# Apply for residency as self employed when not self employed yet



## mcjiggerlog (Apr 4, 2015)

I've been trying to work out what documents I'm going to need to be able to apply for residency here, but my case doesn't seem to fit any of the normal cases for determining what documents I will need to provide.

My situation - I currently have a full time contract with a company in the UK and 1 month ago I moved to Madrid and will now work permanently from here. I will be switching to a new contract with the company where I will work as a contractor and will invoice the company monthly for my funds. In Spain I have been in contact with a gestor who is going to organise setting me up as autonomo and the invoicing of my company.

However, before I can register as autonomo, I need my NIE number and thus need to register for residency. I have been using this page to determine what documents I need: /SNIP/

So if I don't have a spanish work contract and I'm not currently self employed, what am I meant to do? Do I need to prove that I have enough money to live here without a job? In that case I would have to pay for private health cover which I will not need as soon as I have registered as autonomo, and generally you have to pay 1 year up-front for this.

Also, how exactly would I prove that I have sufficient funds?

Does anyone have an advice for what I need to do? It's all very unclear at the moment! Thanks!


----------



## WorkFromHome (Jun 7, 2015)

I was trying to get residency here for my wife who is not spanish, they wouldn't accept my US bank accounts as "proof of funds" so they told me I need to bring into a spanish bank 5 years worth of what is considered minimum-wage for 2 people, close to 45,000 euros. Was not a happy camper, but I hope they will move this along now after submitting proof of funds


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mcjiggerlog said:


> I've been trying to work out what documents I'm going to need to be able to apply for residency here, but my case doesn't seem to fit any of the normal cases for determining what documents I will need to provide.
> 
> My situation - I currently have a full time contract with a company in the UK and 1 month ago I moved to Madrid and will now work permanently from here. I will be switching to a new contract with the company where I will work as a contractor and will invoice the company monthly for my funds. In Spain I have been in contact with a gestor who is going to organise setting me up as autonomo and the invoicing of my company.
> 
> ...


If you are an EU citizen then you don't *apply for residency.* If you are intending to be here more than 90 days then you should register as a resident - as far as Spain is concerned, after 90 day you will be deemed to be resident whether you have registered or not. To obtain an NIE without actually registering, all you need to do is apply for it, pay your money and you will be issued a white certificate (valid for three months) showing your NIE. This Number is yours for life, even if the certificate expires.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Later on you (within 90 days) can get your (green) certificate of registration - you will then need either an employment contract plus health cover or proof that your are autonomo.

First get your NIE.


----------



## mcjiggerlog (Apr 4, 2015)

Ahh so I should just get my NIE without residency, register as autonomo then go back and get my certificate of residency? That makes a lot more sense.

One thing I'm struggling with is where exactly I need to go to get my NIE? I seem to be getting a lot of conflicting information. Where can I find a definitive answer on where I need to go (I'm in central Madrid) and whether I need to make an appointment? Thanks!


----------



## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

To do it yourself you need a National police station or sometimes it is a stand-alone foreigners office, .like we have here.
Probably easier to get the gestoria to do it as fr an NIE number alone they will ask what it is wanted for . 
The gestoria should be able to register you for autonomo complete with nie & registered on the foreigners list without any need for you t be thinking about private health care ,income ,etc. If he can't ,or doesn't know how then find one who can & does.


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mcjiggerlog said:


> Ahh so I should just get my NIE without residency, register as autonomo then go back and get my certificate of residency? That makes a lot more sense.
> 
> One thing I'm struggling with is where exactly I need to go to get my NIE? I seem to be getting a lot of conflicting information. Where can I find a definitive answer on where I need to go (I'm in central Madrid) and whether I need to make an appointment? Thanks!


yes that's exactly what you need to do

you go to the nearest extranjería

as gus says it's easier to use a gestor - would cost you maybe 100€ for the NIE & registering as autónomo


----------



## mlka (Sep 5, 2009)

As far as I can see you cant register as autonomo without a NIE.

Spanish autonomo registration basics

Are you a EU citizen?

If so, you can get your NIE by showing you have over 5200E in your Spanish bank account. You need to go to bank and have them print off a statement of your current balance and then it was to stamped and signed by the bank.

You also need to show you have private healthcare. You have to take the general conditions and your particular health policy.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

mlka said:


> As far as I can see you cant register as autonomo without a NIE.
> 
> Spanish autonomo registration basics
> 
> ...


What you have described is the process for registering as a resident, not simply to obtain NIE. Previous posters had already outlined the correct way for the OP to proceed, which is to obtain his NIE first, then register as autonomo, then register as a resident, so it is a pity you have confused him further.


