Company Formation

There are several different forms of company or partnership which can be incorporated in Spain

Autónomo – (Sole Trader, self employed)
S.L. – Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (Limited Company)
S.A. – Sociedad Anónima (Corporation)

Some of our additional services include:

What is a CIF?

It stands for certificado de identificación fiscal. It is a company registration number. Spanish registered companies, for instance with the status as an S.L., S.A., would automatically have this number. This provides formal registration on the company tax system in Spain.

Whereas in many countries a company would be issued with a separate VAT number, in Spain the CIF also forms the VAT number.

Why is a CIF required for a foreign company?

Many foreign companies wish to either trade regularly in Spain, or with a Spanish company or set up a branch in Spain.

In those cases a CIF may be required or would be highly recommended. Many of our clients are companies based throughout Europe who wish to set up a branch in Spain or simply have an employed representative in Spain. In these cases a CIF is required to register the foreign company in the Spanish system. This also enables the company to employ people in Spain.

The Service

Our multi lingual staff are familiar with company documentation from international entities and as such ensure that the CIF registration process is smooth and straight forward. As part of our service we will obtain NIE certificates for the Directors of the foreign companies.

This is mandatory to obtain a CIF for the company. The NIE serves a similar purpose to the CIF except for an individual.