General – The One Stop Problem Shop

Cars on finance

If you have purchased a new or second hand car here in Spain on finance, then the car registration will have placed a block against it called a “reserva de domino“. This is to safeguard the finance company or the bank against the car being sold whilst the finance is unpaid. Upon finalising the finance the register has to be cleared. Some finance houses and banks do this process automatically however the vast majority leave it up to the purchaser to clear the block. This reserva de domino is registered in the “Registro de Bienes Muebles (register for movable goods)” …

Welcome to The One Stop Problem Shop

Welcome to The One Stop Problem Shop. We are here to help you with all problems that you may encounter from not speaking Spanish and having to interact with government bodies and the bureaucracy that goes with them. We offer a wide range of services at competitive rates and we collaborate with both accountants and lawyers when circumstances require us to do so on clients behalf, in these cases we lease fully with them and act as your translator so you still don’t have to worry about anything. Below is a small list of the items we can help you …

Exchange of Green Residence Certificates for new Biometric TIE cards for British Nationals

It is important to note that British Citizen holders of an EU Citizen Green Registration Certificate either A4 size or green paper size have no legal obligation to do anything at the moment unless they wish to. The green documents are completely valid for now. Having said that at local level some officials are now refusing to accept the green paper as it states that the holder is an EU citizen. So it may make sense to exchange now for your own convenience. Spanish Migration Minister (Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones) Hana Jalloul has spoken out to encourage …

Carta de Invitación

The fact is that a visitor MAY be asked by Border Forces anywhere in Europe for any or all of the required documentation when traveling into the EU from a Third Country and if they are not booked into registered Hotel or Vivienda Vacacional accommodation a Carta de Invitación will be required Facts for UK Nationals Source: Oficina de Extranjería y FronterasFor all non EU nationals wishing to visit Spain and NOT lodging in paid holiday accommodation, but with friends or family instead, the host in Spain must apply for a Carta de Invitación for each person involved. This has …

Permitted reasons to enter Spain after 30 March 2021

Permitted reasons to enter Spain after 30 March 2021From 6pm (GMT+1) on 30 March 2021 (5pm / GMT in the Canary Islands), passenger travel between the UK and Spain will resume, however entry restrictions and testing requirements will remain in force. Only Spanish citizens, those who are legally resident in Spain or those who can demonstrate through documentary evidence an essential need to enter Spain, will be allowed to enter the country. Permitted circumstances include: 📝Holders of a long-stay visa issued by a Member State or Schengen Associated State, who are travelling onto said country. 🧑‍⚕️Health professionals, including health researchers, …

Interactive TIE Applications Flow Chart

Because NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL in terms of an Applicant’s Circumstances

Interacting Digitally with the Spanish Authorities

The Covid 19 pandemic, if not solely responsible for a changeover to electronic interaction by users with Spanish governmental organisations, has certainly consolidated that move to on line registrations for various authorities. So how do you process your various applications on line? During Covid restrictions with face-to face appointments fewer and farther between, some of the authorities are accepting on line submissions without digital accreditation for the moment, but that is likely to change and so you should consider getting either a digital certificate installed on your PC or signing up for the “Clave” (Key) system if you have not …

“Swallows” after Brexit, the 90 day rule.

The UK had a transition period which ended on 31 December 2020. After this period, British nationals visiting Spain are subject to the Schengen area restrictionS, this is ability to spend 90 days in a rolling 180 day period for visitors, however temporary visitors will not need a visa. Those who are legally resident in Spain (ie registered with the police immigration division) will obviously not be considered “visitors” for these purposes. If you can substantiate that you had everything in place before the 31/12/2020 to be considered as a settled status resident of Spain – i.e funds, health care, …

UK citizens Driving in Spain post 31 Dec 2020

There is a transition period for CURRENT residents to exchange their UK driving licence for a Spanish one As of January 1, 2021 , the general regulations on licenses from third countries (non-EU countries) will apply and the licenses issued by the British authorities will enable you to drive in Spain for six months from the entry of the holder in Spain or from the date of obtaining legal residence. source: DGT y el Brexit Irrespective of whether a Spanish Resident’s UK licence has been verified for exchange by the end of the year, you will be able to drive in …

Types of Visa applications for British Nationals

A great many British ” Swallows” – extended stay visitors to Spain – are seeking ways to stay longer than the allotted 90 day visit allowed by the Schengen rules which came into effect from January 2021, and much is being made of the so called “Golden Visa” or more correctly Residence Visa (Non-Lucrative) For non-working individuals (with a reliable, ongoing source of income and substantial savings) who wish to reside in Spain for more than 3 months. HOWEVER this is an application for SETTLED residence status. Regrettably no provision has been made during the Brexit negotiations for those who want to …

Covid Tests For Tourists in The Canary Islands

In Canary Islands we work hard every day so you can visit us in optimal conditions of safety, hygiene and quality. Ours is one of the lowest epidemiological indices in Europe and the lowest in Spain. Most hotels have now opened their doors or will do so very soon, along with the main tourist attractions, shops and restaurants. If you are travelling to our islands soon, please keep up to date with restrictions and requirements here: Canary Islands is saying HOLA again | You’re on the Canary Islands Tourism website. (hellocanaryislands.com)

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IGIC Exemption for small traders -Régimen Especial del Pequeño Empresario o Profesional en el IGIC

2018 has begun with good news for the self-employed and small entrepreneurs, the modification of certain aspects of the IGIC, LAW 7/2017, of December 27, of General Budgets of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands means an exemption for most self-employed who bill less than 30,000 euros per year. The amendment to the law establishes a special regime for small business owners or professionals, which will include individual taxpayers whose total volume of operations* carried out during the previous calendar year**, in the totality of their business or professional activities, did not exceed 30,000 euros. Another requirement to be …

New Automated Check In System At South Hospital (El Mojon)

The Canarian health Service have now implemented a new automated outpatients check-in service at the Hospital del Sur (formerly known as El Mojon). As you can see from the photo (left) there are several machines which are located to your right as you enter by the main outpatients entrance hall of the hospital and EVERONE must now check in to confirm they have arrived for their specialist’s appointment. If you have one of the new Canarian Health service blue cards with a bar code on the back you can put this in the machine, if you haven’t picked up yours from your local …

Touristic Letting Modelo179

From July of this year(2018) all intermediaries involved in supplying vacation accommodation to tourists will have to submit an informative tax declaration (modelo 179) to the National Spanish tax authorities as part of IVA (VAT) tax requirements. This will particulary affect vacation rental housing platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway who have not previously had an obligation to divulge information to the authorities. The return to be presented in July will cover quarters 1 and 2 of this year and then the returns will carry on quarterly after that. The initial delay is to allow firms and individuals time to put systems …

Activating a New NIE number

Occasionally if a couple purchase a property together one spouse’s NIE number is used as the lead on subsequent documents and the other spouse’s number never becomes activated with the Agencia Tributaria (Tax Office), or if an individual gets an NIE number at the Extranjeria and then for whatever reasons never uses the number for anything (i.e a house or car purchase, importing anything over 150 euros, getting a job, becoming self employed etc. etc.) their number too remains unactivated. This is easily rectified and you should take the trouble to sort it out in case you need to use …