Residence in Tenerife

Establishing a life in Tenerife

Tenerife offers one of the finest climates and lifestyles in the world. The dramatic growth in the popularity of the island has also created a similar increase in the growth of business opportunities, jobs and holiday home ownership. If you don't know Tenerife particularly well, and are thinking of holidaying, buying in, or even moving to Tenerife, you will find much more information about Tenerife and its towns on our site at http://www.eurosol.com.

Foreigners of virtually any nationality are allowed to buy holidays homes in Tenerife. Foreigners can also become residents, work and set up businesses in Tenerife. This is quite straightforward if you are an EC citizen, but can be more problematical for other foreigners, depending on nationality. Read below the key points which will affect the viability of residing and/or working in Tenerife -

Residencia and Work Permits

The first thing is to get clear which status you seek when residing in Tenerife. Generally, this will be one of the following -

• Self-Employed (Sole proprietor or Company)
• Employee (with contract of work from an employer)
• Retired (or Pensioner, with proof of sufficient income)

EC Citizens.
Nationals of European Community member countries have no specific problems. Since March 2003, the requirement for formal Residencia was abolished, although you will need to register with the town hall of the municipality in which reside, and obtain a 'Certificado de Residencia'.
You will also have to arrange other documentation, payment of Social Security (obtaining NIE number), be on the Electoral Register (Certificado de Domicillo), in order to qualify for national Health cover, etc.

Non-EC Citizens.
People who are not nationals of an EC member country do require a Recidencia/Work permit and may find the procedure more difficult and time consuming. They would be well advised to use a 'Gestor' to asist their application. It is important to contact the nearest Spanish Embassy/Consulate in your country of origin to get the exact information about the current documentation, requirements and the procedure for your nationality. Typically, you may need a Visa, which would have to be issued from that Embassy/Consulate, so skipping such steps could involve you with several unnecessary trips between your country of origin and Tenerife.

Status
As mentioned previously, you will generally be applying a specific status -

• Residencia Cuenta Propio/Autonomo - You want to be self-employed, run your own business.
• Residencia Cuenta Ajena - You have or want to become an employee of a local business.
  
• Residencia - You want to live in Tenerife, but not work, or you are retired.
  

Residencia's are usually issued for a validity of between 3 and 5 years. How, and to what extent the above items will affect you cannot be pre-determined. The Tenerife Foreign office deal with applications on a very individual basis.

Documentation required
This will vary on circumstances and nationality, but here is an example list of some of the documention you may be asked to provide with your application for Residencia. an example -

• 'D' Type Visa (non-EC persons) and other documents from your country of origin.
• Evidence of Income or Pension from abroad on a regular basis and/or assets in Tenerife. This usually means a copy of your Pension Certificate or a formal letter from the bank receiving your income.
• Health Cover. Evidence of independent cover, or ability to cover cost of medical expenses.
• Work Contract or 'Offer of Work' Contract from a local employer.
• NIE Number (Foreigners Identity Number)).
• Business Licence for your proposed activity.
• Qualifications if requested, you would need Official Translations of your certificates.

It is usually essential to use someone who really does know what they are doing, so your highest priority is to find a 'Gestor' locally, who will deal with all of this for you. Obviously, unless you a fluent in Spanish, you will be looking for a good Gestor, who speaks your language, and who you feel comfortable with.

Residencia Application based on Business
Note that many activities cannot be run from 'home', in which case commercial premises will be necessary.
Self Employed Social Security payments are currently about 215 Euros per month.
Submission of business accounts is every trimester (every 3 months) and an Accountant perhaps 100 Euros month. Principal monthly operating costs will normally be - Rent, Social Security, Accountants, and License fees (town hall), in that order.

Self-Employed v Partnerships v Limited Companies
Think very carefully before forming a limited company unless you expect your turnover to easily exceed one million Euros in it's first year. Unless you particularly need a company, most business and tax requirements are better met on a Sole Proprietor or Partnership basis. Partnerships can be simply and reliably arranged by a Notarized private agreement. You can get more information about companies on the EuroSol site.

Schools

Types of Schooling Available in Tenerife.

1. State Schools. You may place your child in one of the many State schools for a wholly Spanish education.
2. Private Fee paying Schools. There are several private schools in Tenerife, based on Spanish, English or German.

Applying to State Schools some items may be waived for EC citizens)

• The parent/s will need Residencia or a copy of the Application for Residencia
• You will need Reports, and a letter clearly defining the level of studies from the previous school.
• The Reports/Letters need to be 'Officially Translated' into a 'convalidation of studies' for Spanish Schools
• Non-Official Translations of documents will not be accepted by the Spanish Education Department.
• If the child is 14 years of age or more, they must possess their own Residencia
• The location of your home will have a bearing on your choice of schools.

Applying to Private Fee Paying Schools
The requirements vary and are specific to the school under consideration. For current and accurate information you should make enquiries directly to the school of your choice. to obtain accurate information on their current requirements. Fees are typically around 900 Euros per child, per term. In Tenerife, there are usually 3 terms in each academic year.
The school could ask for a 'convalidation' of the child's current educational level, which would involve getting certificates, reports or written statements/letters from previous schools and then getting them 'officially translated'.

Birth Certificates for Children
In some countries, notably the UK, standard birth certificates are issued in a shortened form, that does not disclose full parental details. In some situations, this is not accepted in Spain so it is wise to apply for a FULL Birth Certificate from the Registrar of Births, and get an official translation made.

More at the English Educational Centre page and the Eurosol Organisations page.