Valencia has been crowned number #1 city for expats in the world last year, in a research done by InterNations. I am biast, of course, but I agree. Valencia is great. My husband asked me the other day:”Why do you love it here so much?” It’s everything. It’s the perfect mix of beaches, parks, culture, history and a vibrant big city atmosphere. Oh, and a fantastic climate with plenty of sunshine. I felt almost immediately at home, when we moved here in 2018, exactly three years ago tomorrow. The thing was, I didn’t even have a job went we came here. But I quickly managed to generate an income in Spain, as self-employed. How?
First a disclaimer right here; we had our savings sorted when we moved, so we did not have the pressure to frantically look for work on arrival. My biggest bit of advice to anyone considering moving to Spain is to make sure you bring enough money, or a remote work contract. Financial stress will not be worth the move, no matter how sunny it is here! Spain still suffers from high unemployment, and after the pandemic of 2020/21, this is not going to improve very soon. That doesn’t mean you cannot earn money here though. Don’t believe all those miserable keyboard warriors on expat Facebook groups who immediately shut you down when you post a question about finding work in Valencia. Yes, they are right to say it is hard, especially if you don’t speak Spanish, but there are so many opportunities. You just have to know where to look, and think outside the box.
Bring your own job or remote contract
If you can find a job in employment, great! This means that you will automatically get the right to use the (free) public health service, and you no longer need to pay for private health insurance (which costs you anything from around 60 euros for an individual, up to 250 euro a month for a family of four, depending on your package and situation). Jobs expats are most likely to find in Valencia vary. Often they end up teaching English, or working in tourism. I worked as tour guide for Dutch tourists for a while, for example, and my husband offers private English tutoring. Many also end up teaching English at one of the many private academies, or international schools.
You also find plenty of expats who have their own online business, or have a remote work contract with their employer overseas. This, of course, is ideal, as you can pretty much live anywhere as a ‘digital nomad’. Especially Americans often have this construction set up when moving to Spain, as with a ‘non-lucrative visa’ you are allowed to live here longer than three months, as long as you don’t take a job in Spain. So if you are contracted in the US, this is a good solution if you are planning to live here for more than a year. Remember, even if your business is registered overseas, or you have a work contract abroad, you still have to declare your annual income to the taxman in Spain – this is law, when you live here for more than 183 days a year.
Starting a business in Spain, how to register
What you see most, however, is that expats are create their own English speaking job in Spain. It is not easy to make your way into the Spanish working world if you don’t have the contacts (it’s very much a ‘who you know’ kind of system), but there are thousands of expats living here, who could well be your ideal client. Just see in the Facebook expat groups how many people are asking for an ‘English-speaking’ (fill in the blank: builder, carpenter, taxi-driver, babysitter, cleaner, hairdresser, teacher, fitness instructor, doctor, psychologist, accountant…). The options are endless. If you have a skill, monetise it! Most people start out working for cash only, to avoid having to register officially as self-employed, and to see if there is a market for their services. Once the business is growing, or when customers need invoices, you can register as ‘autónomo’, self-employed, with the tax office.
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To register as autónomo, I recommend you contact a relocation agency, or someone else who knows about this kind of thing, as it’s a bit complicated. They can accompany you to the tax office, help with the language and documents required, and it just takes the headache out of things. To be honest, I find all things to do with taxes in Spain complicated, and would also advise anyone to hire an accountant (‘gestor’) to do the quarterly VAT returns for you, as well as the income tax. The VAT rate is 21%. The income withholding tax (or IRPF) is 20%.
What are the fees for an autónomo?
If you are starting a business in Spain, there is a “flat fee” for new autónomos for the first two years, which makes it much more accessible for new entrepreneurs to get started and grow their business. Paying this fee gives you access to Spain’s public health service, you start building up a government pension, and you have the right to maternity pay and benefits when you somehow become incapable of working. The fee is normally €50 a month for the first year. For the next six months, the fee goes up to €137.97; and the last six months of the second year, the fee will increase again to €192. Self-employed workers in Spain who have been registered for a period of more than two years pay a minimum monthly fee of €286.10 euro.
These fees are the same as in 2020 and are not subject to review/change until 1 June 2021. The general autónomo fee in Spain will then be set at €289. When you register as an autónomo, you can choose to pay the minimum fee or pay more than what you owe to slightly increase your government pension in the long term. Most people opt for the minimum fee and start a private pension scheme under their own conditions.
How to get clients in Spain for your business
If your ideal client is local, then find out where they hang out – online and offline. The expat groups on Facebook are a good way to promote your business, in any of the weekly ‘promo threads’, or do some ‘bread crumbing’, which means replying to other people’s comments by being helpful and more subtly mentioning your business. Also, when possible, try and attend networking events around town. There are a lot of coworking spaces in Valencia, and some of them organise events where it’s great to mingle with other entrepreneurs.
If your business is completely online, then it’s a different matter. Depending on where your ideal client hangs out, tell your story, and share your message consistently on social media, your blog, and through email lists. For freelancers, there are also very useful platforms out there to offer your services, including Upwork and Fiverr. Other ideas are selling online, setting up an online store, or writing e-books, designing online courses and selling those. I know plenty of expats here in Valencia who have found their niche, and offer their services online, such as yoga teachers, nutrition experts, life coaches, and psychologists. With the internet, the possibilities are really endless, and the world is your oyster – while working from your laptop in sunny Valencia.
If you are a small business and need marketing help, feel free to hop over to my other website thecreativemarketing.coach (I offer 1-to-1 coaching and group courses). You can also join my Facebook community for free daily marketing and business tips and support, and regular live training.
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