EN · 한국어 soon
환영합니다 — welcome.

4% corporate tax.
Inside the European Union.

Built for hardware, R&D and deep-tech teams that need a secure, EU base to reach the European market, with the quality of life to keep top talent onboard
Check your fit — 60 seconds Email the team
Email the team
Status
EU territory in full standing
Authorisation
Authorised by the European Commission​
Legal basis
Law 19/1994, Spain​
Track record
60 years of Korea–Las Palmas relations​
Built to stay.
The Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) is anchored in Article 349 of the EU Treaty and the Spanish Constitution, and has been authorised by the European Commission since 2000. It isn’t a loophole, it’s a permanent, EU-approved framework built for companies that plan to stay.
The offer,
in three numbers
0 %
Corporate income tax, versus 25% general rate in Spain
€ 1 m
Taxable base at 4%, growing €500k per extra job up to 50 employees
2030
Incentives guaranteed for six years after registration — at least to the end of 2032
Why there, of all places

One base,
two markets

From the Canary Islands you reach the EU single market in full standing, and West Africa’s fastest-growing economies just a few hours away by air and sea.
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Gráfico de conexiones desde Canarias hacia la Unión Europea y África OccidentalNodo central Canary Islands con pulso animado y dos conexiones sólidas hacia European Union y West Africa, más una conexión discontinua hacia Korea y Japón. EUROPEANUNION CANARYISLANDS WESTAFRICA KOREA · JAPAN your route in
Before you spend a single euro on advisers

Does your company actually fit?

Five questions, sixty seconds. Based on the official requirements. If the honest answer is no, we will say so — that is the point.
Question 1 of 5

Not legal advice. Verify any outcome with the ZEC Consortium and your advisers.

Strong candidate

On paper, you fit. The question now is speed.

Nothing in your answers conflicts with the core requirements. The sensible next step is a conversation — with us to reach the right people, and with your advisers to confirm the details. Authorisation takes up to two months, so starting the paperwork in parallel costs nothing and saves a quarter.

Email us — result A
Possible fit — points to resolve

Worth pursuing, with open questions.

    None of these is necessarily a blocker, but each needs a real answer before you commit. Write to us and we will point you to who can resolve each one — at no cost.

    Email us — result B
    Honestly — not this route

    The ZEC is not your path, and it is better to know now.

    This saves you weeks of analysis. If the Canary Islands still interest you for other reasons, write to us anyway: we are a non-profit, we charge nothing, and we will tell you who is worth talking to.

    Email us anyway
    What it demands — read this before the brochure version

    Five conditions. Fail one, and you are out.

    Five questions, sixty seconds. Based on the official requirements. If the honest answer is no, we will say so — that is the point.
    01

    A newly created entity.

    No route exists to convert an existing company. Subsidiary or branch, incorporated for the purpose.
    02

    Effective management in the islands.

    Registered office, place of effective management, and at least one director resident in the Canary Islands.
    03

    3–5 full-time local jobs, from month six.

    Five in Tenerife or Gran Canaria, three on the other islands. Half a year to hire; then sustained as an annual average. Directors do not count.
    04

    €50,000–100,000 in fixed assets within two years.

    Exemption possible for ICT, audiovisual, video games, biotech, R&D and Innovative SMEs — the jobs requirement never waives.
    05

    Real, novel activity — on the authorised list.

    Closed list by CNAE code. Since Circular 1/2024, relocating an activity already carried out in the islands does not qualify.
    For your tax team

    The paragraph they will ask about: Korean CFC rules

    Korea’s CFC regime is triggered when the parent holds ≥10% of a foreign subsidiary taxed at an average effective rate of 17.5% or lower. A ZEC entity at 4% falls squarely within it.

    Here is where the Spanish requirements work in your favour: Korean rules exclude subsidiaries with fixed facilities that manage the business themselves and conduct it primarily in the jurisdiction — almost word for word the substance the ZEC obliges you to build. Passive income may still be attributed, and CFC-qualified subsidiaries lose Korea’s 95% dividend deduction, so the analysis is case by case.

    Dividends from a ZEC subsidiary to a Korean parent are exempt from Spanish withholding — an exemption of the ZEC regime itself, enabled by the Spain–Korea treaty in force since 1994.

    Sources: Law 19/1994 · PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Korea · Spain–Korea DTT (1994). Run both tests — Spanish and Korean — in parallel.

    Why the Canary Islands, of all places

    Korea and the Canaries have been greeting each other for sixty years

    On Plaza de Canarias in Las Palmas stands a six-metre blue figure bowing fifteen degrees: a Greetingman by Yoo Young-ho, donated by the Government of the Republic of Korea — the first in Europe. It marks sixty years since the Korean fishing fleet made Las Palmas its Atlantic base, and seventy-five years of Spain–Korea diplomatic relations. We are not starting from zero. We are starting from sixty years. Even this page bows fifteen degrees.

    Who is behind this page

    Who is behind this page A non-profit that connects. Nothing to sell you.

    Fundación Canaria Géiser continues the work of Foro Géiser, a Canary Islands innovation platform running since 2015: ten-plus annual gatherings, 4,000+ participants, speakers from the Blue Economy’s founder to Google EMEA, audited results, all ticket revenue to social causes.
    • We do not provide tax or legal services — we refer you, always to more than one door.
    • We do not charge for introductions. We are a foundation, not a broker.
    • We will tell you if the Canary Islands are not your place. Saying it early is the service.

    Why there, of all places

    Why set up in the Canary Islands?
    From the Canary Islands you operate inside the EU single market, at the gateway to West Africa, and on the historic route to Latin America. That triangle is the platform. The 4% is what makes it affordable.
    Cultural affinity. Built on 60 years of trade ties through the Port of Las Palmas.

