Social Security in Spain – your NUSS, 19 weeks of birth leave, child benefits, pensions and paro
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Your Seguridad Social number stays with you for life and unlocks leave, benefits and a pension. Here is how to get it, what comes off your pay in 2026, and what Spain pays when a child arrives, when you retire or when you lose your job.
Spain's Seguridad Social (social security) has changed in ways that matter to newcomers. Since 31 July 2025, under Royal Decree-law 9/2025, each parent gets 19 weeks of birth leave, and a single parent 32. Contributory pensions rose by 2.7 per cent in 2026. And since 2025, a solidarity contribution applies to pay above the maximum contribution base. All of it starts with one number.
How do you get a Social Security number in Spain?
Anyone who starts work covered by the Seguridad Social needs an affiliation number – your NUSS (Social Security number), valid for every scheme and for life. Your employer must register you before your first day; the self-employed register themselves. Foreigners who live or are legally in Spain and work here are covered on the same basis as Spaniards.
Apply to the TGSS (General Treasury of Social Security) on form TA.1, or online through its Import@ss portal with Cl@ve, a digital certificate or an SMS code. The TGSS line is +34 91 541 02 91 or 901 50 20 50 (Monday to Thursday 9:00–18:00, Friday 9:00–14:30).
Non-EU workers on a work visa must be registered within three months of entry, then apply for the TIE (foreigner identity card) within one month. Highly qualified professionals without an NIE (foreigner identity number) can register with just a passport in their first six months.
What comes off your pay in 2026?
| Contribution, general scheme | You pay | Your employer pays |
|---|---|---|
| Common contingencies | 4.70% | 23.60% |
| Unemployment, permanent contract | 1.55% | 5.50% |
| Unemployment, fixed-term contract | 1.60% | 6.70% |
| Intergenerational Equity Mechanism (MEI) | 0.15% | 0.75% |
Source: Seguridad Social, bases and contribution rates 2026, read 23 September 2026.
You also pay 0.10 per cent for vocational training. Above the maximum base of €5,101.20 a month, a solidarity contribution of 1.15, 1.25 or 1.46 per cent applies by band; your share is 0.19, 0.21 or 0.24 per cent. The self-employed in RETA (the self-employed scheme) pay 28.30 per cent for common contingencies, on a minimum base that rises with net income from €653.59 a month (net income up to €670 a month) to €1,928.10 (over €6,000 a month).
How long is birth leave in Spain in 2026?
Since 31 July 2025, birth and childcare leave is 19 weeks for each parent and 32 for a single parent, and the same applies to adoption, guardianship with a view to adoption and foster care. It is an individual right that cannot be transferred. A bill to write this into law is still in Congress; the decree-law already applies.
| Part of the leave | Each parent | Single parent |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory, full-time, right after the birth | 6 weeks | 6 weeks |
| Flexible, until the child is 12 months old | 11 weeks | 22 weeks |
| Flexible, until the child turns 8 | 2 weeks | 4 weeks |
| Total | 19 weeks | 32 weeks |
Source: BOE (Official State Gazette), Workers' Statute, article 48, read 23 September 2026.
Give at least 15 days' notice for the flexible weeks. Each parent gets an extra week for a child with a disability or each additional child in a multiple birth, and up to 13 extra weeks if the newborn spends more than seven days in hospital. Births from 2 August 2024 to 30 July 2025 give 18 weeks per parent; according to the INSS, the last two weeks could be requested from 1 January 2026.
The birth benefit pays 100 per cent of your regulatory base, the previous month's contribution base. Under 21, no minimum contribution applies; from 21 to 25 you need 90 days in the last seven years (or 180 in total), and from 26, 180 days in that period (or 360 in total). Otherwise a non-contributory subsidy may apply. Parental leave of up to eight weeks, until the child turns eight, is a separate right; the Workers' Statute says nothing about pay for it.
What child benefits can you get in Spain?
The main cash support for families is the complemento de ayuda para la infancia (child support supplement), part of the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV, the minimum income). You can claim it if your household's income in the previous year was below 300 per cent of the IMV guaranteed amount and its net wealth below 150 per cent of the IMV limits.
| Benefit, 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Child support supplement, child under 3 | €115 a month |
| Child support supplement, age 3 to 5 | €80.50 a month |
| Child support supplement, age 6 to 17 | €57.50 a month |
| Family allowance, child under 18 with a disability of 33% or more | €1,000 a year |
| Ingreso Mínimo Vital, single adult | €733.60 a month |
Source: Seguridad Social (Ingreso Mínimo Vital) and BOE, Royal Decree-law 3/2026, read 23 September 2026.
