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Working as an entrepreneur in Mallorca from Germany is very attractive for many people. Small and medium-sized companies in particular see Mallorca as an opportunity for their business to grow or simply to expand their own portfolio with an international project or two. Contractors such as carpenters, painters, electricians or even tilers and drywallers are gladly taken to Mallorca by the German homeowner„with them“. They know each other, are familiar with the qualities and prices, and there are no language barriers to worry about.
However, there are a few things that entrepreneurs need to bear in mind. Above all, there is some administrative work to be done in advance of the construction work. Let's assume the following (frequently occurring) case: A customer from Germany is building a house in Mallorca and would like to have the interior work carried out by his trusted carpenter. To this end, the client commissions and pays the joinery directly, which means that the joiner acts and performs as the „main contractor“ (as opposed to a subcontractor).
REA registration and secondment of employees
Anyone wishing to post their employees from Germany to Spain for more than 8 days must register their employees with the relevant employment authority. All companies, whether domestic or foreign, must also register their company in the REA register („registro de empresas acreditadas“). It usually takes 4-8 weeks to be entered in the register, so it is important to apply in good time.
Every company working on a construction site must draw up this project in advance, in which all safety-relevant points are listed (equipment, machines and tools, etc.). It must also state who will be on the construction site, where it is located and who is responsible for internal health and safety monitoring. This plan must be submitted to the health and safety coordinator (SiGeKo) of the construction site, who must review and approve it.
Subcontractor directory
Or in Spanish „libro de Subcontratación“. This must be registered by each contractor, again only for companies commissioned directly by the client, with the labor authority and must be available for inspection on the construction site at all times. And this applies regardless of whether the company in question employs subcontractors or not!
Construction site registration
The „Apertura de centro de trabajo“ is an obligatory registration with the responsible authority, which is also mandatory for all directly contracted companies. Among other things, the REA number, type of construction site, the names of the site managers, start and duration of the construction work, what work the contractor is carrying out and the maximum number of employees, etc. must be entered here. This document must be submitted together with the health and safety plan (Plan de seguridad y salud) and, if necessary, renewed or updated in the event of changes or extensions to the contract.
I can only advise every German entrepreneur to deal with this necessary administrative work in good time. Recently, long-planned work by an interior fit-out contractor had to be postponed because he was unable to submit the necessary documents. Transports, flights and accommodation were canceled, and many subsequent works had to be postponed indefinitely.
Tip: The German Chamber of Commerce for Spain (www.ahk.es), as well as the SiGeKo responsible for the construction site, can be commissioned to obtain the relevant documents. Companies without experience abroad in particular should seek external help so that nothing stands in the way of a speedy start to the work.As Managing Director, the author is at the head of the engineering and project management company Matrol Servicios y Peritajes SL. He can be contacted on 971 10 40 25 or at www.matrol.es.
