In short
- Choose one or two markets with data: HS Code, TARIC, UN Comtrade, DataComex and ICEX reports.
- The Incoterm sets where you deliver, who pays for each leg and when risk passes; to start, FCA is often a good choice.
- Selling within the EU involves no customs; outside the EU you need an EORI number, an export declaration and, where there is a trade agreement, proof of preferential origin.
- A 90-day internationalisation plan with measurable goals takes you from diagnosis to your first meetings.
If you are wondering how to start exporting, this guide sums up the steps to export from Spain that we have applied at Vycte for more than 30 years with industrial SMEs: from the initial decision to the first orders.
Is your company ready to export?
Exporting is not selling your surplus in another country. It requires an adaptable product, production capacity, resources and someone with time to drive it. Before you invest, go through this checklist:
- A clear advantage: you know why customers buy from you in Spain and whether that holds abroad.
- Production capacity: you can handle larger orders without neglecting your current market.
- Enough margin: your price can absorb freight, duties and an intermediary's margin.
- Technical and legal fit: you know the certifications, standards and labelling the destination requires.
- Protected brand: your trademark is registered, or can be, in the target markets.
- Materials in other languages: website, catalogue and data sheets at least in English and in the market's language.
- Resources and commitment: a budget for 12 to 24 months and a person in charge, in-house or external.
- Tools: an ERP and a CRM that handle several currencies and languages and track opportunities.
If several points fail, it does not mean you cannot export, only that you need to fix them first. Many SMEs cover the lack of staff with an outsourced export department and the tooling side with Holded for exporting companies.
How to choose a market with data
The most common mistake is choosing a country by gut feeling or because of a chance contact. Choose with data and start with one or two markets at most.
- Identify your HS Code. It is the Harmonized System code that classifies your product (6 digits common worldwide). In the EU it is extended in the Combined Nomenclature and in TARIC.
- See who imports. In UN Comtrade you can check which countries import your code, how much and from where.
- See what Spain exports. In DataComex, the foreign trade database of Spain's Secretariat of State for Trade, you can see where your sector already exports and how it is evolving.
- Read market reports from ICEX and the Economic and Commercial Offices: regulation, channels, trade fairs and competition.
| Criterion | What to look at | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Demand | Import volume and growth in recent years | UN Comtrade, DataComex, Exporta.ai |
| Duties and barriers | Tariff, technical standards, certifications and labelling | Access2Markets, TARIC, ICEX reports |
| Price | Market price and channel margins | Market reports, distributors, Exporta.ai |
| Risk and payment | Stability, usual payment terms and country risk | Credit insurers, banks, Commercial Offices |
Choose your entry model
Once you have chosen the market, decide how you will reach the customer. The most common options for an SME are:
- Indirect export: you sell to a buyer or trading company in Spain that exports for you. Minimum risk, minimum control.
- Distributor or importer: buys your product and resells it in their territory. The most common route for industrial and consumer products.
- Sales agent: brings in orders on commission and you invoice the customer directly.
- Direct sales: to large industrial customers, projects or online.
- Own presence: sales office, subsidiary or local partner, when volume justifies it.
For most industrial SMEs, the starting point is a distributor. Our guide on how to find distributors abroad covers the full method and compares distributor, agent, importer and direct sales.
Export pricing and Incoterms 2020
Your export price is not your domestic price list translated. Build it bottom-up (cost, plus export costs and margin) and check it top-down: final price to the customer, minus channel margins, taxes, duties and freight. If the two calculations do not meet, the market is not viable with that model.
The Incoterm defines where you deliver the goods, who pays for each leg and when risk passes to the buyer. The version in force, as of October 2026, is the International Chamber of Commerce's Incoterms 2020. Always state the rule, the place and the version, for example «FCA Tarragona Incoterms 2020».
| Incoterm | Delivery and transfer of risk | Main carriage paid by | Customs clearance | Transport mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW (Ex Works) | At your premises, not loaded | Buyer | Export and import: buyer | Any |
| FCA (Free Carrier) | To the buyer's carrier at the agreed place (loaded, if at your premises) | Buyer | Export: seller; import: buyer | Any |
| FOB (Free On Board) | On board the vessel at the port of shipment | Buyer | Export: seller; import: buyer | Sea and inland waterway |
| CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) | On board the vessel at origin, although the seller pays freight and insurance to destination | Seller, with minimum insurance cover | Export: seller; import: buyer | Sea and inland waterway |
| DAP (Delivered at Place) | At destination, ready for unloading | Seller | Export: seller; import and duties: buyer | Any |
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | At destination, ready for unloading and cleared for import | Seller | Export, import and duties: seller | Any |
Documents and formalities to export from Spain
Formalities depend mainly on one factor: whether you sell inside or outside the European Union. Within the EU there are no customs; outside it, every shipment goes through export clearance.
| Aspect | Sale to another EU country | Export outside the EU |
|---|---|---|
| Customs | No customs clearance | Export declaration (DUA) at origin and import clearance at destination |
| VAT | Exempt intra-EU supply if the customer has a valid VAT number in VIES and you are registered in the ROI | Exempt export if you prove the goods left the EU |
| Identification | Intra-EU VAT number | EORI number |
| Returns | Form 349 and, depending on volume, Intrastat | One DUA per shipment |
| Duties | None | Paid by the importer under the destination tariff and EU agreements |
| Origin | A certificate is not normally required | Certificate of origin or proof of preferential origin if there is an agreement |
Key documents
- EORI: the Economic Operators Registration and Identification number, mandatory for customs formalities in the EU. In Spain it is «ES» followed by your tax ID, but you must apply for it at the Spanish Tax Agency e-office before your first declaration.