The supplement cannot be combined with the older per-child allowance for children without a disability or with one under 33 per cent. The IMV generally requires at least one year of legal and effective residence in Spain; its free information line is 020. For the maternity tax deduction, see part 7.
When can you retire in Spain, and what does the pension pay?
| Pension rule | What applies |
|---|---|
| Retirement age in 2026 with at least 38 years and 3 months of contributions | 65 |
| Retirement age in 2026 with less | 66 years and 10 months |
| Retirement age from 2027 | 67, unless you have 38 years and 6 months of contributions |
| Minimum for a contributory pension | 15 years of contributions, at least 2 of them within the 15 years before you retire |
| Increase in 2026 | 2.7% for contributory pensions |
| Maximum public pension, 2026 | €3,359.60 a month (€47,034.40 a year) |
| Non-contributory retirement or disability pension, 2026 | €8,803.20 a year |
Source: BOE, consolidated General Social Security Act and Royal Decree-law 3/2026, read 23 September 2026.
Arriving mid-career, watch the 15-year minimum: keep records of contributions paid abroad and ask the INSS whether and how they count (+34 91 542 11 76 or 901 16 65 65). A contributory retirement pension is also a route to long-term residence – see part 15.
How does unemployment benefit (paro) work in Spain?
Paro, the contributory unemployment benefit paid by SEPE (the State Public Employment Service), requires at least 360 days of contributions in the six years before you lost your job, a legal unemployment situation and registration as a job seeker – on the same terms for EU and EEA citizens and legally resident non-EU workers. Apply within 15 working days of your last working day, online or at a SEPE office with a cita previa (appointment); days of delay are lost.
| Paro in 2026 | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Duration | From 120 days (360–539 days contributed) to 720 days (2,160 days or more) |
| Amount | 70% of your regulatory base for the first 180 days, 60% from day 181 |
| Monthly minimum | €560 without children; €749 with children |
| Monthly maximum | €1,225 without children; €1,400 with one child; €1,575 with two or more |
| Payment | Monthly, between the 10th and 15th of the following month, into an account in your name |
| Subsidy once the benefit ends, or with under 360 days contributed | €570 a month for the first 180 days, €540 for days 181–360, then €480; income limit €915.75 a month, 75% of the SMI (minimum wage) |
Source: SEPE, read 23 September 2026.
From tax year 2025, paro alone no longer obliges you to file an income tax return. An EU Blue Card can be withdrawn after more than three months of unemployment, or six once you have held it for two years. SEPE's appointment line is +34 91 926 79 70, open 24 hours; 060, for benefit information, is a paid call.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check your employer has registered you, or register yourself if self-employed | Before your first day of work |
| 2 | Get your NUSS via Import@ss or form TA.1 | Before you start work |
| 3 | Expecting a child? Plan your weeks and give notice | At least 15 days before each flexible period |
| 4 | Check the child support supplement income test | After a full year of household income |
| 5 | Lost your job? Register as a job seeker and apply for paro | Within 15 working days |
| 6 | Count your years of contributions | Well before retirement |
Source: Seguridad Social and SEPE, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Seguridad Social – Afiliación de trabajadores (página en inglés) · seg-social.es
- Seguridad Social – Afiliación: información general · seg-social.es
- BOE – Estatuto de los Trabajadores (RDLeg 2/2015), texto consolidado · boe.es
- Seguridad Social/INSS – Infografía RDL 9/2025: ampliación del permiso por nacimiento y cuidado (PDF) · seg-social.es
- Seguridad Social – Nacimiento y cuidado de menor · seg-social.es
- Seguridad Social – Ingreso Mínimo Vital (cuantías y requisitos 2026) · seg-social.es
- BOE – Real Decreto-ley 3/2026, de 3 de febrero (revalorización de pensiones y otras medidas de Seguridad Social) · boe.es
- BOE – Ley General de la Seguridad Social (RDLeg 8/2015), texto consolidado (última actualización 31/07/2026) · boe.es
- SEPE – Prestación contributiva: he trabajado más de un año · sepe.es
- SEPE – Duración de la prestación contributiva · sepe.es
- SEPE – Cuantías anuales (2026) · sepe.es
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.