Netherlands, Luxembourg, UK, France, Italy, Germany, the United States of America and they invest in economic fields such as
financial businesses, manufacturing, real estate, construction and transport.
Why choose Spain for investment purposes?
Foreign entrepreneurs choose
Spain for performing an economic activity mainly due to the
flexibility, the
non-discrimination legislation and the
quality of life the country has to offer.
Spain offers the possibility of
starting a business to all
foreign citizens and legal entities, and the
registration rules are the same for
both locals and foreigners. The
free movement of the capital is guaranteed by the
Law no. 18/1992 and by the
Royal Decree no. 1816/1991.
Our lawyers can offer in-depth information on these
laws.
There are several sectors of the economy that are protected from investors outside EU, such as gaming, radio, television, air transport, manufacturing and selling arms. For the latter, the restrictions are applied also for investors in the European Union.
Foreign investors benefit from the provisions of the
bilateral investment conventions concluded between
Spain and approximately
90 countries. At the same time,
Spain is a member state of numerous
international organizations for
trade matters (thus applying the
regulations established by these agencies), such as:
• UNCTAD;
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD);
• World Trade Organization (WTO).
If you want to know more about the
benefits and the
incentives offered by the
Spanish authorities for foreign entrepreneurs, you may
contact our law firm in Spain.
Our Spanish lawyers will present you the
advantages on opening a business in Spain and they will assist you during the
registration procedures.