Writer, banking, housing, work and driving
BA in Economics, King's College London; Master's in Finance and Strategy, Sciences Po Paris, London and Paris
Charles Bortoli writes the guides on the money and contract side of a move to Spain: bank accounts, renting a home, working or setting up a business, and driving. He covers what the paperwork asks for in practice: the documents a landlord or bank expects, how a deposit and a lease work, how an employee or an autónomo is set up, and how a foreign licence is exchanged.
He studied Economics at King's College London and Finance and Strategy at Sciences Po in Paris, a path that suits readers moving between the UK or the U.S. and continental Europe. He has worked in banking and cross-border consulting, and he reads contracts and official forms in English, French and Spanish.
For Spain, he applies one rule: compare what the official sources say with what banks, landlords and traffic offices actually ask, and write down both with their dates. His guides cite the BOE, the Dirección General de Tráfico, the Seguridad Social and the Banco de España directly.
His work is practical information, not financial or legal advice. When a situation calls for a gestor, a lawyer or an adviser, he says so and helps you prepare for that meeting.
Writes on: Spanish bank accounts, Renting in Spain, Working and self-employment in Spain, Driving licences
What HMRC and Spain each ask when a Briton in Spain sells or lets a UK home: the 60-day report, the 18 and 24 percent rates, home relief, rent withheld at source and the Spanish credit.
How Britons who move to Spain swap a UK driving licence for a Spanish one under the 2023 agreement: the six-month limit, the check code, the medical report and the licences left out.
How Britons moving to Spain can compare pound to euro transfer quotes: the reference rate, the markup, fixed and intermediary fees, the UK disclosure rules and what Spain asks you to declare.
What an arras deposit can cost you, the checks before you sign, the notary deed and the Property Registry, transfer tax or VAT by region, and the yearly taxes a Spanish home brings in both countries.
Taking over the supplies after the keys: the CUPS code, the regulated PVPC and gas TUR against free-market offers, water through the town's utility, VAT, the bono social and complaints.
How to check the owner in the Property Registry, test the asking rent against the state index, spot a fake listing, pay safely, and get from the first viewing to a signed lease in 7 days.
Name certificate, NIEs, deed and registry with their deadlines and fee caps, the 2026 corporate tax rates, RETA for directors, permits, and the IRS forms an American owner files.
Which permits allow it, when U.S. clients pay Spanish VAT, the invoice and Modelo 303 boxes, Modelo 130 without withholding, the certificate that ends U.S. self-employment tax, and the U.S. forms.
Who runs Spain's trains, the 2026 passes and discounts open to U.S. residents, what EU law, Renfe and Ouigo pay when a train is late or canceled, and where to take a complaint.
The rules that change on October 1, 2026, the V-16 beacon, speed and alcohol limits, what a fine costs and how it reaches you, points, tolls and the low-emission zones of Madrid and Barcelona.
Which pass to buy in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Málaga, the papers a newcomer needs for a personal card, the 2026 state discounts, the Abono Único, bikes and e-scooters.
Why no agreement covers a U.S. license, the medical report, the 94.05 euro fee for two sittings, the theory and road tests, the driving school rule and which novice rules apply to you.
How long a U.S. license stays valid in Spain for visitors, residents and students, whether you need an IDP, who can exchange a U.S. license, and the likely 500 euro fine after month six.
What an American resident pays and files to buy a car in Spain: the regional transfer tax, the registration tax, road tax, insurance, the ITV and what shipping a U.S. car involves.
Seasonal leases under state law, Catalonia's 2026 rules, the annulled short-term registry, tourist rentals, and the lease length Madrid and Barcelona ask for on the padrón.
The 5 or 7 years a home lease must last, leaving after 6 months, the IRAV cap on yearly updates, the fees the landlord pays, stressed zones, repairs and a sale of the flat.
The one-month fianza, the 2-month cap on extra guarantees, lodging rules in Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia, what a landlord may deduct and how to claim the deposit back.
The permit that comes first, written and oral contracts, the trial period, fixed-term limits, pay in 12 or 14 installments, payroll contributions, severance and unemployment benefit.
Who qualifies after 5 years of non-residence, what the 24 percent rate covers, the 6-month Modelo 149 deadline, your spouse and children, and what the regime changes for an American's filings.
The self-employed permit or the telework route, the tax and Social Security registrations, contributions on real net income, the disputed 80 euro flat rate, and quarterly VAT and income tax.
Spain's mortgage law covers any individual borrowing against a home, with no residence condition. Why dollar income can make a euro loan a foreign-currency loan, and the timeline to the deed.
Living in Spain does not change your answer on a Spanish bank's FATCA form. What the self-certification asks, what the bank reports, and how the police certificate of non-residence works.
Your broker's policy decides what you can still buy, the PFIC rules make a European fund an expensive fix, and Spain reports the account on Modelo 720 and counts it for the wealth tax.
Keep a U.S. account, get your broker's policy for customers abroad before any address changes, and open the Spanish account knowing why the FATCA question comes up at the counter.
A wire funded from your U.S. bank account is outside the 1 percent remittance tax. The exchange-rate margin is the cost that matters, and Spain declares cash, not wires, from 10,000 euros.
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