Spanish subsidiary formation for foreign company
We established and launched the Spanish subsidiary of an American consulting firm in just 30 days.
The challenge
A US consulting firm expanding to Spain needed entity formation, bank account opening, tax registrations, employment contracts for 12 hires, office setup, and full regulatory compliance -- all within an aggressive 30-day timeline.
Our approach
The Challenge
Summit Advisory, an American management consulting firm specializing in digital transformation, had won a major contract with a European multinational that required operational presence in Spain. The deadline to be operational was 30 days — an extremely aggressive timeline considering that the standard incorporation of a company in Spain can take between 6 and 8 weeks for notarial and registry procedures alone.
Beyond corporate formation, the firm needed to open operational bank accounts, obtain the definitive tax identification number, register with Social Security, formalize 12 employment contracts compliant with Spanish labor law, lease and fit out offices in Madrid, and comply with all applicable tax and data protection obligations. The firm had no prior knowledge of the Spanish regulatory environment.
Our Approach
We organized the project into four parallel workstreams with a dedicated coordinator. The legal workstream handled incorporation before a notary using the express limited company procedure, utilizing standard articles of association and minimum share capital to accelerate registry filing. Simultaneously, the tax team processed the provisional tax ID, census registration, VAT registration, and digital certificate issuance.
The labor team prepared the 12 employment contracts adapted to the applicable collective bargaining agreement, managed Social Security registrations, and configured payroll in compliance with Spanish income tax and social contribution regulations. In parallel, the business services team coordinated the office lease search and signing, utility contracting, and implementation of GDPR-compliant data protection policies. All four workstreams reported daily to the Managing Partner through a shared tracking dashboard.
Results
The Spanish subsidiary became fully operational in exactly 30 calendar days, with all 12 employees registered, three active bank accounts across two financial institutions, and zero regulatory incidents during the first six months of inspection. The experience enabled Summit Advisory to replicate the model in two additional markets using the documentation and processes developed for Spain.
Results
Fully operational subsidiary in 30 days with 12 employees hired, active bank accounts, and complete regulatory compliance.
Client testimonial
They handed us the keys to a fully operational company in one month.
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