Child-related benefits you can claim in Spain

Key rules

• No universal allowance: Spain does not pay every family a child allowance; support depends on income or on your family situation.
• Old birth payment: The 2,500 euro general birth payment no longer exists.
• Who pays: The INSS handles the child benefit, the child supplement and the one-off birth payments.
• Large-family title: Your regional government issues large-family titles, not the INSS.

What Spain offers

Spain does not pay every family a child allowance. Support comes in three forms: a modest income-tested child benefit, a child supplement for low-income households, and one-off birth payments in specific cases. The INSS handles all of them.

The income-tested child benefit

This is the prestación económica por hijo o menor a cargo. You can claim it for a child under 18, or for a child aged 18 or over with a disability of 33% or more.

• You must be legally resident in Spain.
• Your income must be below a limit. The limit is revised yearly and is higher for large families.
• For a child under 18 without disability, the 2024 amount was about 341 euros per year. In certain low-income cases it was about 588 euros per year.
• For a child with a disability, the amounts are higher. If the disability is 65% or more, there is no income limit.

Most low-income families now get the child supplement below instead of this benefit.

The child supplement

The complemento de ayuda para la infancia (CAPI) is part of the ingreso mínimo vital (IMV), Spain's minimum income benefit. It is paid monthly for each child under 18 in households that meet the IMV income and asset limits. A somewhat higher threshold applies if you claim the supplement alone.

• Younger children get higher amounts.
• If you qualify for the supplement but not for the IMV itself, you can receive the supplement alone.

Birth payments

The old general birth payment of 2,500 euros was abolished in 2018, so you cannot claim it. The payment for multiple births was also abolished.

What remains is a one-off payment of 1,000 euros (2024 figure). It is for births or adoptions in large families, single-parent families and families where the mother has a disability.

Birth and childcare leave pay is different. It is a paid leave benefit, not a one-off payment, and the INSS also handles it.

Where to apply

Apply to the INSS. You can book an appointment at a CAISS office (a Social Security information centre) or apply online through the Social Security electronic office.

The INSS does not issue large-family titles. Your regional government does. Regions may also add their own child payments, so ask your regional body what exists where you live.

Possible changes

Amounts are updated every year. A universal child benefit has been discussed, but nothing is confirmed. Check the current rules with the INSS before you apply.

The questions below cover the most common doubts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get the old 2,500 euro birth payment in Spain?

No, the general 2,500 euro birth payment was abolished in 2018, and the multiple-birth payment was abolished too. A one-off payment of 1,000 euros still exists for large families, single-parent families and mothers with a disability. Ask the INSS whether you meet its income conditions.

Is birth and childcare leave pay the same as a birth payment?

No, the birth and childcare leave benefit is a separate paid leave benefit, not a one-off payment. The INSS handles both, so ask for each one separately when you apply.

Which office handles my child benefit claim?

The INSS handles the child benefit, the minimum income (IMV) with its child supplement, and the one-off birth payments. Book an appointment at a CAISS office (a Social Security information centre) or apply online through the Social Security electronic office. Large-family titles are the exception: your regional government issues them.

Will Spain bring in a universal child benefit soon?

There is no confirmed reform in force, although a universal child benefit has been discussed. The minimum income and its child supplement have been revised several times since 2020. Yearly amount updates are set by the state budget or a royal decree.