Finding clients among expats: a site in their languages

If your clients are foreign residents, they probably found you the same way: a neighbour's recommendation, then a search to check you out. A Dutch retiree in Alicante needing a will, a German family in Lisbon looking for a dentist, a British couple who can't make sense of their first tax return. They search in their own language, read what you've written, and decide in a few minutes whether you understand their situation. At the end of 2025, 7.5 million foreign nationals held a valid residence document in Spain (Spanish Government, 2026). Many of them need a lawyer, a gestoría, an accountant or a doctor, and most would rather explain their problem in a language they're sure of.

How newcomers look for a professional

Someone who has just moved is looking for more than a name and a phone number. They want to know three things before they get in touch:

  • Can I talk to this person? They search in English, German, French or Dutch, and they trust results in that language more. A site only in Spanish or Portuguese tells them, before they've read a word, that the conversation may be hard.
  • Do other people like me use them? Reviews and recommendations from other foreign residents carry a lot of weight. Ask satisfied clients to leave a review, and make it easy for them to find where.
  • Do they explain things clearly? A newcomer often doesn't know what a gestoría does, what an NIE or NIF is, or how a Portuguese health centre differs from a private clinic. The professional who explains it plainly is the one they call.

The pages to have

A clear, small site beats a long single page. Start with these:

  1. One page per service. "Residency applications", "Inheritance in Spain for non-residents", "Dental implants", "Couples therapy in English". Each page answers who it's for, what's involved, how long it takes and what the client needs to bring. A page per service also gives each one a chance to be found on its own.
  2. Prices, or how fees work. If you can publish prices, do. If you can't, explain the structure: a fixed fee, an hourly rate, a first consultation, a quote after reviewing documents. Uncertainty about cost is one of the main reasons newcomers hesitate.
  3. Who you are. Your qualifications, your professional body and registration number where that applies, the languages you and your team actually speak, and a photo. Be honest about languages: if consultations are in Spanish with an interpreter, say so.
  4. How appointments work. In person or by video, how long they last, what to bring, how to book, and how quickly you reply.

Articles that answer newcomer questions

Your best way to be found is to answer the questions foreign residents type into a search box. These questions are specific and they repeat every year: how to register as a resident, what changes when you become tax resident, how to make a will that covers property in two countries, whether your health insurance covers a dental treatment, what happens to a car bought abroad.

Write one article per question, in plain language, and end each one with what you can do and how to get in touch. Keep them up to date when rules change, and add the date of the last review. A dozen good articles, each available in your clients' languages, will often bring more of the right enquiries than any advertising.

Translate carefully

Legal, tax and medical content is where a bad translation does real harm. A machine draft is a fine start, but a qualified person should check every language before it goes live: someone who knows both the language and the subject. Terms like "empadronamiento", "herencia" or "IRS" in Portugal don't always have a direct equivalent, and it's often clearer to keep the local term and explain it.

Give each language its own address so search engines can index each version, and make sure the search titles and descriptions are translated too, not just the page text.

Advertising rules for your profession

Lawyers, doctors, dentists and psychologists in Spain and Portugal work under professional rules that can limit how they advertise: what you can say about results, whether you can publish client testimonials, how you present prices. These rules differ by profession and region. Before you publish, check with your colegio or ordem, and apply the same care to every language version.

Where FolioPress fits

FolioPress is a website builder with translation built in. You write each page once, the AI drafts the other languages, and nothing is published until you approve it, which leaves room for that qualified check. Each language gets its own translated address, hreflang and a language switcher, so a German search can land on your German page. A blog with scheduled posts suits newcomer articles, and a contact form can go on any page. Visitor statistics work without cookies, and sites are hosted in the EU. There's no booking engine, so link to the scheduling tool you already use. The Bilingual plan is €12/month for two languages; Multilingual is €19/month for all 56 languages; both start with 30 days free.

See how FolioPress works for professionals with international clients