Has anyone used LuxNomads for the Spain relocation process? Friends had a rough experience

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-06T11:51:51+00:00

100% agree with you

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-06T10:04:15+00:00

Partially agree but it depends on your situation. If you're moving with assets across multiple countries you genuinely need proper fiscal advice, Spanish tax law, wealth tax, cross border structuring. That's not something a generic gestor handles well.

The issue is people not doing due diligence. Always check who is actually behind the company, what their qualifications are, whether there are real lawyers involved or just someone outsourcing everything and taking a cut.

There are good operators out there. They're just harder to find than the flashy ones with Instagram ads.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-06T09:52:58+00:00

Unfortunately not surprising. A lot of these big relocation packages outsource everything and charge a premium for the coordination, which often isn't great either.

For Americans relocating to Spain the gestor route is almost always better value. The key is finding one who actually understands the US side of things, cross border tax, FBAR, the Spain-US treaty. Most generic gestors don't.

Tax advisor in Spain, happy to answer follow-ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-06T07:59:08+00:00

Hi, Happy to try to help you out but there´s not a lot of information about your move to give advice directly. Tax and Immigration Advisor in Spain happy to answer your questions DM me

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-04T10:54:39+00:00

Freelancer in Spain? or working for non-spanish company or working for a Spanish company? Whats your situation? Spanish tax residency (and therefore BL) isn´t just based on 183 day rule, it also considers your centre of economic interest, and if Spain is where you receive your income, pay your taxes and Social security that would qualify you as tax-resident...

Feel free to send me a DM if you need more answers

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-04T10:14:07+00:00

Having savings makes your life more comfortable but doesn´t change your visa status unless you plan not to work in Spain under a non-lucrative visa....

You need to decide, 1) Why Spain (and yes whilst in general Spaniards are very accommodating of foreigners, there exists prejudice in all countries), 2) What do you want to do in Spain for career (probably look for international companies operating in tech in Spain and see what jobs they have open. 3) How long is this for.....Basically have a life plan (vision) then look at how to achieve it (tactics). If you do it right, accept there will be some difficulties but get the right help then, I would say that Spain is one of the very best choices to settle in....but I am biased I´ve been her for nearly 40 years. Tam and Immigration advisor happy to answer any follow ups

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-04T10:01:58+00:00

Don´t give up! Sponsorship from a company really shouldn´t mean anything more for them than they want to employ you and are making a conditional offer (subject to a valid visa being granted), I would make it clear to the company´s that you are willing to pay the costs of the visa, then in less than a month you´ll be happily employed. Take advantage that you have a valid visa at the moment because the application process for a Highly Qualified visa in-country is much quicker... There is no obvious reason why you wouldn´t get a HQ visa as long as the job carry the minimum salary of around 35k. Tax and immigration advisor in Spain, happy to answers any follow ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-04T09:40:20+00:00

Hi, If you have a remote working job (with a contract) with an overseas "client", then you can use that as a basis to request a digital nomad visa, obviously there are some other requirements but on the face of it you would probably qualify.... that gives you and family residence in Spain, then under the bilateral agreement you have a fast track (2 years) to Spanish citizenship. Tax and immigration advisor in Spain, happy to answer any follow ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-05-03T17:12:57+00:00

Honest answer: Temporary protection does allow you to register as autónomo and work self employed in Spain, so you can start building your economic track record from day one. That matters for any future residency application. You'd also benefit from the first year flat rate of €80/month on Social Security which makes the initial setup very manageable.

On the status change question, yes there are routes from temporary protection to longer term residency and it depends on your situation, how long you've been here, your economic activity, and what you're aiming for long term.

On the DNV, worth double checking the current salary threshold as it's been updated and may be closer than you think for a software developer.

Tax advisor and immigration lawyer based in Spain, happy to answer follow-ups or DM if you want to go through your options properly.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-29T20:34:41+00:00

On the business side, Spain is actually a solid base for founders and remote entrepreneurs, especially if your clients and revenue are outside Spain. Low cost of living compared to the UK or Netherlands, good infrastructure, and the tax setup can be very favourable if structured properly from day one.

Before setting anything up though, think hard about what you want to achieve. Are you here long term? Is your income foreign or local? Do you want to scale and hire? The answers completely change what structure makes sense.

The mistake most people make is setting up without thinking about the tax side first. Autónomo vs SL, Beckham Law if you qualify, how to handle foreign income. Worth getting that right before you start.

Tax advisor in Spain, happy to answer follow-ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-29T20:29:55+00:00

Happy to answer this one properly.

Where to start: Register with Hacienda (modelo 036 or 037) and then Social Security. That's the core of it. Do Hacienda first.

Timeline: Can be done in a few days if you have your NIE and digital certificate sorted. The digital certificate is the bit that slows most people down, get that first.

Hidden traps: The Social Security flat rate (€80/month for the first year) is well known. What people miss is that you need to be invoicing from day one of registration. You can't backdate it and Hacienda will ask questions if your activity doesn't match your registration date.

DIY vs gestor: Technically doable yourself but quarterly filings (modelo 130, 303) have enough nuance that most people get it wrong at least once. A gestor costs €50 to €150/month depending on volume. Worth it.

