Selling software into Europe from outside the EU works until it does not. Customers ask for invoices from a local company. Resellers want a contract with a European entity. A hire in Europe needs an employer. At that point, a legal presence in the EU stops being optional.
Why Software Companies Move
Three triggers come up most often:
- Customer requirements. Enterprise buyers prefer suppliers with an EU entity.
- Hiring. A European engineer or support agent needs a local contract and payroll.
- Tax and invoicing. VAT, currency and invoicing rules are easier to follow with a local company.
Choosing Where to Register
Small EU countries suit smaller software companies. Slovenia, for example, uses the euro, sits in Central Europe and offers a supportive regulatory framework for startups. It has a well-educated, multilingual workforce, which helps when your first hires handle support in more than one language. Registration in a small market can also move faster than in a large one, because the process involves fewer layers.
The Checklist
- Pick the legal form. Non-EU founders and foreign legal entities can set up a limited liability company. The minimum share capital is 7,500 euros.
- Collect the founders' documents. Passports, tax numbers, home-country certificates and, for a corporate founder, an excerpt from the commercial register.
- Arrange a registered address. A virtual office works if you do not need a physical space.
- Open the bank account. The temporary account receives the capital, and it becomes a regular business account after registration.
- Register for VAT. You need this before you invoice EU customers.
- Set up accounting. Books, VAT calculations, payroll reporting and annual financial statements all follow local rules.
- Plan hiring. Contracts, permits and payroll must be ready before the first employee starts.
What Goes Wrong
- Founders underestimate the time that home-country certificates take.
- Nobody owns accounting deadlines, and filings slip.
- The company hires a non-EU employee before the work permit is ready.
- The registered address does not suit the bank's requirements.
One Provider or Several
Some teams hire a lawyer, an accountant and an HR consultant separately. Others use a single provider that covers registration, accounting, HR and immigration. MyGlobal offers this combined service in Slovenia, so a software company can go from first consultation to a working entity with one point of contact.
What to Do Next
Write down where your customers and your first hires are, list the documents your founders hold, and set a target date for the first EU invoice. Then ask a provider for a realistic timeline and a full list of what they need from you.