Opening a gym or fitness studio in Spain as a foreigner: licence, trainers, residence permit

A foreigner can open a gym or fitness studio in Spain on the same terms as a Spaniard: premises that meet town hall rules, trainers qualified under regional law and liability insurance. In our model, a 150 m² Pilates studio built from scratch needs about €93,000 before reserves, while gyms listed for sale ask €25,000–210,000.

Below: how to choose between buying and starting from scratch, what to check in the premises and in the deal, which diplomas the regions require, how much money you need and when it comes back, which legal form to use and which residence permit the owner needs. Other niches with their entry thresholds and permits are covered in our overview of doing business in Spain as a foreigner.

Buy an existing gym or open a studio from scratch

An existing gym in Spain is almost always sold as a traspaso — a transfer of the business: the buyer takes over the lease on the premises, the fit-out, the equipment and the members, but not the property itself and not the seller’s company. Asking prices on negociosenventa in October 2026:

• personal training centre in Málaga — €25,000;
• martial arts gym in Madrid (boxing, K1, BJJ, MMA, two areas) — €50,000;
• boutique gym in Valencia — €120,000;
• 100% of a company running a boutique centre in Madrid — €155,000;
• large sports centre in Madrid — €190,000;
• functional training and CrossFit centre in Barcelona — €200,000;
• boutique gym in Barcelona — €210,000.

These are sellers’ asking prices, not completed deals. With a budget of €300,000–600,000 there is a third route: buy the premises and open the gym in your own space. Then there is no landlord entitled to raise the rent by 20% when the lease is assigned, and no risk that the lease runs out before the fit-out has paid for itself.

The main competitor of a small gym is the low-cost chains. A Basic-Fit membership costs €24.99, €29.99 or €34.99 per four weeks — from €324.87 a year. A studio charging €120 a month takes €1,440 a year from each client, 4.4 times more. Clients pay that for what a chain does not offer: small groups, reformers, martial arts, a trainer who knows them by name. The market is growing: according to EuropeActive and Deloitte, Spain had 7.1 million gym members in 2025, 8.3% more than a year earlier.

A boutique franchise solves the brand question but adds fees and network rules. The franchisor must give you written information about itself, the network and the terms at least 20 days before you sign the contract or make the first payment. Reselling a branded gym usually requires the franchisor’s consent — that clause is in the contract, and you read it before buying.

What to check in an existing gym before paying a deposit

The general buying process is covered in “How to buy an existing business or hotel in Spain”. A gym adds its own points.

• Licence. Whose name it is in and for which activity. A gym with machines, a group-class studio and a martial arts school may be treated differently by the town hall; the change of owner is registered with the town hall.
• Noise. Is there an acoustic measurement, have neighbours complained, have there been inspections? A ground-floor gym in a residential building with a free-weights area is the classic source of disputes.
• Lease. A tenant running a business in the premises may assign the lease without the landlord’s consent, but the landlord may then raise the rent by 20%, and must be notified within one month. What matters most is the remaining term: the fit-out, flooring and showers stay in someone else’s property.
• Seller’s debts. The buyer of a going business is liable for its tax debts. That liability is limited if, before the deal and with the seller’s consent, you request a tax debt certificate from the tax agency; it is issued within three months. The buyer is also jointly liable with the seller for social security debts.
• Staff. Trainers and front-desk staff transfer to the buyer on their existing terms, and seller and buyer are jointly liable for debts to them for three years. Ask for a list with contracts, length of service and diplomas.
• Equipment. Which machines are owned and which are on renting or leasing: the seller cannot sell equipment that belongs to someone else.
• Members. How many people paid each month over the last two or three years, and how much has been prepaid: you will be serving the annual memberships and class packs, while the seller has already collected the money.
• Figures. Check revenue against the IVA (Spanish VAT) returns — form 303 — bank statements and the membership software, not the seller’s word.

Premises: occupancy, exits, noise and air

Requirements for the premises come from national technical standards and from municipal bylaws (ordenanzas), which can be stricter.

