How to file Modelo 210: yourself online, a filing service, or a gestoría
Three ways to file Spain’s non-resident tax return, from free-but-fiddly to full service. What each route costs, what you need either way, and when DIY stops being worth it.
Checked on 20 Jul 2026
General information, not legal or tax advice.
At a glance
- Three routes: the AEAT’s own portal (free), online filing services (roughly €35–100 per return), or a gestoría (more, but handles everything)
- Whatever the route, you need the same inputs: NIE, the property’s referencia catastral and valor catastral (IBI receipt), ownership share and dates
- The AEAT publishes English-language instructions and its portal can be used without a Spanish digital certificate for this form
- One return per owner, per property — a couple files twice, every year
- Deadlines: imputed income by 31 December of the following year; rental income grouped annually, filed 1–20 January
Knowing you owe Spain’s non-resident tax is half the battle. Actually filing it is a choice between three routes — and the right one depends less on money than on how complicated your situation is.
The three routes
| Route | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| AEAT portal, yourself | Free | One empty property, patience for Spanish bureaucracy, comfort with forms |
| Online filing service | ~€35–100 per return | The standard case, done in English, in minutes |
| Gestoría | More, often a yearly retainer | Rentals, multiple owners, back-years to regularise, or you simply want a human |
What you need — whichever route you choose
The inputs are identical everywhere, and gathering them is usually the actual work:
- Your NIE (and your co-owner’s — each owner files separately);
- The property’s referencia catastral and valor catastral — both on the IBI receipt;
- Your ownership share and the dates you owned it during the year;
- For rentals: the rent received and (EU/EEA residents only) deductible expenses.
If those documents live in a drawer in another country, that’s the fixable part — the paperwork guide covers what each one is. And before you pay anyone, the calculator tells you roughly what the return should come to.
Filing yourself: what to expect
The AEAT publishes English-language instructions, and Form 210 can be completed on the portal without a Spanish digital certificate. Payment is the fiddly bit: direct debit needs a Spanish bank account; without one you’ll be working with the AEAT’s payment-from-abroad options, which the instructions describe. Budget an evening the first time — and note that the portal enforces nothing: file wrongly or not at all and nothing happens until the day you sell.
When DIY stops being worth it
Two owners, part-year rentals, missed back-years, or a sale in the same year — each multiplies the forms, and mistakes surface years later with surcharges. From roughly €70/year for a couple’s standard case, the online services genuinely earn their fee; a gestoría earns it the moment anything needs regularising or arguing.
General information, not tax advice. Fees quoted are typical ranges as of mid-2026; check the current AEAT instructions for payment options in your situation.
Common questions
- Can I file Modelo 210 in English?
- The form itself is bilingual on the AEAT portal and the official instructions are published in English. The online filing services work entirely in English; a gestoría depends on the office.
- Do I need a Spanish digital certificate to file?
- No — Form 210 is one of the returns the AEAT allows without a certificate. Payment is easier with a Spanish bank account (direct debit); without one, use the payment-from-abroad options in the AEAT instructions or let a filing service handle payment.
- What does filing Modelo 210 cost through a service?
- Online specialists typically charge roughly €35–100 per return depending on the case; remember it’s one return per owner, per property. Gestorías charge more, often as a yearly retainer that covers other paperwork too.