If you are going to acquire premises to set up a business or you want to expand your chain, read on because you will need the activity licence.
In QEE Ingeniería we help you with this procedure and we solve all the doubts you may have about it.
WHAT IS AN ACTIVITY LICENCE?
An activity licence is an official document, issued by a local or regional council, which allows a company or individual to carry out a certain economic or commercial activity. It is a legal requirement for a company to be able to operate lawfully in a physical establishment.
One of its objectives is to ensure the safety and well-being of customers and workers on the premises.
DO YOU NEED TO OPEN A BUSINESS PREMISES?
IS AN ACTIVITY LICENCE COMPULSORY?
Yes, whenever there is a sale or direct attention to the public.
In fact, the Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación establishes that an activity licence is required for the use of any building intended for commercial, industrial, administrative, educational, health, collective residential or public use.
WE PROCESS YOUR OPENING LICENCE
TYPES OF ACTIVITY LICENCE
Depending on the danger or damage they may cause to their environment, there are several types of activity.
It should be noted that it is important to verify this with the relevant local council.
1. Harmless activity
When they generate no apparent damage or nuisance in their surroundings.
To be innocuous, it has to meet certain technical requirements that you can consult in the following link:
An example of this type of activity would be a clothes shop, a real estate agency, etc.
2. Responsible environmental declaration
In this section you can find activities that do not meet all the requirements of the innocuous ones and, at the same time, do not belong to any category of the environmental licence.
That is to say, they are a little more harmful than the innocuous ones but less harmful than those of the environmental licence.
In this case, an example would be a cafeteria.
Subtype - Recreational or Public Concurrence Activities
Within the responsible environmental declaration a subtype can be added that is a public concurrence or recreational activity.
DO YOU NEED A BAR LICENCE IN ALICANTE?
Environmental licence
These are activities that are potentially dangerous or unhealthy in their development. They are usually closely related to industry.
See activities subject to environmental licence in Annex II.
Subtype - With environmental impact
In addition, we have to add a subtype with a greater impact on the environment, which is called environmental licence with environmental impact.
How long does an environmental licence last?
The environmental licence, once obtained, lasts forever. If there are significant changes in the activity or works, it will be necessary to review the licence and modify it.
4. DIC - Activities on rural land
In this case, these are activities that are going to be implemented on non-urban land, such as rural houses, etc.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A BUSINESS HAS AN ACTIVITY LICENCE?
If you are not sure whether a business has an activity licence, the best way to find out is to check with the town hall.
Another option is to ask the owner or former owner of the premises. But if you want to check the status of the licence, it is always best to ask the town hall.
WHERE DO YOU APPLY FOR A BUSINESS OPENING PERMIT?
This licence is requested at the town hall, but you will need the signature and supervision of an engineer or architect to sign the project and help you throughout the process.
QEE Ingeniería can help you to manage this.
REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN THE ACTIVITY LICENCE IN ALICANTE
It is important to note that the process for obtaining the activity licence may vary depending on the type of activity and the characteristics of the premises where it is to be carried out, so it is advisable to obtain specific information for each case at the Alicante Town Hall or with the technical study.
As a general rule, the requirements include: ventilation, habitability, accessibility, noise levels, fire safety and electrical risks.
It should be noted that regulations are becoming more and more demanding, which makes it essential to be informed of all the necessary requirements before making any decision.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR THE MUNICIPALITY
Below we mention the common documents that are generally required in these cases.
However, we recommend that you consult the Alicante City Council or a specialised company.
Plans of the premises:
It is necessary to include plans of the establishment where the dimensions, internal distribution and the areas destined to different activities, such as the customer service area, storage, toilets, etc.
Application form:
You must complete and submit the corresponding application form.. You can obtain it from the City Council or download it from their official website.
Urban development compatibility report::
You may need to obtain a town planning compatibility certificate, which verifies that the activity is suitable for the area in which the premises are located.
DNI or CIF:
This means that you must provide identification documentation, deeds or a lease contract. If you are the owner of the business premises, you must provide a copy of the deeds. On the other hand, if you are a tenant, you must present the lease contract for the premises.
Activity project:
It has to be drawn up by a competent technician, such as an architect or engineer, detailing aspects such as electrical installation, plumbing and air conditioning, among other things.
Acoustic study:
In some activities it is necessary to verify the correct acoustic insulation of the premises.
Electrical OCA:
Necessary to check that the electrical installation complies with the regulations.
Proof of fees:
As with any other procedure with local councils, it is always necessary to justify that the corresponding fees have been paid.
Other documents:
Depending on the activity, other additional documents may be required, such as sector licences or specific authorisations (for example, in the case of activities related to food or the environment).
PAYMENT OF FEES AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
On the other hand, you have to pay taxes to the municipality, called fees.
The fees vary depending on the town hall, the m2 of activity, the type of activity and if they are going to carry out works.
Here are some examples that you can find in the town hall of Alicante:
ENVIRONMENTAL LICENCE FEE (opening activity) up to 500 m2: 610,02 €.
ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY AND DECLARATION OF HARMLESS ACTIVITIES up to 100 m2: 201,57 €.
EXTENSION OR MODIFICATION OF AN ACTIVITY LICENCE
The extension of an activity licence refers to the extension or modification of an existing licence to carry out additional or different activities in a business or establishment.
For this, it will be necessary to have the case studied by a specialist. In this way, it will be possible to find out what the technical limitations are.
In some cases, there are several activities in the same premises, as they are compatible.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW LONG DOES A BUSINESS ACTIVITY LICENCE LAST?
Once a business activity licence has been granted, it does not expire.
In other words, it will need to be updated or renewed if changes are made to the place where the activity is carried out or if the nature of the activity itself changes.
WHEN IS IT NOT COMPULSORY TO HAVE THIS LICENCE?
Business activities carried out in private homes that do not cause a nuisance to the neighbours adjacent to the property.
In addition, there can be no sales or direct attention to the public.
WHAT IS A CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP? IS IT COMPULSORY?
When a business premises is going to change ownership, a change of ownership licence is required.
This happens, for example, when two people have started an activity and one of them does not want to continue. In this case, the ownership will correspond to only one person. A change of ownership licence is required for this to be done correctly.
These are the most economical activity licences, as they are a simpler building procedure. We can find an average price of 150 euros.