    1966, the Port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria was chosen by the Korea Fishery Development Corporation as the Atlantic logistical base for its fishing fleet. What began as an operational requirement quickly evolved into a strong economic and social bond. The Korean community settled in the Canary Islands, fostering a relationship built on mutual trust, collaboration, and understanding that has remained steadfast for nearly six decades.

    A testament to this alliance is the Greetingman, a sculpture donated by the Republic of Korea that now stands in the port area of Las Palmas. With its characteristic 15-degree bow, it immortalises the traditional Korean greeting based on respect and cordiality. It is the only monument of its kind in the European Union, erected to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between Spain and South Korea, and to honour the positive impact of the Korean community on the development of the islands.

    Today, the Fundación Canaria Géiser and Foro Géiser embrace this historical legacy to project it into the future. The same geostrategic position that once made the Canary Islands the ideal operational port now consolidates it as a key node for global connection.

    Through the Korea Innovation Bridge, we are evolving this historic relationship into a new era of institutional and corporate cooperation. Our purpose is to position the Canary Islands as the definitive European platform and the most trusted partner for Korean organisations seeking to expand their vision, generate synergies, and establish high-value strategic agreements in Europe.

    We unite respect for our shared history with the ambition to lead the challenges of tomorrow.

    Companies have already chosen the Canary Islands as their base to connect with Asian investment.

    The Bridge is Already Built: Asian Investment Success Stories in the Canary Islands Our position as a European platform is not just a future vision; it is a present reality backed by Asian technological and creative giants who are already investing in the talent and competitive advantages of the Canary Islands.

    Wooptix: Deep Tech Talent Backed by Samsung Originally a spin-off from the University of La Laguna (Tenerife), Wooptix has positioned itself as a global leader in semiconductor metrology using wave phase imaging technology. In February 2025, the company secured over €10 million in a Series C funding round led by Samsung Venture Investment Corporation (South Korea) alongside the Spanish Society for Technological Transformation (SETT). This milestone proves that the Canarian innovation ecosystem generates disruptive technology capable of integrating into the value chains of the most demanding South Korean corporations.

    Quantum Box Games: The European Hub for Asian Gaming The Canary Islands offer the most attractive tax framework in Europe through the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), featuring a corporate tax rate of just 4% and rebates of up to 45% for video game and audiovisual development. The local studio Quantum Box Games is a prime example of how these advantages connect with Asia. Following their participation in the Tokyo Game Show, the studio closed a €1.9 million investment deal in early 2025 with the Japanese studio Route24, founded by industry veteran Kenichi Nishi (formerly of Square Enix and Nintendo). This alliance to co-develop the title Kiriko the Mistic proves that the islands’ tax incentives are the ideal catalyst for merging Asian vision with local creative talent.

    The Korea Innovation Bridge is built upon a solid foundation of knowledge transfer. The two leading academic institutions in the Canary Islands already maintain strategic alliances with the epicentres of South Korean innovation, facilitating the seamless integration of technology-based projects and joint research.

    University of La Laguna (ULL) and High Technology: ULL serves as a direct bridge to the Daejeon Innovation Cluster—South Korea’s premier scientific and technological hub. This creates a bidirectional channel for developing Deep Tech talent, engineering projects, and scientific transfer.

    University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and the Blue Economy: A pioneer in marine sciences, ULPGC holds a strategic cooperation agreement with the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI). This alliance positions the Canary Islands as the ideal Atlantic laboratory for South Korean projects linked to marine sustainability, aquaculture, and next-generation port development.

    Far beyond its renowned natural beauty, the geographical position of the Canary Islands is a top-tier corporate asset. As a European Union territory in a highly strategic oceanic location, the archipelago operates as an unparalleled logistical, digital, and connectivity platform for international business establishment.

    Direct Access and Connectivity: With an extensive network of air and maritime connections, the Canary Islands guarantee rapid and fluid access to major European business hubs. It is the natural gateway and the ideal corporate base for Asian organisations seeking to expand their operations into the European market from a secure and stable environment, fully backed by the EU regulatory framework.

    Climate as a Competitive Advantage: With mild, stable temperatures 365 days a year, the Canarian climate offers two direct business benefits. Firstly, it ensures complete operational continuity for infrastructure, free from the disruptions typically caused by extreme weather conditions. Secondly, it provides an exceptional quality of life that acts as a powerful magnet for attracting, retaining, and consolidating international talent and high-performing executive teams.

    Yes. The regime does not distinguish by nationality. A foreign parent may incorporate a subsidiary or open a branch; what it cannot do is relocate an activity already carried out in the islands and present it as new.
    No — structurally. Authorised by the European Commission, supervised by the Spanish Tax Agency, subject to EU law, and demanding real activity, resident employment and effective management. The Canary Islands appear on no list of non-cooperative jurisdictions.
    Loss of the 4% rate in the year of the breach, repayment of prior savings with interest, penalties up to twice the incentive, and possible revocation. Size your headcount with margin, not at the exact minimum.
    Nothing. We connect you with the right counterpart — university, research group, company or administration — and refer technical questions to specialists and official bodies. We are a non-profit foundation.

    Building a Canary Islands–Korea–Japan acceleration ecosystem

    Built for hardware, R&D and deep-tech teams that need a secure, EU base to reach the European market, with the quality of life to keep top talent onboard
    01
    Digital & sustainable tourism
    02
    Blue economy
    03
    Health & wellbeing
    04
    Astrophysics, space & aeronautics
    • We're also pushing into semiconductors and robotics as the ecosystem grows
    Fundación Canaria Géiser · equipo@forogeiser.org · forogeiser.org