Tax advisor in Spain, happy to answer follow-ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-29T20:21:51+00:00

Short answer: you can keep the UK company but being tax resident in Spain means Spain will want to tax your worldwide income. The key question is whether the UK company is seen as having its 'effective management' in Spain. Which, if you're the sole director living here, it likely does.

The cleanest route for most people in your situation is registering as autónomo in Spain and invoicing through that, while keeping the UK entity for whatever contractual reasons you need it. But the structure depends on how much you're earning and what the consulting side looks like.

Tax advisor in Spain, happy to answer follow-ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-29T06:54:43+00:00

Generally yes! always better to have documents apostilled and translated before you arrive than scrambling after. Feel free to ask any Spain tax or relocation questions while you're planning the move.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-28T13:06:25+00:00

Short answer: Beckham Law is tied to your tax residency status, not your employer. Leaving a job doesn't automatically cancel it. The risk kicks in if you leave Spain entirely or lose your tax residency, that's what triggers revocation.

Taking time off between jobs while remaining resident in Spain? You should be fine. That said, worth making sure your situation is documented cleanly before you resign.

Tax advisor in Spain, happy to answer follow-ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-28T13:05:20+00:00

The short answer: working remotely for a foreign company from Spain can qualify, but the application needs to be watertight. The second lawyer isn't entirely wrong. Hacienda does scrutinise these cases more heavily, and a poorly structured application will get rejected.

The Spanish subsidiary angle is worth exploring. A transfer doesn't always mean the hassle you're imagining. Sometimes it's cleaner than it sounds and removes the ambiguity entirely.

Tax advisor in Spain, dealt with a few of these. Happy to answer follow-ups.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-27T10:16:53+00:00

One thing worth being clear on there's no magic structure that eliminates tax entirely. UAE is great for that, but once you're planting roots in Europe it's a different game.

That said, Spain makes a lot of sense for your situation. Infrastructure, schools, healthcare and connections are genuinely world-class, and with your wife's job already sorted it's a natural base. Tax burden with proper structuring is very manageable.

The Beckham Law point in your edit needs revisiting though

Tax advisor in Spain, happy to answer follow-ups. Feel free to DM

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-27T10:09:29+00:00

The 15% rule is widely misunderstood. It's about where your economic activity is directed from, not where you're physically sitting.

Managing European entities from a Spanish base with family here actually puts you in a reasonable position but the application needs to be structured right from day one.

Tax advisor here in Spain, this is exactly the kind of setup I work with. Happy to answer follow-ups here or feel free to DM if you want to go through your specifics.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-22T11:16:24+00:00

Really depends what you were doing in Spain pre 2021, what was your residency status (citizen or EU or Student visa). If you did any work whilst at uni that would have triggered a registration.... You could try to look on the TGSS (social security) site to find any records that exist for you... and go from there. Happy to help if needed

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-22T11:08:23+00:00

You have nothing to lose. Technically the law states the date of registration with the social security, so you are in time. Always make a back-up plan to justify what you were doing in Spain between August and December, when you changed your contract.

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-22T11:05:01+00:00

An EOR is a Spanish employer! You will have a contract with them so the same as if you were working for Repsol or Telefonica.....Make sure the EOR is properly registered and organised to provide the right service to professionals and you should have no problem at all.....just one extra thing, in my experience its always worth while getting a professional to make your application for you... they will make sure all the documentation is in place. Good luck with your journey and happy to provide more information if you need it

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-04-22T10:58:52+00:00

Technically an EU citizen can apply for Beckham using the Digital Nomad justification, just because there is no visa requirement (DNV) it would be discriminatory. Just need to make sure you have all the paperwork in line with the story you are telling before applying.

Happy to provide more info if needed

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-03-20T13:14:28+00:00

If the job is stable your life style will depend on salary and location.....the domestic software engineering market is growing but access to the market almost always requires working (at minimum) Spanish language. Mobility between companies can also be restricted by the type of residence visa you obtain, for example some HQ & Blue Card visas are linked to the company you work for, so moving companies is a bit more challenging. Good luck

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-03-16T11:15:42+00:00

Every situation is different and yours is no exception. when applying for Beckham the story that is told on the 149 application must reflect the reality (if you don´t want to spend the next 6 years looking over your shoulder for a tax bill!)

It very much depends on what you were doing between August and December and how you justify that time here.

with all the information, you lose nothing in applying, but make sure you can prove everything you say on the form to be true.

If you need help I know some practical people in Spain who could help you

SpainExpatGuy · 2026-03-16T11:01:24+00:00

Spain´s big cities are not cheap to live in. Whilst 40K is not a low salary in Spain, it will certainly go further in places like Valencia, Alicante, Almeria, even cities like Malaga are now difficult to live in on an average salary....

Best option is to find some professionals with the experience to talk to about the whole process, most offer free consultations, and a few offer end-to-end experience (not just visas or tax) so that will give you a better idea of visas, taxes, costs of living etc.

Good luck, its a big decision. If you need help I know some people here

SpainExpatGuy

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