Starting a psychology practice is relatively accessible (modest initial investment) but deceptively simple. This guide lands the step-by-step plan.
Legal and registration steps
- College registration: essential.
- Tax Agency registration: form 036/037, IAE 832.
- RETA registration: flat rate first year.
- Liability insurance.
- Regional healthcare registry.
- GDPR registration.
Premises: rent, coworking, hourly or online
- Own rental: €300-700/month.
- Psychology coworking: €200-450/month.
- Hourly rental: €8-15/hour.
- 100% online: no premises cost.
Initial taxation
- Income tax: quarterly form 130.
- VAT: clinical exempt.
- Verifactu mandatory from July 2026.
- Accountancy: €30-90/month.
Minimum tools
- Clinical software: €15-50/month.
- Own website with online booking.
- Professional email with your domain.
- Secure videoconferencing.
- Tax accountancy.
Realistic marketing first 6 months
- Month 1-2: operational website + Google Business + 2 social networks.
- Month 2-3: register in directories.
- Month 3-4: 1 weekly post + 2 SEO articles.
- Month 4-6: Google Ads with €100-200/month.
- Month 6+: review KPIs.
Realistic initial budget
- Registrations: €250-500.
- Premises (3 hourly months): €200-500.
- Software (1 year): €250-600.
- Website: €300-1,000.
- Marketing (6 months): €600-1,500.
- 3-6 month buffer: €3,000-6,000.
Total: €4,500-10,000 with buffer.
Costly mistakes
- Renting own office without patients.
- Starting without website or online booking.
- Skipping Verifactu and GDPR.
- Not measuring KPIs.
- Underestimating marketing.
Preguntas frecuentes
Common questions when starting a psychology practice.
How much does it cost to open a psychology practice?
€1,500-4,000 without buffer, €4,500-10,000 with 3-6 month buffer.
Do I need healthcare registration?
If you do clinical psychology, yes (varies by region).
Better online or in-person?
Most sustainable is mixed: hourly in-person + online.
How long until I live from my practice?
12-24 months for decent income (€1,500-2,500/month net).
Do I need a business plan?
1-2 page schema is useful, formal plan not essential.