Getting Started on SpainTrades
SpainTrades is a bilingual directory and marketplace connecting expat homeowners in the Málaga region with vetted, expat-friendly tradespeople. This guide walks you through everything that happens from the moment you register to the moment your profile appears in search results.
What Is SpainTrades?
SpainTrades solves a problem that's common for expats in Spain: finding skilled tradespeople who understand the expat experience — someone who communicates clearly, is familiar with NIE numbers and Spanish bureaucracy, and can produce a proper invoice. Tradespeople on SpainTrades are verified and reviewed by real customers.
For you as a tradesperson, SpainTrades provides a professional bilingual profile that appears in relevant search results, a quote request inbox, customer messaging, and — on Professional and Premium plans — detailed stats about how your profile is performing.
The Sign-Up Process
Sign up at spaintrades.es/register/tradesperson. You'll be asked for:
- Personal details — name, email address, phone, preferred language
- Your plan — Basic (€25/mo), Professional (€49/mo), or Premium (€79/mo). Nothing is charged until your 3-month free trial ends
- Business details — business name, CIF/NIF, address, business phone, coverage radius, and an optional description
Once you submit, you'll receive a verification email. Click the link to confirm your email address and activate your account.
After You Submit
After confirming your email, your account is in a pending state. The SpainTrades admin team will review your application — typically within 2–3 business days. You'll be contacted if we need any additional information.
While you're waiting, log in to your dashboard and start completing your profile. Adding your logo, portfolio photos, trade categories, a business description, and contact details now means you'll be ready to go live the moment we approve you.
Tip: Profiles with a logo, at least three portfolio photos, and a written description receive significantly more enquiries than incomplete profiles. Use the waiting period to get everything in order.
Your 3-Month Free Trial
All new tradespeople start with a 3-month free trial — no credit card is required during this period. Your trial starts from the day your account is approved, not from the date you registered.
During your trial, you have access to all the features of the plan you selected. You can switch plans at any time during the trial. Three days before your trial ends, you'll receive an email reminder. At that point you'll be asked to add payment details to continue.
Going Live
"Going live" means your profile is visible in public search results and customers can find and contact you. This does not happen automatically — a member of the SpainTrades team manually reviews your profile and sets it live once it meets our quality standards.
To go live, your profile needs at minimum:
- A verified email address
- A business name and description
- At least one trade category
- A contact method (phone, WhatsApp, or email)
Once you're live, a green indicator appears on your dashboard. You'll start receiving quote requests that match your categories and coverage area from that point.