Too-good-to-be-true promises about visas, property and jobs in Spain

Key rules

• No guarantees: No adviser can guarantee a visa or approval, because the decision belongs to the administration.
• Paying for offers: Never pay anyone for a job offer, visa or appointment; official fees go through official channels.
• Untraceable payment: Refuse cryptocurrency, gift cards, prepaid cards and money-transfer services.
• Written proof: Get a written engagement and an invoice before you pay any adviser.

The short version

If someone promises a sure result, asks for money before you have seen anything real, or wants payment you cannot trace, stop. Real processes in Spain rarely need either.

Promises that should worry you

No adviser can guarantee a visa or approval, because the decision belongs to the administration. Treat these pitches as warning signs:

• "Guaranteed visa" or "guaranteed approval".
• "I have a contact at the consulate or extranjería" (the immigration office). Nobody can buy a decision.
• Selling you a job contract, an empadronamiento registration (your address registration at the town hall) or a social security registration. Selling fake contracts is a crime and can get your application refused and you banned.
• Offering to help with false documents. Never accept.
• "You only pay if it works", with nothing in writing.
• Someone who says they will deal with the authorities for you but has no signed mandate (written authorisation) from you.
• Paying to get an earlier appointment (cita). Appointments are free, and people selling them are resellers.

Common scams aimed at newcomers

• Fake rental listings that ask for a deposit before you can view the home. These are generally the most frequent trap for new arrivals.
• Fake job offers that ask you for a fee.
• Fake visa or appointment intermediaries who charge for free official steps.
• Timeshare and property sales with large upfront payments.
• Impersonation of banks or authorities by email, text or phone, with a link to "fix" a problem.
• Car and holiday-let booking fraud.

No official ranking exists, but rental and property scams come up most, followed by online phishing.

Payment signals that give a scam away

• Cryptocurrency, gift cards, prepaid cards or money-transfer services such as Western Union.
• Cash upfront, or a transfer to an unrelated individual, before you view a property or sign a contract.
• Any fee for a job offer, visa or appointment. Never pay anyone for a job offer, visa or appointment. Official fees go through official channels, for example the Tasa form (modelo 790) paid at a bank.

Safer: pay by a traceable method, to an account in the contract holder's name, after the contract is signed. Legitimate people also ask for bank transfers, so check who you are paying first.

Guarantee signals

A real professional gives you a written engagement and an invoice. A registered lawyer (abogado) has a bar number you can verify. If a person refuses to put terms in writing, or says paperwork is not needed, walk away.

Check before you pay

Verify the adviser, the property or the message with the bodies in the resource below. For a message that claims to come from your bank or an authority, contact them yourself rather than through the link. If you have been scammed, report it to the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil.

The documents, checklist and warnings below give you the practical steps.

Documents you need

• A written engagement from any lawyer (abogado, with a bar number) or other authorised professional who acts for you, setting out what they will do and for what fee.

• An invoice or receipt for every payment you make to an adviser. Never pay cash with nothing in writing.

• A signed written mandate, if someone says they will represent you before the authorities. Without one, they have no right to act for you.

• The official Tasa payment form (modelo 790) for any government fee, paid at a bank.

Checklist

• Refuse any payment by cryptocurrency, gift card, prepaid card or money-transfer service such as Western Union.

• Ask to view a rental property in person before you pay any deposit.

• Check the identity of the person you are paying before you make any bank transfer.

• Ask any fixer or agent for a written engagement and an invoice before you hand over money.

• Walk away from any job offer that asks you for a fee.

• Check whether a message from a bank or authority is genuine by contacting them yourself, not through the link or number in the message.

Check the current picture of common scams with the Policía Nacional, Guardia Civil or your town hall's consumer office.

What to watch out for

• Guaranteed visa or approval: Anyone who guarantees a visa or approval is not reliable, because no adviser can guarantee a visa or approval: the decision belongs to the administration. Claims of inside contacts at the consulate or extranjería are a red flag too. Walk away and use a registered lawyer with a bar number and a written engagement.

• Fake contracts, job offers or registrations for sale: Paying for a fake job offer, contract, empadronamiento or social security registration is a crime. It can lead to refusal of your application and a ban. Never accept false documents. Use only real documents you can prove.

• Payments that cannot be traced: Requests for crypto, gift cards, prepaid cards, Western Union or cash upfront are classic fraud signs, especially before a viewing or contract. Money sent this way is very hard to get back.

• Fees for jobs, visas or appointments: Anyone who charges you for a job offer, visa or appointment is likely a scammer or reseller. Appointments are free.

• Fake rental listings and other common scams: Fake rental listings that ask for a deposit before a viewing, timeshare and property sales with large upfront payments, and phishing messages posing as banks or authorities all target new arrivals. View in person before paying, and contact the bank or authority yourself using details you find independently.

• Unlicensed fixers and success-fee pitches: People who ask for cash with no invoice, offer success-fee-only deals with no contract, or claim to represent you with no mandate leave you with no protection. Ask for a written engagement and an invoice before paying anything.

Where to check an adviser, agent or claim before paying

• Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (national lawyers' council): Search the national Censo de Letrados to confirm a lawyer is enrolled as a practising lawyer (abogado ejerciente) in a provincial bar. The local Colegio de Abogados also lists its members.

• Colegio Oficial de Gestores Administrativos in the gestor's province: Confirm a gestor (a licensed paperwork agent) is registered and get their registration number. Use the national council's gestor finder, or ask the provincial colegio if the person is not listed.

• Registro de la Propiedad (land registry): Ask for a nota simple, a short extract showing who legally owns the property and any mortgages, charges or seizures. It checks the seller, not the agent.

• Regional consumer or housing department: Ask whether estate agents must be registered or licensed in that region and whether your agent is. Spain has no single national register of agents. Catalonia, for example, has its own agents' register.

• Catastro and Registro Mercantil: Check the property's cadastral data with the Catastro's online office, and look up an agency's company details in the Registro Mercantil (company register).

• Your town hall's consumer office (OMIC) or regional consumo department: Ask about a provider's record and get the official complaint sheet (hoja de reclamaciones) if something goes wrong. The Ministerio de Consumo also handles consumer complaints.

• Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil: Report a suspected scam: file an online report with either force, or in person at a police station. Phone 091 for Policía Nacional or 062 for Guardia Civil. In an emergency, call 112.

• INCIBE, the national cybersecurity institute: Call 017, a free and confidential helpline, if you suspect online fraud or a scam.

• Banco de España: Complain here if the problem is with a bank.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay a fixer to get me an earlier appointment (cita)?

No, you should not pay anyone for an appointment, because official appointments are free and people who sell them are resellers. Paying them gives you no legal advantage and may leave you with nothing. Book through the official site or ask a registered lawyer for help.

What should I do if a fixer offers me a job contract or empadronamiento for a fee?

Say no and walk away, because buying fake job offers, contracts or empadronamiento registrations is a crime. It can lead to your application being refused and to a ban. If you need help with paperwork, use a registered lawyer with a written engagement.

Which scam is most likely to hit me as a new arrival?

Fake rental listings that demand a deposit before any viewing are generally the most frequent for new arrivals, followed by online phishing. Fake job offers and fake visa or appointment intermediaries are also common. No official ranking exists, so treat any early payment request with care.

Is it safe to pay by bank transfer?

Yes, a bank transfer can be safe if it goes to an account in the name of the contract holder after the contract is signed. Check who the person is first, since scammers also ask for transfers.