UK IT professional - seeking advice

Last activity 03 August 2024 by gwynj

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Ivan ThomasMember02 August 2024 23:22:40

Hello, fellow expats and local business owners. I am a resident IT Professional based in the UK, considering moving to Tenerife with my family. I have over 5 years in this broad area of experience in such domains as network building, cybersecurity, and general maintenance, so I am exploring the possibility of establishing myself as a personal IT resource for all businesses in Tenerife. To continue further, I will appreciate if I may get some input from all of you:

Market Demand: Is there a requirement for 24 x 7 x 365 IT support right now in Tenerife? Are companies right now looking for external assistance to maintain their internal IT setup?

Competition: How does the competition look in the IT Services sector? How many well-entrenched competitors are there or is the space quite open for a newcomer with bespoke and agile IT support

Visa and Legal Requirements: I am thinking about applying for an Autónomo visa with a well-elaborated business plan and savings. Alternatively, I might be eligible for a Blue Card because of my qualifications. Does anybody have any experience in these processes, and can you provide some tips on how to deal with the Spanish immigration system in order to become a self-employed professional?

Business Culture and Advice: What are the 'do's and don'ts' for anybody intending to offer IT services here? Any peculiar business norms that I should know of or government guidelines?

It is going to be very important for me to evaluate this eventual venture. For I offer my services with utmost willingness in an effort to keep on raising the economy of the island and support the business on it with all the most high-quality IT services. Thank you in advance for your insights and advice!

gwynjBulgaria Expert03 August 2024 08:57:57

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@Ivan Thomas

I can't speak to the need for tech in Tenerife. It seems an overly narrow objective/market to me, but perhaps you're more motivated by location/lifestyle, rather than making much money. I also suspect that Spanish language might be helpful (or even necessary). Probably your best bet is to do some desk research and/or setup the appropriate website and see if you get any interest and/or spend a few weeks out in Tenerife and get your boots on the ground.

However, in terms of immigration, Blue Card definitely won't work (you need a job offer). Autonomo is possible (and appropriate), but getting one is a bit of a headache. If you're already doing this kinda thing in the UK, successfully, then you may have enough evidence to get a Digital Nomad Visa, and perhaps this is an easier way to start. Similarly, if you have sufficient savings (30k ish), you might be able to get the No Lucrativa Visa. This is a no working visa, but it allows you to establish yourself (and your family) there, and subsequently apply for a change of status (to autonomo).

With the NLV, many folks don't just lie on the beach, they do tech work as a remote worker / digital nomad. This is pretty hard to police, and it strikes me that there's a bigger addressable market doing remote stuff for companies in London and New York, rather than local stuff in Tenerife.

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