According to data from the Santander International Entrepreneurship Center (CISE), the entrepreneurial activity rate—related to initiatives no more than three and a half years old—was 6.2% in Spain in 2024. To boost this rate and promote business development in Spain, the government launched the 2026 Digital Spain (España Digital 2026) program.

This comprehensive strategy aims to foster entrepreneurial spirit while also driving the country’s digital transformation. The program includes initiatives such as the Digital Kit, with the aim of ensuring that, by 2025, at least 25% of the revenue of Spain’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will come from ecommerce. In this article, we’ll discuss how to set up an online store in Spain while ensuring compliance with current legislation and making use of available subsidies.

What’s in this article?

• How to create an online store in Spain
  
• Support for the creation of an online store in Spain
  
• Legal obligations pertaining to the creation of an online store in Spain
  
• FAQs on the creation of an online store in Spain
  

How to create an online store in Spain

Launching an ecommerce business to sell online from Spain can be challenging, but it’s not difficult if you use the right tools. Here are the steps to follow to sell goods online.

Choose an ecommerce platform

While it’s possible to write your own code to build an online store from scratch, not all business owners have the required expertise or resources to do so. That’s why many turn to ecommerce platforms that can help them create websites for small businesses. The most popular options include PrestaShop, Shopify, and WooCommerce. You should select the one that best fulfills your needs, making sure it offers superior security standards, scalability options, and easy integration with your existing solutions.

Integrate a payment gateway into your store

To make purchases simple, your online store should integrate a payment gateway that is user-friendly, secure, and compliant with current regulations, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, commonly known as PCI DSS. For example, Stripe Payments is a cutting-edge payment provider that allows you to accept both online and in-person payments using your customers’ preferred methods. Stripe Payments also allows you to consolidate all of your revenue in a centralized location, thereby simplifying accounting and invoicing, while its Optimized Checkout Suite (OCS) is designed to support the growth of ecommerce.

Run tests

It’s important to make sure that your online store is working properly and performing at its best. There are several factors to consider, including:

• Consistent display across devices: This is particularly important today, as nearly 92% of Spain’s population uses a smartphone to navigate online.
  
• Smooth purchasing experience: You need to make sure that it’s easy and intuitive for users to add products to their shopping cart, apply discount codes, and enter their payment details.
  
• Loading speed: Your website should load smoothly while customers shop. According to a Stripe study on purchasing processes in Europe, 62% of customers report abandoning their purchases if they are unable to complete them within two minutes.
  

Promote your online store

According to the Spanish National Observatory for Technology and Society (ONTSI), 30% of companies in Spain were already selling their products online in 2022. To increase the visibility of your ecommerce business, you can implement various marketing tactics, such as improving your store’s organic ranking in search results with search engine optimization (SEO) strategies or developing a social media communication plan.

Support for the creation of an online store in Spain

The government in Spain and various other organizations in the country offer support to simplify the process outlined above. Here are the most important resources available:

• Flat-rate scheme: Thanks to the flat-rate scheme, the tax burden on freelancers is significantly reduced for the first year of business activity. And while this cut is typically only granted during the first year of operation, it can be extended in some cases.
  
• Digital Kit: Digital Kit, managed by Red.es, is a digital transformation program for SMEs and self-employed individuals, offering up to €5,000 to set up a business’s online store in Spain, or to handle the registration, importation, or upload of its product catalog.
  
• Law 18/2022: Also known as the Create and Grow Law (Ley Crea y Crece), this regulation supports the launch of an online store in various ways. For instance, under this law, the minimum share capital required for the creation of a limited liability business (SL) is only €1.
  
• Support from autonomous communities: Some autonomous communities provide schemes to encourage digital entrepreneurship. For example, Catalonia’s ACCIÓ program promotes the digital transformation of businesses and offers support to traditional businesses looking to sell their products online.
  
• Equity loans: Enisa, a public business reporting to the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, finances innovative business projects through equity loans regulated under the Royal Decree Law 7/1996 (Real Decreto Ley 7/1996).
  

Legal obligations pertaining to the creation of an online store in Spain

While some of the obligations regarding online stores vary based on a business’s legal structure—for example, self-employed individuals are governed by the Self-Employment Act (Estatuto del trabajo autónomo) and limited liability companies (SLs) fall under Law 2/1995—some obligations apply across the board.

Fiscal obligations

All businesses must:

• Complete Form 036 to enroll in the register of business owners, professionals, and withholders.
  
• Obtain a value-added tax (VAT) taxpayer status certificate.
  
• Collect the relevant VAT rates based on the products sold, and remit the correct amount to the Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) by filing a quarterly VAT return using Form 303.
  
• Report sales within the European Union (EU), also known as intracommunity transactions, using Form 349.
  

Failure to comply with these responsibilities as a taxpayer can result in VAT penalties for anyone setting up an online store in Spain.

Legal obligations

Businesses must also:

• Comply with Law 11/2021 (Ley 11/2021)—commonly known as the anti-fraud law—which, among other requirements, mandates the use of electronic invoicing in order to prevent off-the-books accounting.
  
• Comply with Law 34/2002 (Ley 34/2002)—commonly known as LSSI—which, among other requirements, mandates that businesses must:
  
  • Allow the customer to unsubscribe from the online store’s newsletter or any other form of email marketing.
    
  • Confirm receipt of payment to the customer.
    
• Comply with the General Law for the Protection of Consumers and Users (Ley General para la Defensa de los Consumidores y Usuarios)—among other requirements, this governs the consumer’s right of withdrawal.
  
• Comply with Organic Law 3/2018 (Ley Orgánica 3/2018) which, among other things, guarantees the digital rights of customers making purchases from online stores.
  
• Implement the rules on the use of cookies (normas de uso de las cookies) which, among other things, require the user’s express consent before cookies can be installed on their device and subsequently used.
  

FAQs on the creation of an online store in Spain

Do you need to register as a freelancer or incorporate to create an online store in Spain?

Yes, it’s mandatory to register as a freelancer or incorporate to create an online store in Spain, because those are the only ways to legally issue an invoice with VAT for each order you process and ship. While there are some exceptions around selling online without being self-employed, these cases are rare and typically not relevant for someone looking to set up their own online store.

How much does it cost to set up an online store in Spain?

The cost to set up an online store depends on several factors, such as the number of products in your catalog and your chosen ecommerce platform. For example, Shopify offers plans starting at €32 per month (plus a small commission for each payment processed), which includes website hosting. If you apply for grants through programs such as Digital Kit, you can subsidize a significant portion of your initial investment.

Is a physical location required to sell products from an online store?

If you sell your products exclusively online, you can manage all the logistics from home, and a physical storefront isn’t required. However, Law 34/2002 (Ley 34/2002) requires the business owner’s mailing address to be clearly displayed on the online store’s website. If you decide to sell products online from home, your home address must appear on the website.

What are the recommended payment methods for online stores in Spain?

According to Stripe data, 86% of customers say they frequently abandon a purchase if their preferred payment method is not available. To improve your online store’s conversion rate, awareness of your target consumer base’s payment preferences is key.

• If most of your customers are in Spain: Keep in mind that although cards remain the most widely used payment method in the country (accounting for 48% of online purchases) nearly 30% of payments are made with digital wallets; in particular, 38% of customers name Bizum as their preferred payment method—even though only 22% of businesses accept it.
  
• If you sell expensive goods: You might consider offering installment payment options—such as buy now, pay later (BNPL)—that let your customers break up large purchases into more affordable amounts.