Until relatively recently, the bureaucracy to get a opening license in Madrid It was quite tedious and required enormous patience that could last for more than a year, generating deep discontent among those interested in starting a business.
How to get an Opening License in Madrid
Now the bureaucratic process to obtain an opening license in Madrid is more bearable.
Fortunately, the situation has improved considerably thanks to the ordinance of the City of Madrid which takes a step forward in reducing economic costs, bureaucratic obstacles and the time it took to grant a license to open a store.
Before, the employer was forced to go through the ECLUs with all the documentation and wait for these entities to give the green light to the license, which could take at least nine months. Now, with the new ordinance, the procedures are more agile and signed by the same window of the Madrid City Council.
Thanks to this measure, the city council trusts the legitimacy of all the documents presented, which allows the citizen to open provisionally until the process is verified and concluded, without paying the high fees of private entities, just waiting for them to be resolve administrative silence.
This means that, basically, the procedure to obtain an opening license is the same, only that the waiting time will be extremely reduced and you will not have to postpone the inauguration of your business until they give you the final approval. In return, you must be very responsible with the documents, otherwise you will suffer legal problems.
What should I do to get my opening license?
Remember that if the space you plan for your business is less than 300 square meters, you are exempt from the procedure. For larger surfaces, the procedure varies depending on the nature of the premises you plan to open and the purpose it will serve. Here are the general steps:
Remember to have the papers in order.
STEP 1: Recognize the activity.
For safe activities, which in principle should not generate any inconvenience, the requirements are simpler. This is the case, for example, of stores of non-perishable or dangerous products such as a stationery store or a fashion boutique, or a small office open to the public such as a real estate or agency.
For qualified activities, The demands will be higher for activities classified as annoying, whether they emit noise, vibrations, gases or anything that can exasperate the people around.
To carry out annoying activities, the express authorization of the community of owners of the property is necessary. The remaining classified activities will generally be carried out on industrial land.
STEP 2: Meet the usual requirements:
to. Work license
Mandatory for: all the premises that must be conditioned to obtain the opening license (greater than 300 square meters).
Process: A municipal technician will examine the premises and issue the building permit indicating the necessary renovations. If they are minor works, the technician can grant a provisional opening license, on the condition that the improvements are made.
b. Soundproofing measures
Mandatory for: places where potentially polluting activities due to noise and vibrations are carried out, such as bars, workshops, shows, educational centers, etc.
Process: The owners of the premises must submit a study on the acoustic impact signed by a technician in the field, detailing the characteristics of the source of contamination and the control and prevention measures adopted: sound level meters, noise limiters, double doors, special insulation , etc.
c. Hygienic measures
Mandatory for places where food and / or drink is served, such as bars, cafes, restaurants, ice cream parlors, etc.
Process: Municipal regulations detail the characteristics of each item (kitchen, warehouse, bar area, public area, toilets and changing rooms), indicating their minimum surface, construction materials, ventilation and type of furniture.
d. Fire plan
Mandatory for all buildings must have evacuation signs, emergency lighting and fire extinguishers. Fire prevention plans are mandatory for health centers, public entertainment, tourist accommodation and industrial activities.
Process: they must have emergency plans that include evacuation and self-protection protocols. In addition, the plans of the premises with the exit routes must be displayed in a visible place, have alarms and have the appropriate fire extinguishers.
STEP 3: Request the opening license along with the activity license.
Once you have made sure that you fully comply with the requirements according to the nature of the premises and the activity to be carried out, go to the Madrid City Council and present the requested documents at the window. Keep in mind that you must comply with all the laws, otherwise, sooner or later you will face the closure of your business.
The normal thing is that together with the opening and activity license you have to request the building license of the premises. When a major renovation has to be carried out, the technician will have to include a more detailed memory of the works to be carried out.
In the Madrid City Council this process is automatic and is done jointly when requesting the opening license.
Now you can apply for the license at the local town hall.
STEP 4: Make the respective payments.
When you deliver the project and the documentation required by your city council, you will have to pay the application fees for the opening license and the building license. This is charged for the file review and is usually 1% of the budget indicated in the project.
Unlike in the past where you had to go to the ECLU, now you can do all this in the town hall itself, which will save you money, fatigue and above all time.
STEP 5: Wait.
Don’t worry, what used to take up to more than nine months will now require less patience. As we have mentioned, thanks to the new ordinance you can operate your premises while the Madrid City Council verifies that the papers are in order. If you’ve done everything right, trust that the green light will come anyway.
Do not forget that if you want to sell your property to others it is important to use a domain reservation, even more so, when we have an asset that is already enabled to open a business, then using the legal figure of the domain reservation is useful, you can know more here.