- DUA: the Single Administrative Document is the export customs declaration; it is usually filed by your freight forwarder or customs representative.
- Commercial invoice: details of both parties, description, HS Code, value, currency, Incoterm and, for exports, the reference to the VAT exemption.
- Packing list: packages, weights, dimensions and contents of each.
- Transport document: CMR by road, bill of lading (B/L) by sea or air waybill (AWB).
- Certificate of origin: proves non-preferential origin; in Spain it is issued by the Chambers of Commerce and some countries or customers require it.
- EUR.1 or other proofs of preferential origin: where the EU has a trade agreement with the destination, they let the importer pay a reduced or zero duty. Depending on the agreement, you use an EUR.1 certificate stamped by customs or an origin statement made by the exporter.
- Specific certificates: health, phytosanitary, conformity or licences, depending on product and destination.
Logistics, insurance and getting paid
A freight forwarder organises transport, consolidates loads, handles customs clearance and advises on lead times and costs. Ask for several quotes with the same Incoterm and destination to compare, and check packaging and labelling: poorly protected goods on a long journey end up in a claim.
Payment methods by level of risk
- Advance payment: no risk for you; common for small first orders.
- Letter of credit: the buyer's bank commits to pay if you present the required documents. Useful with new customers or distant markets; check every condition, because a documentary error delays payment.
- Documentary collection: the bank releases the documents to the buyer against payment or acceptance. Cheaper, with less security.
- Deferred payment with credit insurance: a credit insurer (in Spain, CESCE and private insurers) covers commercial non-payment and, depending on the policy, political risk.
How to win customers abroad
With market, price and logistics sorted, it is time to sell. The three levers that work best for an SME are:
- Distributors and agents: systematic search, qualification and contact in their language, as explained in how to find international distributors.
- International trade fairs: visit first and exhibit later; arrive with meetings booked thanks to a pre-show campaign.
- B2B prospecting: lists of companies and decision-makers, email and LinkedIn sequences in the buyer's language, all tracked in a CRM. We cover it in international B2B prospecting campaigns.
At Vycte, with more than 300 international trade fairs behind us, we combine prior prospecting with the fair itself: the pre-show campaign for Himexfil ahead of a trade fair in Argentina generated more than 40 leads in one month and more than 15 meetings at the fair.
Financing and internationalisation grants
Exporting requires investment before revenue: travel, trade fairs, materials, certifications and team hours. Public support can reduce that effort:
- ICEX Next: ICEX's programme for SMEs starting or consolidating their internationalisation, with advice from an approved consultant and support for plan expenses, subject to each call.
- ACCIÓ vouchers: in Catalonia, to hire internationalisation services. We explain them in ACCIÓ export vouchers.
- Chambers of Commerce: internationalisation programmes supporting export plans and promotion activities.
- Financing: foreign trade bank facilities and public-sector products for internationalisation.
Amounts, requirements and deadlines change with each call, so check the current rules. You will find the details in our guide to internationalisation grants and, if you want us to manage them, in our grants service. As an ICEX-approved consultancy and an ACCIÓ-accredited adviser, we know these programmes well.
How to export in 90 days: an internationalisation plan
For an SME that is starting out, a 90-day internationalisation plan with specific goals works better than an 80-page document.
| Phase | Weeks | Goal | Key actions | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis | 1-2 | Know whether you are ready | Checklist, costs, margin, capacity and materials | Diagnosis and budget |
| Markets | 3-4 | Choose 1 or 2 countries | HS Code, trade data, duties and reports | Market sheet and target price |
| Offer | 5-6 | Prepare the proposal | Entry model, price list, Incoterm, catalogue and website in the language | Sales kit and terms |
| Prospecting | 7-10 | Generate opportunities | Qualified list, email and LinkedIn sequences, CRM | Meetings booked |
| Meetings and closing | 11-13 | First agreements | Video calls, samples, visit or fair, negotiation | First orders or distribution agreements |
At the end, measure contacts, replies, meetings, quotes and orders, and decide whether to persist, adjust the message or change market.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to start exporting from Spain?
At a minimum, a product with a competitive advantage, margin to absorb freight and duties, sales materials in other languages and a person in charge. On the administrative side, if you export outside the EU you need an EORI number and an export declaration for each shipment; if you sell to another EU country, you must be in the ROI to invoice VAT-free to customers with a valid VAT number.
How much does it cost to start exporting?
It depends on the sector and the model. The main costs are market analysis, adapting product and materials, travel and trade fairs, certifications and the time of a dedicated person. Programmes such as ICEX Next or ACCIÓ vouchers can cover part of the cost. The prudent approach is to budget for at least 12 months before expecting recurring sales.
Which Incoterm should I use when starting out?
For an SME starting out, FCA is often a good balance: you deliver the goods cleared for export to the buyer's carrier and keep control of the proof of exit. EXW looks easy but leaves you without control of clearance. DAP or CIF make you more competitive, because the customer gets a delivered price, but you take on more cost and management.
Can I export without an in-house export department?
Yes. Many SMEs outsource the function: an external team analyses markets, finds distributors, prepares trade fairs and follows up with KPIs, on a fixed fee, commission or mixed model. That way you export with experience from day one without hiring a full-time export manager.
What is the difference between selling within the EU and exporting outside it?
Within the EU there are no customs or duties: it is an intra-EU supply, VAT-exempt if the customer has a valid VAT number in VIES. Outside the EU the goods go through customs with an export declaration, you need an EORI number and the importer pays their country's duties, which can be reduced if there is a trade agreement and you prove preferential origin.
