The questions people ask before they call
Straight answers about what an investigator in Spain can lawfully do, what it costs, what happens to your information, and where we will tell you no.
The law
Is hiring a private investigator legal in Spain?
Yes, provided the investigator holds a TIP licence and there is a legitimate interest in the investigation. Anyone operating without that licence commits intrusismo profesional, and a Spanish court will not accept what they produce.
What is a TIP and why does it matter to me?
It is the state authorisation that permits a detective to operate in Spain, issued under Ley 5/2014 and supervised by the Ministry of the Interior. It matters because only a report signed by a TIP holder can be produced as evidence. Ours is nº 6496 and it is a public record you can check.
Will the report hold up in a Spanish court?
Where it is gathered by a licensed detective, obtained lawfully, and supported by a legitimate interest, yes — and the detective can be called to speak to it. Fail any one of those three and it will not, whatever it contains.
Can a British investigator work in Spain?
Not lawfully, without a Spanish licence. Nationality is irrelevant; the authorisation is territorial. This catches out more foreign clients than anything else, usually at the moment the report is needed.
What is a "legitimate interest"?
A real, demonstrable reason for needing the information — normally legal, contractual, family or economic. Proceedings that turn on cohabitation, an owner whose property is occupied, an executor obliged to find an heir, a creditor with a judgment. Curiosity, jealousy and control are not legitimate interests.
Can you read someone's messages or phone records?
No. Interception of private communications is a criminal offence in Spain and it applies within a marriage as much as outside it. Anyone offering it is describing a crime, and the material would be worthless to your lawyer anyway.
Can you put a tracker on a vehicle?
Not on a vehicle belonging to another person, including a spouse's. It is unlawful, and doing it turns the case into one about your conduct rather than theirs.
Working with us
What does an investigation cost?
Cases start from €1,200 plus VAT and are quoted per case rather than by the hour, so there is no meter running. You get a written figure before anything begins. How pricing works
How quickly can you start?
Most cases open within 24 hours of the callback, and urgent matters can begin sooner. Tell us your deadline at the outset — timing often decides whether the evidence exists to be gathered at all.
Do I need to be in Spain?
Almost never. Most of our clients instruct from abroad and never travel. Everything runs in English, and where a legal step needs your presence a Spanish lawyer can usually act under a poder notarial.
Will the person I'm asking about find out?
They should not, and if they do the investigation has failed. Discretion here is operational rather than a courtesy: a subject who becomes aware changes their behaviour and the opportunity is gone.
Will anyone know I contacted you?
No. We use only the number and channel you choose, we never contact you unprompted, and our reports never identify you to third parties. How we protect your privacy
Can I stop partway through?
Yes. You are billed for work carried out and authorised. People do sometimes decide midway that they no longer want the answer, and that is a legitimate outcome rather than a failure.
What if you find nothing?
A documented absence of evidence is still a finding, and sometimes it is the one you needed. You are paying for the work and the signed report, not for a particular outcome — and we will tell you at the quoting stage if we think the odds are poor.
Do you take cases you'd turn down?
We decline regularly: anything without a legitimate interest, anything involving a person protected by a court order, and anything requiring unlawful access to data. We also decline where we think the client is being sold a false expectation, even when they are willing to pay.
Specific situations
My Spanish property has been occupied. What first?
Do not change the locks, cut the utilities or enter — any of those can make you the defendant. Report it to the police to fix a date, then get the occupation documented so your lawyer can file. Squatter eviction support
Someone has died leaving property in Spain. Where do we start?
With the death certificate, then the certificado de últimas voluntades, which tells you whether a Spanish will exists. Nothing else can proceed until those two are in hand. Spanish inheritance law for non-residents
I've been defrauded. Can you get my money back?
No investigator can recover funds; that is a legal process. What we can do is establish who is actually behind it and what they hold in Spain, which is the precondition for any recovery attempt. What to do after a scam
I've lost contact with a relative in Spain.
If you believe they may be at risk, call 112 first — there is no waiting period in Spain to report a disappearance. Otherwise a welfare check can confirm discreetly that someone is well and located. Missing persons
Does infidelity affect a divorce in Spain?
Not directly — Spain has no-fault divorce. Where evidence does matter is in cohabitation affecting maintenance, and in assets spent on a third party. Ask a Spanish family lawyer about your own circumstances.
Can you check a person or company before I pay them?
Yes, and it is the cheapest work we do. Company records, property records and identity verification are all straightforward, and this is the point at which they are most useful.
Confidential · No obligation · No cost
Leave a number and we'll call you back within 24 hours from a discreet number. Describe what has happened and we'll tell you what can lawfully be done.