How many people and how many exits

The fire-safety section of the Building Code counts people by floor area: one person per 5 m² in an area with machines, one per 1.5 m² in a studio without machines. A single exit is allowed if there are no more than 100 people and the route to the exit is no longer than 25 m. A 150 m² reformer studio counts as 30 people and one exit is enough. The same space used for classes without machines counts as 100 people — exactly on the limit. A 300 m² class studio counts as 200 people and needs a second exit, which is not always possible in existing premises.

Noise and vibration

A gym may not transmit noise into neighbouring premises above the national limits. Into a neighbour’s living room — no more than 40 dBA by day and in the evening and 30 dBA at night; into a bedroom — 35 and 25 dBA. Under these rules night runs from 23:00 to 7:00, so a 6:30 class with music is judged against the night-time limit. Free weights and treadmills need a floating floor, group classes need wall and ceiling insulation; the town’s bylaw may require a measurement even before opening.

Ventilation

The Thermal Installations Regulation puts gyms in indoor air category IDA 3: at least 8 litres of outdoor air per second per person. That figure assumes light activity, so for a room where people train an engineer will calculate more. Even at the minimum, a 30-person studio needs 864 m³ of fresh air per hour, and the regulation requires a ventilation system for it, not an open window.

Town hall licence: declaration or permit

Law 12/2012 abolished the prior licence for shops and some services in premises of up to 750 m², but sports facilities are not on its list. So, unlike a self-service laundry, a gym cannot rely on that exemption: the procedure is set by the regional law and the town’s bylaw.

There are two possible regimes. A responsible declaration (declaración responsable) lets you start operating on the day you file it, and the town hall checks afterwards. An activity licence (licencia de actividad) is granted after the project and the premises have been inspected, and you cannot operate before it. In the Community of Madrid the law makes the declaration the general rule, while a licence remains for works that require a project. Other regions and towns have their own rules; in Murcia, for example, all gyms, including private ones, are entered in the regional register of sports facilities.

In both regimes you normally need a project by an architect or engineer: layout, exits, ventilation, acoustics, accessibility. If the premises are being rebuilt, a separate works permit is required. Before signing a lease, ask the town hall whether the zoning plan allows a sports activity in those premises.

Trainers: a diploma under regional law and insurance

Spain has no national law on sports professions, but in several regions a gym instructor is a regulated profession. For the owner this means two things: you can only hire people with the required diploma, and if you teach classes yourself, you need one too.

A foreign diploma does not count automatically: a university degree is recognised through homologation at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, a vocational diploma at the Ministry of Education. A national sports ranking or a fitness-instructor certificate from a non-EU country is not a Spanish diploma. Valencia’s law expressly allows qualifications to be recognised on the basis of work experience, Andalusia’s does so for a transition period; in Catalonia and Extremadura such routes are mainly meant for people who already worked as trainers before the law was passed.

You can also hire a trainer from outside the EU. In the catalogue of occupations for which the employer does not have to prove a labour shortage, “sports trainers” appear in all provinces in Q3 2026; that entry was agreed with the State Secretariat for Sport, so check before applying whether a gym instructor falls under it. More on hiring a foreigner in “Working in Spain as a foreigner”.

Liability insurance towards clients is worth having even where the law does not require it: whoever provides the service is liable for a client’s injury during a session.

Equipment: buy, renting or leasing

Machines and reformers can be bought and depreciated over several years, taken on leasing — a finance lease with a purchase option, in effect a loan — or on renting: an operating lease with maintenance and no purchase, where the payment is an expense and the IVA on it is recoverable. Renting reduces the start-up investment but raises fixed costs and the number of members needed to break even — as the calculation below shows.

How much to invest and when the money comes back

Take a 150 m² Pilates studio with ten reformers in rented premises in a large city. All figures except the deposit are our assumptions for the calculation; plug in your own prices from quotes.

Revenue. 100 members at €120 a month including IVA for eight classes. Net of IVA that is €99.17 per member and €9,917 a month. Six classes a day with ten places over 22 working days give 1,320 places, and 100 members take 800 of them — 61% occupancy.

