There has been a rise in the number of foreigners living in Spain who are registered as self-employed. Last year saw the figures up by 4.8%, reaching a total of 208,512 – an increase of nearly 10,000 in 2010.

A new report by The National Federation of Independent Workers Association (ATA) also reveals that self employment amongst foreigners in Spain increased in every region in the country throughout last year. The sharpest increase was recorded in Melilla, with 13.8%, closely followed by Cantabria and Catalonia with 8.5% and 7.2% respectively.

The largest increase was recorded in Melilla, with an increase of 13.8%, followed by Cantabria with 8.5%, and Catalonia with 7.2%. Three other regions also rose to above average rates, with the average being 4.8%. Castilla – La Mancha increased by 6.4%, Madrid 6.1% and the Basque Country by 6% proving that foreigners are finding it easy to make a living when living in Spain.

For anybody thinking of retiring to Spain or becoming self employed after moving there, this is good news as it shown that there is money to be made without working for a company. This is especially good if you are not confident enough with the language to work locally, or perhaps you already work for yourself and wish to continue doing so when you move to Spain. These numbers are proof that is is very popular and obviously working well for a lot of people.

The report included a country analysis which showed that British immigrants accounted for nearly 9% of all the self-employed foreigners living in Spain, so there will be plenty of people for you to ask advice from.

For details of property for sale in Spain, visit the Spanish listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when buying in Spain is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into Euros to complete the purchase of your property. For more information on this, contact Smart Currency Exchange.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Spain, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Spain Property Buying Guide’