Does Spain have a social security agreement with your country?

Key rules

• Three groups: Your country falls under EU/EEA/Swiss rules, UK arrangements, or a one-to-one agreement, and that decides what carries over.
• Bilateral scope: Bilateral agreements mostly cover pensions, work accidents and posting rules, and often leave out unemployment benefit.
• Health care: Health care cover differs by agreement; the US agreement does not include it.
• EU unemployment: EU, EEA and Swiss insurance periods can count toward paro if you worked recently in Spain.

Start with your country

Spain's agreements fall into three groups. Which one you are in decides what carries over.

• EU, EEA and Switzerland. Spain coordinates social security with these countries under shared rules.
• United Kingdom. The UK has its own post-Brexit arrangements with Spain.
• Other countries with a bilateral agreement. Spain has one-to-one agreements with a number of non-EU countries.

The comparison below sets the EU, UK, US and Latin American agreements side by side.

Countries with a bilateral agreement

Spain has bilateral agreements with these non-EU countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China (limited), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. Some also cover Quebec separately.

Agreements get updated and new ones are negotiated. Check the current list with the Spanish social security institute (INSS) before you rely on your country being on it.

What a bilateral agreement usually covers

Most cover long-term contributory benefits:

• retirement, permanent disability and survivor pensions
• work accident and occupational disease benefits
• which country's system applies if your employer sends you to work abroad for a time (posted workers)

Many also cover sickness and maternity benefits, and some include family benefits.

Usually left out are unemployment benefit, non-contributory and assistance benefits, and often sick pay during temporary incapacity.

Each treaty is different:

• The US agreement covers pensions and posting rules, but not health care.
• The agreements with Chile, Argentina, Morocco and Ukraine are broader, and some include health care.

Do not assume your agreement gives you access to Spanish public health care. Ask the INSS for the text of your country's agreement and read what it lists.

EU, EEA and Swiss periods and unemployment

The EU rules go further than most bilateral agreements. Unemployment insurance periods from another EU, EEA or Swiss country can count toward Spanish unemployment benefit (paro). This applies if you became unemployed in Spain after working there recently, generally with at least one day of insurance as an employee in Spain just before.

The other country's institution certifies your foreign periods, through an electronic document exchanged between institutions. A period counts only if it would count as insurance under that country's law. The amount is calculated from your Spanish contributions.

How to check

1. Find your country in the groups above.
2. Ask the INSS for the agreement's text, or for the rules that apply to you.
3. Ask your home country's social security office for certificates of your contribution periods. You will need them to claim.

The questions below cover health care and unemployment in more detail.

EU, UK, US and Latin American agreements compared

Which agreements add up your contribution periods?

Only the EU route reliably covers all three benefits. Every other route is mainly about pensions. Find your route in the table, then read the notes under it.

How to use the table

• Pensions are the strongest part of every route. Time worked abroad can help you reach the minimum contribution period in Spain. Each country then pays its own share.
• Unemployment and sickness are where routes differ most. Outside the EU, assume your foreign periods will not count unless the agreement says so in writing.
• Other bilateral agreements differ from country to country. Some cover more than pensions. Read the agreement for your country before you plan around it.
• UK: what applies to you depends on when you moved. Check your position with Spain's social security office before you rely on UK periods for anything other than a pension.

What to do next

1. Find your country in the table.
2. Ask the social security office (Seguridad Social) for a written answer on which of your foreign periods Spain will count.
3. Ask your home country's pension or social security office for a record of your contribution periods. Request it before you leave, as it can take weeks to arrive.

Frequently asked questions

Does the agreement with my country cover health care?

Whether your country's agreement covers health care depends on the treaty, because each one has its own scope. The agreement with the US covers pensions and posting rules but not health care, while those with Chile, Argentina, Morocco and Ukraine are broader and some include health care. Ask the INSS to check the text of your country's agreement.

Does an agreement let me claim unemployment benefit in Spain?

No, bilateral agreements usually exclude unemployment benefit, so they will not normally let you claim paro in Spain. They mainly cover pensions, work accident benefits and posting rules, and often leave out sick pay and assistance benefits too.

Do EU periods count toward unemployment benefit (paro) in Spain?

Yes, periods of unemployment insurance from another EU, EEA or Swiss state can count toward paro if you worked recently in Spain, generally with at least one day of insurance as an employee in Spain just before you became unemployed. The other country's institution certifies your foreign periods on a U1 document. Spanish rules still set the amount, based on your Spanish contributions.