Free help for new businesses: PAE points, chambers and agencies

Terms used

• PAE — The PAE is a Punto de Atención al Emprendedor, an official office that guides people starting a business and can begin company registration online.
• CIRCE — CIRCE is the state online system used to start the paperwork for setting up a company.
• DUE — The DUE is the Documento Único Electrónico, a single electronic form that registers a new business with several bodies at once.
• Gestor — A gestor is a professional adviser who handles tax and administrative paperwork with Spanish offices for a fee.

Key rules

• Cost: Basic PAE advice is free, but notary, registry and tax costs of setting up a company are paid separately.
• Language: English help depends on the office, and official forms are in Spanish.
• Finding offices: Search the PAE directory by province or town, then check the office is still active.

What free help you can get

Three kinds of office help new founders, and basic advice from each is free.

PAE points (Puntos de Atención al Emprendedor) are the main starting place. They give information and guidance, help with your business plan and the choice of legal form, and explain grants and finance. They can also start the incorporation paperwork online through CIRCE and the DUE, which lets a company be registered with many bodies in one electronic filing. The basic service is free. The costs of incorporating (notary, registry, taxes) are paid separately.

Chambers of commerce give free advice to entrepreneurs. They also run training, mentoring and international trade support. Some programmes and services are paid, so ask the price before you sign up.

Regional development agencies offer advice, incubators, and grants and loans. Cost depends on the agency and the programme. Free and paid services vary by body and region, so ask each office what it charges.

How to find them

• PAE points: use the business-creation portal run by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the Portal PAE. Its directory can be searched by province or town.
• Chambers: search the national Cámara de España website, or the website of your local chamber.
• Regional agencies: go through your regional government's website. Examples are ACCIÓ in Catalonia, Andalucía Emprende, IVACE in Valencia and IGAPE in Galicia. Madrid has its own agency.
• Foreign investors: the Ministry's Ventanilla Única Empresarial, the chambers' offices and the Invest in Spain network can also help.

Check that the office you find is still listed and active before you travel there.

Will they help in English?

It depends on the office.

• Chambers in larger cities, and regional agencies with international or foreign-investment desks (Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, for example), often have English-speaking staff. Some also publish guides and websites in English.
• Small local PAE points work mostly in Spanish. They may offer another language only if a staff member happens to speak it.
• Invest in Spain and ICEX serve foreign investors in English.

Official forms and filings, including those in CIRCE, are in Spanish. Plan to use a gestor (a professional adviser who handles paperwork), an interpreter or a translator. Phone or email first and ask whether someone can speak English. The questions below cover the most common doubts.

Frequently asked questions

Will a small local PAE point speak English?

No, usually not, because small local PAE points mostly work in Spanish. A staff member may speak another language by chance, so ask before you go.

Where can a foreign investor get help in English?

Foreign investors can get help in English from the Invest in Spain service and from ICEX, which serve foreign investors in English. Chambers of commerce in big cities and regional agencies in places like Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia may also have English guides and websites.

Do I still need a gestor if a PAE point helps me?

Often yes, if you do not speak Spanish, because official forms and filings, including those in the CIRCE online incorporation system, are in Spanish. A gestor (adviser), an interpreter or a translator can bridge that gap.