Blog on Spanish law

Author: AntonioGuillen

  • Can I renounce to an inheritance in Spain?

                    In most occassions, inheriting from a dead relative or friend comes associated with an increase in wealth. The heir or beneficiary inherits the assets or money that the deceased had and once the inheritance tax is paid, which sometimes can prove very expensive, the heir is left with…

  • How to set up a Spanish company

                      “Spain will be the next Germany!” This was the headline in “EL PAIS” last week, a popular Spanish newspaper. Is this true? Well, even though the headline may be exaggerated in my opinion, there are grounds for optimism as recent labour reforms will  benefit business development…

  • Buying under-value in Spain Part I

    It is no secret that the Spanish property market is very quiet. Nowadays, any person wanting to sell reasonably quick has to make a noticeably discount on the sale price. This could mean reducing the price in 20% or 30%. This could prove very atractive to the purchaser as it would allow him to buy…

  • Can I complete the purchase of a property in Spain without a NIE?

      In a clear homage to my youngest daughter’s favourite cartoon: yes you can! I am talking about NIEs and not laying bricks but contrariliy to what happens in the Bob the Builder’s cartoons, the lack of NIE will not necessarily lead to a happy ending. A NIE number (tax number for non-residents who either…

  • What is a “cedula hipotecaria”?

    You may have heard about the “cedulas hipotecarias” or covered bonds. A “Covered Bond” is a financial product guaranteed by the whole mortgage portfolio of the bank itself with an interest linked to it. This is a safe product in a normal economic climate and it could be quite profitable (in fact, during the property…

  • Fire in the Costa del Sol- How do I claim for losses and damages?

    You may have heard about the terrible fire that affected the Costa del Sol last week. The fire started on August 30th at 7 pm somewhere between Coin and Mijas (Barranco Blanco area) and it spread towards other towns such as Marbella, Ojen, Monda.  The fire stretched out with a length of over 30 km among five municipalities: Alhaurín el…

  • Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh- Powers of attorney

                I have received several phone calls in the last few weeks asking me whether it would be possible to sign a power of attorney at the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh. My understanding is that a new Consul will arrive shortly, probably in the next two weeks. Until such time,…

  • Changes to the Spanish Tenancy Law- Hit or miss?

                The current Spanish Government is betting for a surge in rentals as a way to compensate the stock of properties for sale that cannot be currently absorbed by the market. For this reason it has implemented a project of law that, in the Government’s opinion, will revive the rentals…

  • Changes in obtaining NIE in Spain

    Good news! There has been a relevant development in Spain and from now on it is possible, again, to apply for a NIE numbers in Spain through a representative.  This means that those British nationals who require a NIE in Spain can give power of attorney to someone based in Spain and enable him or…

  • What can be bought these days for less than 150,000 Euro?

        This is a question that I have asked myself in several occasions. I am obviously talking about Spain, the main subject of this blog. Some experts state that the market is full of bargains. Lets see if it is true. 150,000 Euro is a relevant amount of money. This amount can buy you…