Networking and business relationships

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain, whether you will be an employee, a freelancer or a founder. You will know where to meet useful people and how to behave when you do.

Start with "How professional networking works in Spain". It explains why relationships come first and where to begin. After that, pick what you need:

• "Using LinkedIn to build a Spanish network" and "Chambers, associations and events worth joining" for finding people online and in person.
• "Turning colleagues and acquaintances into professional contacts" and "Protecting your professional reputation in a small market" for growing trust.
• "Building a client network as a freelancer or founder" if you work for yourself.
• "Business lunches, dinners and gifts in Spain" and "Dealing with Spanish clients, suppliers and negotiators" for the meals, meetings and negotiations themselves.

Job search mechanics and CVs, late payment law and the right to practise through professional bodies are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• Client gift limits: Company policies often cap client gifts and hospitality at around 50 to 150 euros per person per year, with approval needed above that and no cash or gift cards.
• Follow-up timing: Send a thank-you within one or two days of meeting, and send a single polite reminder after about one to two weeks if there is no reply.
• Business lunch: Business lunch usually starts around 14:00 to 14:30 and lasts 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Who pays: The person who invites normally pays for a business meal.
• Warm introductions: Ask someone you know to introduce you before approaching a new contact.
• Pace: Expect trust to build slowly through repeated, face-to-face contact.

Networking and business relationships: the whole process, step by step

• Get an introduction through a mutual contact and make a small, specific first request, such as a 20-minute coffee (How professional networking works in Spain): Before any direct approach

• Use a polite, neutral tone and tú with peers; use usted with clearly senior or official contacts: In the first message

• Build trust over several face-to-face meetings, often over a meal, before expecting a firm commitment: In the weeks and months before a deal

• Join in team lunches and company events, and decline others politely with a short reason and another date (Turning colleagues and acquaintances into professional contacts): Ongoing

• Send a thank-you after meeting: Within one or two days of meeting

• Send a single polite reminder if there is no reply: After about one to two weeks

• Try a call or WhatsApp message, then another contact at the company or a mutual acquaintance: After three or four attempts over two or three weeks

• Arrive for a business lunch and stay for the coffee chat afterwards (Business lunches, dinners and gifts in Spain): Lunch starts around 14:00 to 14:30 and lasts 1.5 to 2 hours

• Send Christmas baskets or cards to clients and suppliers: In the first half of December, usually before around 20 December

• Agree dates in writing and confirm them a few days before (Dealing with Spanish clients, suppliers and negotiators): A few days before each deadline; avoid August

• Leave a job or end a project well: give notice, tell your manager in person, write a short resignation letter and hand over your work (Protecting your professional reputation in a small market): Notice as set by your contract, often 15 days for employees

Documents you may need

• Vida laboral — Protecting your professional reputation in a small market

• A full invoice — Business lunches, dinners and gifts in Spain

• Resignation letter — Protecting your professional reputation in a small market

• A written record of who received the meal or gift and how it relates — Business lunches, dinners and gifts in Spain

• Certificado de empresa — Protecting your professional reputation in a small market

• Handover notes — Protecting your professional reputation in a small market

Networking and business relationships: questions that cross several articles

Should I use tú or usted when I first contact someone?

Yes, use tú with peers and in younger or informal industries, but use usted with clearly senior, older or official contacts. Switch to tú if they do or say 'tutéame'. Read How professional networking works in Spain and Dealing with Spanish clients, suppliers and negotiators.

Can I deduct client meals and gifts as a business expense?

Yes, client gifts and hospitality can be deductible if they are tied to the business, documented and within 1% of net turnover. Ask for a full invoice, not a simple ticket, and confirm the details with a tax adviser. See Business lunches, dinners and gifts in Spain.

Can I give gifts to public officials?

No, avoid gifts to public officials, or keep them minimal and clearly social, because a gift linked to a pending contract or decision can count as bribery. Each administration sets its own stricter limits.

How long does it take to build trust before a contract?

Expect several face-to-face meetings, often over long lunches, before a firm commitment. An introduction through a mutual contact speeds this up a lot. Read How professional networking works in Spain and Building a client network as a freelancer or founder.

How do I find out who really makes the decision at a client?

Watch who others defer to, who speaks last and who can commit on price, and ask politely who else needs to approve. See Building a client network as a freelancer or founder.