Italy vs Spain

The common form is an SRL (limited liability company), set up by a notarial deed and registered with the Business Register (Registro delle Imprese) via the Chambers of Commerce. A tax code and VAT number are obtained too.

The usual vehicle is a Sociedad Limitada (SL), formed by a notarial deed and registered in the Mercantile Registry (Registro Mercantil). Founders need a Spanish tax ID (NIF, and an NIE for individuals), and there is a modest minimum share capital.

Italian banking includes large banks, cooperative banks and online banks. Opening an account usually needs a codice fiscale (tax code), ID and proof of address; non-residents can open dedicated accounts. The Bank of Italy supervises banks.

Spanish banking includes large retail banks and online banks. Opening an account usually needs an NIE, ID and proof of address or activity; non-resident accounts are available with more documentation. The Banco de España supervises banks.

Italy welcomes foreign investment through the Italian Trade Agency (Invest in Italy), with free movement of capital. Investments in strategic sectors (defence, energy, telecoms, critical tech) can be screened under the 'golden power' rules; incentives include R&D tax credits, transition plans and special economic zones in the South.

Spain welcomes foreign investment through ICEX-Invest in Spain, with EU free movement of capital and no exchange controls. Screening applies to investments by non-EU investors in strategic sectors; incentives include R&D tax credits, regional aid and special regimes (e.g. the Canary Islands and startup law). Profits repatriate freely.

Italy taxes personal income (IRPEF, progressive), corporate profits (IRES), regional and municipal surtaxes, and VAT (IVA), run by the Agenzia delle Entrate. Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income.

Spain taxes personal income (IRPF), corporate profits and VAT (IVA), administered by the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT). Tax residents (183+ days) are taxed on worldwide income; regions set part of the personal rates.

Non-EU work visas are mostly tied to the annual Decreto Flussi quota; EU citizens work freely. Other routes include the EU Blue Card, intra-company transfers, self-employment and a digital-nomad visa. Applications involve the employer, the immigration desk (Sportello Unico) and consulates.

Non-EU nationals need a work and residence authorisation to work in Spain; EU/EEA and Swiss citizens work freely. Common routes are employed work, the Highly Qualified Professional permit and self-employment, plus a digital-nomad visa for remote workers. Applications run through the immigration authorities and consulates.

Student visas for Italy depend on course type, duration, nationality and consular assessment. For university study, non-EU applicants normally coordinate admission and pre-enrolment through the institution and Universitaly before the visa step — but note Universitaly's own caveat: pre-enrolment validation supports visa issuance, it does not guarantee it. After arriving, long-stay students must request a residence permit, normally within eight working days.

Non-EU students staying longer than 90 days need a Spanish student visa or stay authorisation, based on admission to an accredited institution, proof of sufficient funds and health insurance. You apply through the Spanish consulate covering your residence, with in-country procedures handled by the immigration authorities via the electronic administration portal. EU/EEA/Swiss students need no visa.

Whether you need a visa for Italy depends on your nationality, country of residence, length of stay and Schengen rules. The official MAECI 'Visa for Italy' portal is where you check the requirement and the exact document list for your case. Where a visa is required, a Uniform Schengen Visa covers short stays up to 90 days and is applied for at the Italian mission for your residence area.

Spain is in the Schengen Area, so short tourist or business visits follow Schengen rules: up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole area. Visa-exempt nationals need no visa; everyone else applies for a short-stay (type C) Schengen visa at the Spanish consulate covering their place of residence. A new ETIAS authorisation is being introduced for visa-exempt travellers.

Italy grants the EU long-term residence permit (permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo) after generally 5 years of continuous legal residence, with an income test and an Italian-language test. It is effectively permanent and leads toward Italian citizenship (often after 10 years).

Spain grants long-term residence (residencia de larga duración) after generally 5 years of continuous legal residence, letting you live and work indefinitely on equal terms with Spaniards. You show continuous residence and a clean record; long-term residence then leads toward Spanish citizenship (often after 10 years).

Naturalization by residence normally requires 10 years of legal residence (4 years for EU citizens, 3 years by Italian descent, and via marriage 2–3 years). You must show Italian at B1 level. Italy permits dual nationality, so you generally need not renounce your original citizenship.

Naturalization by residence normally requires 10 years of legal residence, but only 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal or people of Sephardic origin (and 1 year in some family cases). You pass the DELE A2 Spanish exam and the CCSE culture/constitution test. Spain requires renouncing your prior nationality except for those dual-nationality countries.

Italian employment is shaped by national collective agreements (CCNL), which set minimum pay by sector — there is no statutory minimum wage. Employees get at least four weeks' holiday, accrue TFR severance, and enjoy dismissal protections. Social security is via INPS, and disputes go to the labour judge (Giudice del Lavoro).

Spanish employment is governed by the Workers' Statute: a national minimum wage (SMI), 30 calendar days' paid holiday, and dismissal that requires cause and severance (typically 20 or 33 days' pay per year). Most contracts are now permanent after the 2021 reform; sector collective agreements (convenios) apply, and disputes go to the social courts.

Italian trade with non-EU countries clears through the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) with an EU EORI number. You classify goods in TARIC to find duty and import VAT (22%). Declarations are electronic; regular exporters can use the plafond/VAT-warehouse schemes, intra-EU trade needs Intrastat and dual-use exports need a licence.

