Portugal and Spain: the export market next door

For a Portuguese brand, Spain is usually the first step abroad; for a Spanish one, it’s Portugal. They share the single market, the currency and many of the rules, and the drive between them is short. That makes it easy to think all you need is to open up shipping. It isn’t: the buyer on the other side doesn’t know you, reads in another language and pays another way.

What works in your favor

There are no customs or tariffs between Portugal and Spain, and you charge in euros on both sides. Consumer protection is the same across the European Union: for example, the period to withdraw from an online purchase is the same across the EU, so your return policy can be the same in both countries. And road logistics allow delivery times that can compete with a local brand. For many brands, it’s the most sensible way to learn how to sell abroad before going further.

Language is not optional

Spanish and Portuguese are close enough to tempt you not to translate, or to translate in a hurry. A Spanish shopper won’t finish a purchase on a store in Portuguese, and a Portuguese shopper spots right away copy that went through a translation tool or mixes both languages. Your website, product pages, confirmation emails and customer service all need to be in the buyer’s language and sound natural.

The same goes for the product: the information the law requires on the label has to be in the language of the country where it’s sold. If your packaging is in only one language, check what needs to be added before you ship the first box.

A market next door doesn’t mean the buyer knows you: to them you’re a foreign brand until your store proves otherwise.

What to prepare before you open your store across the border

• A store and product pages in both languages, adapted rather than translated word for word.
• The payment methods each buyer uses: in Portugal, MB Way and Multibanco references; in Spain, cards and Bizum.
• Prices that include VAT, with VAT applied correctly: once your online sales to consumers in other EU countries pass a certain volume, you charge the VAT of the buyer’s country, and the One-Stop Shop (OSS) lets you report it from your own country. Check it with your accountant.
• Clear shipping and returns, with the real delivery time to each area. The Canary Islands are a separate case: they have their own tax (IGIC) and shipments go through customs; Madeira and the Azores have their own VAT rates.
• A way to get in touch that answers in the customer’s language: an email, WhatsApp or a phone line someone actually picks up.

Imagery that puts you in the right price range

Across the border you’ll compete with local brands the buyer already knows. Weak photos or makeshift packaging put you among the cheap options even when your product isn’t. Make sure the ad, the store and the box that arrives at home look like the same brand: that’s what tells people there’s a serious company behind it. You can see how we approach identity and packaging in Graphic design.

How we put it in order

Portugal and Spain are the markets closest to our production base in Aveiro, and the easiest to combine in a single project. In our six-week program, we work in stages: first the market, the message, the identity and the packaging; then the store in both languages and the video; and finally the first campaigns and researched sales contacts.

If you’d rather start smaller, the export diagnostic reviews your brand, your website and your target market and hands you an action plan within a week; if you then sign up for the program, the full amount is credited. And if you just want an honest opinion, request a 20-minute intro call.