Latin American workers and the Ibero-American social security convention

Key rules

• Aggregation: Your contribution periods in member countries are added together, and each country pays its share of the pension in proportion to your time there.
• Covered countries: The convention works only between Spain and countries that have ratified it and where it is in force.
• Not covered: Health care, unemployment and sick pay are not covered.
• Where to file: Living in Spain, you file with the INSS, which sends the claim to the other countries.

What the convention does for you

The Ibero-American convention lets you add together the social security periods you paid in different member countries, so you can qualify for a pension you might not reach with one country's years alone. It works only between countries that have ratified it and where it is in force. Claims go through the national social security institutions, not through you contacting each country separately.

Which countries are covered

Spain has applied the convention since 2011. Other states include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Uruguay, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Colombia. The date it started differs by country, and it only works between Spain and a state where it is in force. Check the current list and dates with the INSS or the OISS (the Ibero-American social security organisation) before you rely on a country.

What it covers and what it does not

It covers long-term pensions paid because of your contributions:

• retirement pensions
• disability (permanent incapacity) pensions
• survivor pensions (widow and orphan)
• permanent benefits for work accidents and occupational diseases, where national law provides them

Your periods in each country are added together. Each country then pays its own share, in proportion to the time you paid there.

It does not cover health care, temporary sick pay, unemployment, family benefits or benefits that do not depend on contributions. Special schemes for civil servants and the military are left out unless a country includes them. Each country lists the schemes it applies the convention to, so ask if you worked in one of these schemes.

How to claim from Spain

File at an INSS office, normally by appointment or online through the Seguridad Social electronic office. You need:

• the Ibero-American agreement application form
• your ID
• proof of your contribution periods in each country

The INSS handles the Spanish part and sends your claim to the institutions of the other countries. Each one decides its own share. Forms and appointment steps change, so confirm them with the INSS.

If you live outside Spain, file with the competent institution in the country where you live instead. The OISS can help you with the process. The checklist below gives the steps in order, and the questions below answer the common doubts.

Checklist

• List each country where you paid social security, with the periods you worked there.

• Gather your ID and proof of your contribution periods in each country.

• Book an appointment at an INSS office (the national social security institute), or start online through the Seguridad Social electronic office.

• Fill in the Ibero-American agreement application form and submit it with your ID and proof of contributions.

• Ask the INSS to send your claim to the institutions of the other countries, so each one can decide its share of your pension.

• If you live outside Spain, file with the social security institution in your country of residence instead.

Confirm the country list, forms and appointment steps with the INSS before you apply, as they change.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Ibero-American convention cover health care or unemployment benefits?

No, the convention does not cover health care or unemployment benefits. It covers only long-term contributory pensions: retirement, permanent disability and survivor pensions, plus permanent benefits for work accidents and occupational diseases where national law provides them. Temporary sick pay, family benefits and non-contributory benefits are also left out.

What happens if I live outside Spain and want to claim a pension under the convention?

If you live abroad, you can file the claim with the social security institution in the country where you live. That institution sends it on to the other states involved. Each state then decides its own share, and the pensions are paid pro rata, meaning each country pays in proportion to your contributions there. The OISS can help you with the process.

Do civil servant and military schemes count under the convention?

Usually not, because special schemes for civil servants and the military are excluded unless a state chooses to include them. Each state lists the schemes it applies the convention to. Ask the INSS whether your scheme is covered before you rely on it.