Monthly costs. Rent — €2,200. Two instructors — €4,000 including social security. That is above the minimum: the 2026 minimum wage is €17,094 a year, and the employer’s mandatory contributions on a permanent contract alone add at least 30.65% to it, before workplace accident cover — that is, from €1,861 a month per person. Electricity and water, software and payment fees, insurance, a gestor, advertising and maintenance — €1,600. Total €7,800.

Result. Profit is €2,117 a month, about €25,400 a year before tax and before any salary for the owner. The €92,900 investment comes back in about 3.7 years if the studio holds 100 members; the reserve for the ramp-up period is not included in that figure.

Where the risk is. Almost all costs are fixed. Break-even is 79 members: at 80 the profit drops to €134 a month. If you take the reformers on renting at €1,000 a month, the investment falls to €52,900 and profit to €13,400 a year; the payback period barely changes (3.9 years), but you need 89 members to break even.

Regional subsidies sometimes cover part of the investment — the types available are explained in our article on business grants in Spain.

Autónomo or SL, IVA and taxes

IVA at 21%

Memberships and classes at a commercial gym are subject to the standard 21% rate. Only sports services of public bodies, federations, the Olympic and Paralympic committees and private sports entities of a social nature are exempt, and the education exemption does not extend to sports services. As of October 2026 the law has no reduced 10% rate for gyms. How to file returns is covered in “IVA in Spain”.

Autónomo

Self-employed status (autónomo) suits a studio you run yourself or with one or two trainers. For the first 12 months the social security contribution is €80 a month if you were not autónomo in the previous two years; after that it follows an income scale. Profit is taxed under progressive IRPF (personal income tax). Details in “Taxes and contributions for autónomos in Spain”.

Among sports activities, the module system (estimación objetiva) is available in 2026 only to “sports schools and coaching services” (IAE heading 967.2), not to gyms as sports facilities. The annual base is calculated not from profit but from indicators: €14,215.95 for a working owner, €7,035.55 for each employee and €34.01 per m². For our studio with two instructors that is €33,388.55 before depreciation and reduction coefficients — more than the estimated profit of €25,400. Modules are not always cheaper, and you need to run them on your own figures.

SL

A limited company (SL) is the choice when you have employees, an equipment loan, a partner, or are buying someone else’s company along with the gym: liability is limited to the contribution. In 2026 a company with turnover under €1 million pays 19% on the first €50,000 of profit and 21% above that; a new company pays 15% in its first profitable year and the one after. For our studio, 19% means €4,828 on €25,400 of profit. Money can go into the company not only as capital but also as a shareholder loan — explained in “How to fund your own SL”; if you own several businesses, a holding company is worth considering.

If you own half the company or more and manage it, social security still treats you as autónomo, so an employee permit with your own SL usually does not work — you need a self-employment permit. The company or autónomo registration must be in place before the first membership is sold; an SL, tax registration and bank account can be set up through our business registration service, and bookkeeping is usually handed to a gestor. Memberships are charged by card or by SEPA direct debit — terminals and payment services are covered in our article on card acquiring.

Residence permit for a foreign owner

A non-EU national who runs the gym or teaches classes needs a residence permit to work on their own account (cuenta propia). The first permit is issued for one year, for one region and one line of business. You must show that the gym meets the requirements for opening, that the investment is sufficient for the project and — if you train clients yourself — that you hold the qualification the law requires. For a trainer in Catalonia or Madrid this means a project framed as “I will teach the classes” is unlikely to pass without a Spanish or recognised diploma, while “I run a gym with qualified trainers” may.

If you already live in Spain on another basis, you switch through a modification at the immigration office with fee 790-052 — how it works is explained in “Changing a Spanish residence permit to self-employment”. With a non-lucrative residence permit you cannot run a gym or teach classes: that status allows no work at all. On a student visa for higher education, self-employment is allowed only if it is compatible with your studies; a studio as your main business already means a modification. How the regimes differ is covered in “Cuenta propia in Spain”.

The order for a family relocating around a business: first establish whether your project qualifies for the permit and whether the diplomas fit, then choose the premises, and only after that pay a deposit. If you would like to go through your own case — gym or studio, region, ownership structure and residence permit — book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I teach yoga or Pilates in my flat?