Spanish trade with non-EU countries clears through the Spanish Tax Agency's Customs (Aduanas) with an EU EORI number. You classify goods in TARIC to find duty and import VAT (21% IVA), which can be deferred to your VAT return. Declarations use the DUA; intra-EU trade needs Intrastat and dual-use exports need a licence.

Italian trademarks are registered with the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM). You search the register, file under Nice classes, and after examination on absolute grounds it publishes for opposition. An Italian trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; an EU-wide alternative is the EU trademark via EUIPO, and copyright arises automatically.

Spanish trademarks are registered with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM). You search the register, file under Nice classes, and it publishes in the Official Industrial Property Bulletin for a two-month opposition period. A Spanish trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; an EU-wide alternative is the EU trademark via EUIPO, and copyright arises automatically.

Italian job search runs across private employers, regional employment centres and national public portals — Cliclavoro is the labour ministry portal for labour-market information and services, and SIISL and the regional services matter for offers, training and employment support. Two things are distinctive: public-sector hiring normally follows separate competition and portal rules, and non-EU candidates must keep job search, employment start date and residence-permit basis aligned with the immigration route.

Spain's public employment service is SEPE, which runs the national job portal and the unemployment system, but it sits alongside regional employment services rather than replacing them — so there are two public layers to search, not one. Non-EU workers generally need a work-and-residence authorisation tied to a job offer, though the entrepreneur and digital-nomad routes exist as alternatives that do not depend on one. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can work freely.

Italy has no single statutory national minimum wage. Pay floors come instead from the applicable national collective labour agreement, the CCNL — and the CCNL does far more than set pay: it can govern hours, leave, probation and notice too. So the single most valuable thing in an Italian employment contract is the exact CCNL it names. Use ISTAT for official wage statistics rather than proprietary salary tables, and note that net pay depends on region, municipality and family circumstances as well as tax and contributions.

Spain's statutory national minimum wage, the Salario Mínimo Interprofesional, is set by the government and quoted as a monthly figure paid in 14 instalments — not 12. That payment structure is the arithmetic trap: multiplying the monthly SMI by twelve understates the annual figure, so any cross-country comparison has to use the fourteen-payment basis. Pay is gross, with income tax (IRPF) and social-security contributions reducing take-home, and the INE is authoritative for wage data.

Italy's main government scholarships for international students are the Italian Government Scholarships (run by the Foreign Ministry, MAECI), plus 'Invest Your Talent in Italy' and regional right-to-study (DSU) grants that many students qualify for based on income. Explore options on the Study in Italy / MAECI sites and apply by each deadline.

Spain's main government scholarships for foreigners are the MAEC-AECID scholarships (run by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Foreign Ministry), covering various master's, research and Spanish-language programs, alongside many university awards. Explore options on the AECID and university sites and apply by each deadline.

To study in Italy you pre-enroll through the Universitaly portal and apply to the university; once admitted, you apply for a type-D student visa at the Italian consulate and, after arrival, request a residence permit (permesso di soggiorno). Explore options on Universitaly and Study in Italy and apply by the deadline.

To study in Spain you apply to the university, then, once admitted, apply for a student visa (visado de estudios) at the Spanish consulate. For stays over six months you obtain a foreigner ID card (TIE) after arrival. Explore options on the university sites and apply by the deadline.

Foreigners can generally buy property in Italy (for non-EU nationals subject to a reciprocity condition that is usually met). Renting uses a registered contract, with a deposit of up to three months and an option to tax rent under the flat 'cedolare secca'. Buying goes through a notaio (notary), is registered, and carries registration tax (or VAT on new builds) plus notary fees.

Spain places no restriction on foreigners buying property; you just need an NIE (foreigner ID number). Renting is governed by the Urban Leases Law (LAU), with a deposit (fianza) usually of one month lodged with a regional body. Buying goes through a notario, is registered at the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad), and carries transfer tax (ITP, ~6–10% on resale) or 10% VAT on new homes.

Italy's public system is the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale. Access depends on nationality, residence status and the reason for your permit, with registration handled through your local ASL and the tessera sanitaria used for many services. The timing trap: SSN registration and renewal generally follow the residence-permit period, so verify with the ASL before a permit expires. EU short-stay visitors commonly use the EHIC; non-EU short stays may need private cover or tariff payment.

Spain's public National Health System covers residents who contribute to social security — through work, self-employment or as a dependant — and it is run by the 17 autonomous communities, so practical details vary by region. People who do not contribute, such as non-lucrative or student visa holders, generally need private insurance. The route many miss: the Convenio Especial lets non-contributing residents join the public system for a monthly fee.

Italian insurance combines public social coverage, compulsory motor liability insurance and optional private products — and the distinction worth holding onto is that INAIL workplace accident insurance and INPS social security are separate public systems, not ordinary private policies. Before buying anything private, verify that both the insurer and the intermediary are authorised: IVASS supervises undertakings and intermediaries and publishes registers plus consumer warnings. Private health or travel cover can matter if you are not yet fully covered by the SSN.

Spain's Seguridad Social provides pensions and social insurance, funded by both employer and employee contributions, and it is administered through the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social — the treasury arm is the body that actually collects. Beyond mandatory health cover, motor third-party liability insurance is compulsory for vehicles. Insurers are supervised by the DGSFP, which is a directorate-general inside the ministry rather than a standalone agency.