The ICEX Invest in Spain Business Guide to Spain is celebrating four decades since its first edition promoting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country. This publication has already established itself as an essential reference for foreign companies and investors, providing detailed and up-to-date information on the regulations for setting up in Spain.

In around 400 pages the guide summarises the most important regulatory aspects influencing foreign investment in Spain. It pays special attention to the particularities of the Spanish legal system in areas like company law, taxation, labour and social security law, money laundering prevention policy, the main calls for applications for public business support schemes, financial sector regulation, intellectual property and industry law, e-commerce regulations, and accounting and auditing regulations, as well as other aspects.

50,000 users from 156 countries
The publication is available free of charge on the ICEX-Invest in Spain website in Spanish and English and is very useful for both those investors encountering Spanish regulations for the first time and those who want to learn more about the most important aspects related to starting a company in Spain.

Particularly noteworthy is its role as a crucial tool for foreign investors seeking an initial understanding of Spanish legal regulations in English. It is undoubtedly the most ambitious and far-reaching publication on the subject available in English.

This publication is in fact one of the most downloaded documents on the Invest in Spain website and attracts over 50,000 users of different origins and nationalities each year. The latest edition was viewed by users from 2,605 cities and 156 countries, with Mexico, the United Kingdom and Colombia leading the way, destinations that accounted for 10% of all visits.   

To mark this 40^th anniversary, His Majesty the King of Spain today received a delegation from ICEX and the international legal and tax services firm Garrigues, which prepares the ICEX-Invest in Spain Business Guide, at the Zarzuela Palace. The ICEX delegation was headed by its CEO, Elisa Carbonell. Delegates from Garrigues were also in attendance, led by the firm’s Executive Chairman, Fernando Vives, together with representatives from the embassies for the main countries investing in Spain.

Spain: one of the world’s top FDI destinations
In a global context marked by uncertainty and a decline in productive capital flows, Spain remains one of the most attractive destinations for foreign investment. In 2024, it was the 13^th largest recipient of FDI in the world and the third largest in Europe, behind only Luxembourg and France, with over 30.5 billion dollars in inflows. Moreover, foreign investment in the country has reached its highest ever level, at over 608 billion euros, and has been consolidated in strategic industries with high added value, such as Information and Communications Technology, energy and manufacturing.

Spain also stands out in terms of attracting greenfield projects, which involve companies establishing new facilities or activities in a foreign country from scratch. By 2024, Spain will be the sixth-ranked country in the world in terms of the highest number of for  projects, which are key for job creation and sustainable growth. More than 20,000 foreign-owned companies operate in the country today, creating around 1.9 million jobs.