Only if the town hall rules for that type of premises and the building’s statutes allow it. The Horizontal Property Act bans activities in a flat that the statutes prohibit or that disturb the neighbours. Regular paid groups are a sports activity that needs a declaration or a licence and must meet exit and noise requirements.

Can a trainer with a non-EU diploma work in a Spanish gym?

In Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, Andalusia and Extremadura, only with a Spanish or officially recognised diploma. A university degree is recognised through homologation at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, a vocational diploma at the Ministry of Education. A sports title or a course certificate does not count as a diploma.

Does a gym instructor need a diploma in Spain?

Yes, in regions with a sports professions law. In Catalonia it is a degree in physical activity and sport sciences or a higher technician diploma in physical and sports activities; in Madrid and Valencia, one of four diplomas. In Catalonia and Valencia the gym is also liable for an unqualified trainer.

What VAT applies to a gym membership in Spain?

21%. There is no reduced rate for gyms, and the exemption covers only public bodies, sports federations and private sports entities of a social nature. Out of a €120 membership, the gym keeps €99.17 as revenue.

Does a fitness studio give me a residence permit in Spain?

Not by itself: the permit is granted for self-employment, based on a business plan, investment and premises. The first permit lasts one year and covers one region and one line of business. If you plan to teach classes yourself, you also need the diploma that the regional law requires.

Can I buy a gym whose equipment is on renting?

Yes, but equipment on renting or leasing belongs to the finance company: the seller cannot sell it, and the contract passes to you only with that company’s consent, together with the remaining payments. Ask the seller for an equipment list showing what is owned outright.

Key points about opening a gym in Spain as a foreigner

• Existing gyms and studios are listed at €25,000–210,000; a 150 m² Pilates studio from scratch costs about €93,000 in our model, plus a reserve.
• Law 12/2012 does not exempt gyms from licensing: the town sets the procedure, while exits, noise and ventilation follow national standards.
• In Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, Andalusia and Extremadura a gym instructor needs a diploma under regional law, and liability insurance is mandatory.
• IVA is 21%; modules are available only to sports schools and are not always cheaper; in 2026 an SL pays 19% on the first €50,000 of profit.
• A non-EU owner needs a self-employment residence permit; if they teach classes themselves, their diploma is checked together with the business plan.

Sources

Sports professions laws: Catalonia, Ley 3/2008, arts. 4.2, 8.1, 11 and 13.3; Madrid, Ley 6/2016, arts. 14.1, 24.1 and 25.3; Valencian Community, Ley 2/2022, arts. 13.1, 18, 19, 23 and 24.5; Andalusia, Ley 5/2016, arts. 45, 93.2, 97 and sixth transitional provision; Extremadura, Ley 15/2015, arts. 15.1, 24 and 26; Murcia, Ley 8/2015, art. 42.

Premises and licence: CTE DB SI, section SI 3, tables 2.1 and 3.1; RD 1367/2007, art. 24.3 and table B2 of annex III; RITE, IT 1.1.4.2; Ley 12/2012, art. 2 and annex; Ley 9/2001 del Suelo de Madrid, arts. 152 and 155; Ley 39/2015, art. 69.3; Ley 49/1960, art. 7.2.

The deal: LAU, arts. 32 and 36; LGT, arts. 42.1.c and 175.2; Estatuto de los Trabajadores, art. 44; Ley 7/1996, art. 62.2.

Taxes and contributions: Ley 37/1992 (IVA), arts. 20.Uno.9 and 13, 90, 91; Orden HAC/1425/2025 (2026 modules); Ley 27/2014, art. 29.1 and 44th transitional provision; Ley 20/2007, art. 38 ter; Social Security guide for autónomos; LGSS, arts. 142.1, 168.2 and 305.2.b; Orden PJC/297/2026, arts. 4, 16 and 33; RD 126/2026 (minimum wage).

Residence permits and diplomas: RD 1155/2024, arts. 57, 61, 83 and 84; SEPE hard-to-fill occupations catalogue, Q3 2026; RD 889/2022; RD 104/1988.

Market: EuropeActive and Deloitte, April 2026; Basic-Fit prices; gym traspaso listings — negociosenventa, October 2026.