Field notes
Working notes on Spanish law, written for people dealing with it from outside Spain. Each one takes a single question that comes up in real transactions and answers it as far as general information can, with the deadlines, thresholds and consequences that apply.
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Distribution or agency? Spanish courts decide, not your contract
Spanish law regulates agency and leaves distribution unregulated, and courts characterise the relationship by how it was performed. Goodwill compensation, notice periods and the five things to check before appointing a Spanish distributor.
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Inheriting Spanish property: the six-month clock
Spanish inheritance tax is due six months from the date of death, and the extension can only be applied for in the first five. What foreign heirs have to gather, why the region changes the bill, and the second deadline nobody mentions.
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Does your Spanish acquisition need government approval?
Spain screens some foreign investments before they can complete. A decision tree for buyers: who is caught, which sectors, the five-million-euro exemption, and what the new EU regulation changes from 2028.