The first question that comes to anybody contemplating setting up their own business is, “how much is this going to cost me” so don’t let your enthusiasm take over; before you march down to your nearest Social Security office to register as self-employed, consider what it really means to run your own business and the on-going costs involved.
The word self-employed or “autónomo” is a word we have heard a lot more of in recent months given the dire labour situation in Spain. The unemployment rate in Spain has reached an all time high of just over 25%, the highest in Europe, so it is no wonder that many have decided to try to take control of their lives by leaving the unemployment office behind and joining the self-employed ranks to set up their own businesses. Is that your goal for 2013?
Spain has tightened its belt when it comes to providing medical assistance on the national health and not just for foreigners either; Spanish nationals are also affected by measures implemented this year. An increased burden on an already flagging system provoked the changes and it is no longer enough to be “empadronado” or registered as a resident in Spain to be entitled to free medical assistance.
Living abroad definitely has its benefits but death follows us wherever we are and just because we get to bask most of the year in the glorious sun, unfortunately, we are not immune to it. How would you cope if a family member died? How would you navigate the Spanish system? As morbid as it seems, we must make sure our affairs are in order, so here’s a brief insight into Spanish Wills.
Lately there has been much talk about changes in residencia applications in Spain, but what changes have taken place and who is eligible to apply from now on?
The law in question is “Orden PRE/1490/2012, 9th July”, that covers the rights of European Union members to circulate freely within member states and the conditions that must be met by those who wish to reside in another state for a period of more than 3 months. The law is more extensive but basically, supervision of residencia applications has been somewhat lax which in turn has proved to be a drain on the system, particularly on the resources of the National Health System as well as people benefiting from resident travel discounts without contributing to the Spanish economy.