----------



## mlka (Sep 5, 2009)

Lynn,

If you read the gentleman's original post he is enquiring about obtaining his residency. I was merely offering another way of doing this to what was suggested, having done the process myself.

Too many people on here fast to jump down somebodies throat.


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

mlka said:


> Lynn,
> 
> If you read the gentleman's original post he is enquiring about obtaining his residency. I was merely offering another way of doing this to what was suggested, having done the process myself.
> 
> Too many people on here fast to jump down somebodies throat.


Maybe the confusion lay with the fact that NIE and residencia are different since April 2013 and you can get a temporary NIE for 90 days to enable you to set up and then, if you are going to be living in Spain permanently, you need to apply for NIE/residencia and thats when you require proof of income and healthcare provision

Jo xxx


----------



## sadlybroke (Jun 19, 2012)

My circumstances were similar to the OP's in 2013. I registered for residency at the same time when I registered for NIE - it was one process, I used just one registration form. I only expressed my intent to start a business in Spain when I applied for NIE/residency and this was accepted without any issues. I was in the process of setting up an SL company (for which I, as a director, had to register with social security similarly as the self employed do later on).

So I did not register for NIE first, then autonomo, then residency. I got my NIE and residency (green card) before I could prove I had a job or business in Spain.

This was in Torremolinos police station.


----------



## mcjiggerlog (Apr 4, 2015)

I have my temporary NIE now, but the woman who I talked to at the office insists that you can register as autonomo with only a passport. This was rather confusing as nothing I have read online leads me to believe that this is possible. A recent change perhaps? Anyway I will get my social security, register as autnomo and then go back for my residency as suggested. Thanks, all.


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

mcjiggerlog said:


> I have my temporary NIE now, but the woman who I talked to at the office insists that you can register as autonomo with only a passport. This was rather confusing as nothing I have read online leads me to believe that this is possible. A recent change perhaps? Anyway I will get my social security, register as autnomo and then go back for my residency as suggested. Thanks, all.


Once you're established and running a business in spain, you will need to be a resident, but then the criteria should :fingerscrossed: be covered !!! so that sounds about right, although Spain does seem to have different rules for different days of the week lol

Jo xxx


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> Once you're established and running a business in spain, you will need to be a resident, but then the criteria should :fingerscrossed: be covered !!! so that sounds about right, although Spain does seem to have different rules for different days of the week lol
> 
> Jo xxx


As soon as his autónomo is activated and he's registered for health care he can use that paperwork for registering as resident


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

jojo said:


> Maybe the confusion lay with the fact that NIE and residencia are different since April 2013 and you can get a temporary NIE for 90 days to enable you to set up and then, if you are going to be living in Spain permanently, you need to apply for NIE/residencia and thats when you require proof of income and healthcare provision
> 
> Jo xxx


... actually, they've always been different - certainly were when I arrived in 2006.


----------



## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

snikpoh said:


> ... actually, they've always been different - certainly were when I arrived in 2006.


I was going by this. Before the rule was in place you didnt need to prove income and healthcare to obtain residencia

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-uk-other-eu-citizens-spain-april-2012-a.html

Jo xxx


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> I was going by this. Before the rule was in place you didnt need to prove income and healthcare to obtain residencia
> 
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-uk-other-eu-citizens-spain-april-2012-a.html
> 
> Jo xxx


yes - but having a NIE & registering as resident were still two different things

non-residents have always been able to get a NIE - but didn't have to register as resident

the only difference was that you didn't have to prove income etc to register as resident - it was still two different forms & different certs were issued - white for NIE & green for resident cert


----------



## cookiemonstress (Mar 13, 2018)

Sorry for hijacking this thread but this is exactly the situation that I'm struggling with at the moment...

1) I aplied for my NIE and got two papers, the modelo 790. It has my NIE on it, but I was told I would be notified when it is "ready" to come and pick it up. Would modelo 790 be sufficient to set up social security and register with the tax officials already?

2) In which exact order should I be doing things? Like - social security or tax first, or does it matter at all? I only know that for going autonomo I will have to have those two in order before I can get my residencia, right?

3) Do I need to have a permanent address to go through with all this? Thing is that we are currently still in Andalucia where we spent the winter, but will be moving to Galicia after Easter. As I am in a bit of a hurry, I would like to get as much as possible sorted out already before the actual move. What's possible and what isn't without our final address (we don't have a rental contract for our place here in Andalucia, just an oral agreement)? And if we do need the final address, would it be possible to have our future rental contract sent here and run things through Andalucian offices or can it only be done up in Galicia? I know many things are done regionally, but for example social security should be a national thing?


----------

