Mallorca start-up ecosystem – More than sun and sea
Starting a business in Mallorca offers some exciting opportunities. In addition to purely climatic advantages, Mallorca also has a lot to offer founders. The capital, Palma, is home to some of the major travel companies – four of the world's seven largest hotel chains, for example – and the island is considered the world's leading location for travel technology. Here enterprising founders develop digital solutions for tourism, which can also be tested on site.
Even if Palma doesn't pride itself on being a high-tech place, there has been one in the north of the city for 20 years now A little park, a panorama of offices with the headquarters of many startups. More than 100 companies have settled in the industrial park, which is managed by the state government's public foundation Fundació Bit. App developers, software programmers and database designers are among them developing new digital solutions for companies such as Germany's TUI. Many of the companies are creating Remote work and co-workingthen entertain teams from all over the world.
Working remotely in Mallorca: Working in a nice place where others go on vacation is always a motivation for many freelancers. Self App developer, content creator or blogger and influencer: who how digital standard it's not tied down to a fixed place or office, life tends to be more pleasant these days. But beware of an unfortunately very stubborn cliché: life in the Spanish pampas is not always cheaper than in German places. One possibility, for example to avoid expensive office rents there are coworking spaces, of which there are some particularly beautiful ones in Mallorca. More on this: Our list of the coolest coworking spaces on the island.
Basically, there is a similar support landscape for self-employed and founders in Mallorca: official information points, consultants and an equally active and networked scene as in many small German towns. Usually you know each other and there are only a few manageable events. But they are definitely lucrative for networking.
Legal steps for self-employment in Mallorca
In principle, every EU citizen, and therefore every German, can set up a company under the same conditions as every Spaniard. And in general, the necessary steps are very similar to founding a company in Germany.
residency permit
No later than three months after registration you must obtain one from the police department of your place of residence residency permit request. If you have one Proof of your employment submit, you must not be refused. There are no precise rules about the documents required for this. It is usually sufficient to submit the registration to the commercial or tax office. As a rule, proof of sufficient income is not required for the first registration.
Apply for a commercial license
First you need it business license, the Alta en Impuestos sobre Actividades Económicas, at the town hall where you are. It is also checked here whether you Requirements for opening a business Satisfies. This may also include the availability of the necessary business premises.
Personal identification
Then you need one personal identification number for foreigners, in Spanish Número de Identificación de Extranjeros – short NIE You can get it from the police department of your place of residence.
Registration with the tax office
The next step takes you to the tax office – you need to come here with your business license and NIE request the tax code for your company, the so-called Número de Identificación Fiscal – NIF for short. You can get one here too personal tax code, Código de Identificación Fiscal (cif).
Spanish social security registration
It's different from Germany Social security enrollment is also mandatory for self-employed workers in Spain. You can do this at the Provincial Directorate of the General Treasury of Social Security (Dirección Provinical de la Tesorería de la Seguridad Social). Don't be alarmed: contributions are moderate for founders and start at 60 euros per month.
Something to do with food: Department of Health ID
Anyone who thought that everything was only regulated in Germany was wrong. Anyone who produces or wants to sell food must also comply with the food law rules applicable in Spain. In this case, the next visit to the authorities will lead you to the Department of Health your workplace a food passage (carné de manipulador de alimentos) to be requested.
More rules for self-employed workers in Spain
Depending on the sector, the area of work and the region, additional measures, such as the municipal one, may be necessary opening permit (Licencia de Apertura) for gastronomy or chamber memberships for certain professions.
Employment agency registration: contact person in the start-up process
Contact points for entrepreneurs specially authorized by the Spanish Ministry – cd Points of attention to the entrepreneurPAE.
In Majorca are the ones next to the Palma Activa municipal employment agency also business consultants, gestorías or the local chamber of commerce. You can find out which point of contact is closest to you on the Active Palma website Find. And as you will soon find out: Without knowledge of the Spanish language, self-employment here will be difficult, because the website is only available in Spanish or Catalan. Some of the agency's staff speak English.
Starter course and first information
Indeed, the employment agency offers further introductory courses, which provide information on tax, accounting and legal regulations. You can find the free courses here Here.
