Anyone who moves to Spain to live and work there will soon discover that freedom and sunshine also have their administrative side. Especially if you start working as a self-employed person, you will have to deal with rules and systems that work differently than in the United Kingdom or Ireland.

In this blog, I explain what it means to be an autónomo in Spain, how social security works, what it costs approximately — and what steps are involved.

What does it mean to be an autónomo?

As soon as you start working independently from Spain, you are legally obliged to register as an autónomo. You do this with both the Spanish tax authorities and social security.

You register with the tax authorities (Agencia Tributaria) using Modelo 036 or 037, in which you indicate what activities you carry out and from when.

You register as self-employed with the Seguridad Social using form TA.0521, in which you also record your contribution basis.

This makes your activity official and allows you to build up rights within the Spanish system.

What is the Seguridad Social?

The Seguridad Social is the Spanish social security system. It covers healthcare, pension accrual and benefits, among other things.

Your monthly contribution gives you access to public healthcare and allows you to build up social rights. The amount of your contribution depends on your expected income and is determined in income brackets, which you can adjust later via the online portal Import@ss.

How much does it cost?

For starters, there is the well-known tarifa plana, a reduced rate in the first year. After that, contributions are usually between a few hundred pounds per month, depending on your income.

This amount is separate from income tax or VAT — it is purely your social security contribution.

Practical: what do you need to arrange?

In practice, it boils down to these steps:

First, you need an NIE number (form EX-15 from the Policía Nacional) and a certificate of residence (EX-18). You must also be registered with your local council (empadronamiento).

Then you report your activity to:

• the tax authorities via Modelo 036 or 037,
• social security via TA.0521.

During the year, you file your tax return via Modelo 130 (income tax) and, if applicable, Modelo 303 (VAT). At the end of the year, you file your annual tax return via Modelo 100.

Would you like to receive an overview of this?

Because this is quite a lot of information for many people to take in at once, I have created a practical checklist that clearly lists all the steps, forms and points to consider.

You can easily request this checklist from me using the options on the right — via WhatsApp or the contact form. I will then send you the checklist without obligation.

And if you want help with this

You don't have to figure all this out yourself. Many people choose to seek guidance in this area — especially if you have just moved or have multiple sources of income.

I can help you determine the right steps to take, fill in the forms and coordinate with your accountant or advisor where necessary.

A short conversation is often enough to clarify things.