Legal help
All the information you need on getting legal help from notaries, lawyers and gestores in Spain
Gestor who charged foreigners €400 for residency appointments arrested in Spain
A registered gestor agent has been arrested in western Spain for blocking out all citas previas (appointments) on the immigration website and then charging foreigners €300 to €400 to get seen, proof that it’s not only clandestine agents exploiting the system.
Is it worth getting a lawyer for your Spanish citizenship application?
If you're eligible and are thinking about applying for Spanish citizenship, should you get a lawyer to help you or can you do it yourself? And how much would it cost to get legal help?
How much should you pay a 'gestor' to do your taxes in Spain?
Tax, like most bureaucracy in Spain, is notoriously difficult to get your head around and even more tricky to submit yourself. Therefore, you'll likely need to hire a gestor, but how much should you be paying for their services?
How Spain has changed its laws to give children of all ages a voice
Spain’s Law on the Protection of Minors against Violence has undergone a reform with several key changes announced, including the fact that all children must now be heard in legal proceedings.
The essential A to Z guide to bureaucracy in Spain
Got your NIEs and TIEs all in a muddle? Not sure if you are paying IVA or IRPF? In this handy guide, The Local spells out some of the key terms you'll need while living in Spain.
Can unregistered Brits in Spain get residency under new regularisation?
The Local has spoken to two lawyers to find out if the new decree promising to give the legal right to work and reside in Spain to 500,000 undocumented migrants could apply to 'under-the-radar' Brits in Spain who never registered as residents.
Why Spain's self-employed should appeal unfair charges by the taxman
The latest data shows a record number of claims by self-employed workers in Spain who deemed they'd been taxed too much or unfairly fined. A surprisingly high amount of appeals are now being won by 'autónomos'.
Can Brits in Spain renew their TIEs in another town or immigration office?
Many Brits are currently struggling to get a 'cita previa' or appointment to renew their Spanish TIE residency cards, but can they book at a police station or immigration office in another municipality or area if they find an appointment available?
Catalonia bans compulsory 'cita previa' (appointment) for official matters
Good news for foreign residents in Catalonia, as the regional government seeks to put a stop to the mandatory online appointment system for administrative processes.
How does power of attorney work in Spain?
Who can grant a power of attorney in Spain? What are the types of power of attorney? And how much does a power of attorney cost in here? This is what you need to know if you need to get 'poder notarial' in Spain.
How to get a 'cita previa' (appointment) in Spain when it seems impossible
Pretty much all in-person official processes in Spain require an appointment to be seen by a civil servant, but it's often impossible to get a ‘cita previa’ on the phone or online. Here are some potential solutions to this kafkaesque situation.
Cita previa: Spain to use AI to scrap dreaded appointment system
Could the problem of having to always book an online appointment to be seen at government offices finally be solved by artificial intelligence? This is what Spain's government says after failing to cancel the 'cita previa' system in 2024 as promised.
Where to find your Spanish NIE number if you don't know it
What happens if you've misplaced your residency or NIE document and you don't know your foreigner identity number off by heart? Here are all the places you can find this number if you need to use it for any given reason.
GUIDE: How to get a NIE in Spain
If you're moving to Spain or buying a property here, you'll need an NIE or Foreigner Identification Number. Here's our step by step guide on how to apply for one.
GUIDE: How to register as self-employed in Spain
If you plan on working for yourself or setting up a small business in Spain, you'll need to register in the 'autónomo' system. Here's our step-by-step guide on how to do this, from the forms to fill in to the government bodies you must contact.
Can a foreigner change their name and surname in Spain?
Is it possible to officially change your names in Spain for personal preferences or other reasons if you're not Spanish? Read on to find out and how you might be able to go about it.
How to get Spain's digital certificate without an in-person appointment
The digital certificate allows you to save time by carrying out official processes online, but applying for it involves booking an appointment, waiting days or weeks and then going in person to have it approved. Luckily, there's now a faster way to do this.
What to do when Spain's 'cita previa' website doesn't work
Almost all in-person official processes in Spain require foreigners to book an appointment online first (cita previa), from getting a NIE to a TIE. Here are some possible solutions when the website link doesn't work.
Arraigo: How foreigners can get residency in Spain after overstaying
If you have overstayed your visa and have actually been living in an irregular situation in Spain for some time, you can still gain residency legally through a process called 'arraigo social'. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply.
What happens when my rental contract in Spain ends?
Renters legislation means that some tenants in Spain can, under certain conditions, stay in their properties even when the landlord doesn't want to renew the contract.
Spain's PM promises to scrap 'unnecessary bureaucracy' for foreigners
Spain's Prime Minister has committed to speeding up convoluted bureaucratic processes such as the recognition of foreign qualifications and residency papers which can currently take years, keeping hundreds of thousands of migrants in limbo.
How to check if you have any messages from the Spanish tax office
The Spanish tax system can seem a little daunting, but one way to simplify things and keep your mind at ease is to stay on top of your online notifications from the tax office. Here's how to do it online.
GUIDE: How to apply for a non-resident NIE in Spain
If you're a non-resident in Spain, but you want to make some big financial purchases here such as buying a property or a car, you'll need what's known as a non-resident NIE number. Here's how to apply.