Submit the documents for registration
If you already have all the necessary documents together and you know how it works, you can do it an online application form fill it out and request a pre-appointment. You can find the registration process and a list of all necessary documents on the employment agency's website. Four different types of companies and their conditions are listed:
- empresarios folletos (self-employed) / sole proprietorships (self-employed)
- Sociedades de Responsabilidad Limitada (SRL) / GmbHs,
- Sociedades Limitadas Nueva Empresa (SLNE) e
- Sociedades Limitadas de Formación Sucesiva (SLFS).
However, the last two types of companies hardly play a role.
Foundation in Mallorca: the right company form
Also in Spain there are some types of companies that differ in terms of taxes and liabilities. they are actually common
- the sole proprietorship (Persona Física – Autónomo),
- the Civil Law Society (Comunidad de Bienes) e
- the limited liability company (Sociedad Limitada (SL)).
Important steps for the individual company (Persona Física – Autónomo) at a glance
To yourself how Self-employed, so-called autonomo, You must register with the employment agency
- registration in the register of citizens of the EU (Certificado de registri de ciudadano de la Unión),
- the health card of the Seguridad Social,
- address, telephone number and information on the square footage of the future company headquarters,
- the registration of the tax office with the selected rate,
- Proof of temporary disability insurance e
- present the account number for debiting social security contributions.
At the latest here you need it Bank account: In our, we will show you which business accounts are particularly suitable for digital nomads and freelancers business account Comparison 2023: These accounts are suitable for founders and startups.
Summary of important steps for the foundation of a Comunidad de Bienes
A foundation agreement is required for a Comunidad de Bienes, which roughly corresponds to a German GbR. This company form can only be chosen by at least two founders. Unlike in Germany, the contract does not necessarily have to be notarized. There is also no minimum capital requirement and proof of capital.
Like the GbR, the Comunidad de Bienes is a company with unlimited liability, i.e. the profits and losses are divided among the partners according to their shares and declared in the tax return. As in Germany, VAT returns are submitted by the company.
To register you need:
- Photocopies of passports or identity cards of all shareholders
- Parents' names, marital status, occupation and home address of all shareholders
- business address of the company
- commercial purpose
- initial capital amount
- Distribution of the initial capital among the shareholders
- Names of CEOs and who should be authorized to act
An overview of the important steps involved in founding a Sociedad Limitada
As in Germany, the limited liability company is also very popular with founders in Spain. Indeed, the SL is even more attractive: on the one hand, the liability conditions of the managing director are more flexible, on the other you can found the SL with a share capital of 3,000 euros.
SL Formation Process:
- Request confirmation of the name of the desired company at the Commercial Register of Central Spain (Attention: indicate three alternatives!)
- Deposit of share capital in any Spanish bank
- notarial certification of the public deed of incorporation (Escritura Pública de Constitución)
- Application for a Spanish tax number, the so-called CIF (Codigo Identificación Fiscal) – as well as a Tarjeta Identificativa
- Register the company in the relevant commercial register
For the deed of incorporation it is necessary:
- Photocopies of the charter members' passports or identity cards
- Names of parents, marital status, occupation and private address of partners
- company address
- commercial purpose
- Amount of the initial capital paid and confirmation by the bank of the payment
- Distribution of the initial capital among the shareholders
- Name of the chief executive officer or indication of who should be authorized to act
Income tax in Spain
Actually they are Taxes in Spain are lower than in Germany: If the monthly income does not exceed the limit of 4100 euros, a tax rate of almost 9% is due. Monthly incomes above 10,000 euros and above 14,500 euros are taxed at approximately 15% and 18.5%. For higher incomes, the rate is just over 29%.
Starting a business in Mallorca is not just Palma – popular regions
Of course, if you are looking for a big city atmosphere near the beach, if you are looking for a modern life If you also need to go on a trip, the capital of the island, Palma de Mallorca, is the best address. There is a German school with a kindergarten here.
But quiet Pollenca in the north of the island is also very popular with German emigrants.
Important emigrants have settled around Port d'Andratx. You can see it right away in the real estate market: very high rents and house prices make it not easy to start a business here.
Basically the following applies: far or from the tourist strongholds you will find considerably cheaper property prices and living costs.
Important contact addresses
German Chamber of Commerce for Spain
Chamber of Commerce German for Spain
Avenida Pío XII, 26 – 28
E – 28016 Madrid
Telephone: 0034 – 91 353 09-10
Fax: 0034 – 91 353 12 13
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Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
Calle Fortuna, 8
E – 28010 Madrid
Phone: 0034 91 5579000
Fax: 0034 91 3102104
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