Minimum income (ingreso mínimo vital), who can claim as a foreign resident

Key rules

• Residence: A short-term visa or an irregular stay does not count towards your legal residence.
• Holder age: The holder must generally be aged 23 to 65, with exceptions for parents and victims of gender violence or trafficking.
• Current amounts: Income limits, asset limits and monthly amounts change every January, so confirm them with Seguridad Social before applying.
• Last resort: You must claim any other pension or benefit you are entitled to, or your IMV claim can be rejected or suspended.

The short answer

You can claim the ingreso mínimo vital (IMV) if you are legally resident, your household is on a low income with few assets, and you have lived in Spain for the required time. The exact euro amounts change every January, so this page explains each test and where to get the current figure.

Residence: legal and continuous

You must have lived legally and continuously in Spain for at least one year immediately before applying. The year is counted from the date your legal residence began. This applies to the holder and to the adults in the household.

Some people are exempt from the year:

• Children born in the year of application or the year before.
• People who joined a household with children.
• Victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation or gender violence.

The social security office (INSS) can tell you if another exemption fits your case.

Which document proves it

• Non-EU citizens: a valid residence authorisation, shown by your TIE or an equivalent document. Temporary and long-term permits, work-and-residence permits and family-member residence cards count. A short-term visa or an irregular stay does not.
• EU citizens: your registration certificate or card.
• Protection cases: asylum seekers with a recognised application, and people with refugee or subsidiary protection status, are covered. So are some victims of trafficking or gender violence.

The INSS decides whether a given document is accepted.

Holder and household

The holder (titular) is the person who applies. The holder must generally be aged 23 to 65. There are exceptions:

• People over 18 with dependent children.
• Some people who left a care system.

Under-23s without children can be holders only in limited cases.

Your household (unidad de convivencia) is everyone living at your address who is related by blood, marriage, registered partnership or adoption up to the second degree. People in a guardianship or foster relationship also count. In a two-person household, an unmarried couple can count if they are registered as a couple.

Separate households are allowed in cases of gender violence, divorce or separation. They are also allowed for unrelated people sharing a home.

Income test

Your household's income for the previous year must be below the guaranteed minimum income for its type. That figure is a percentage of the annual non-contributory pension. It rises with the number of adults and children in the household. The current figures are not fixed on this page, so get them from Seguridad Social before you apply.

Asset test

Your net assets, not counting your main home, must be below a limit. The limit is a multiple of the guaranteed income and rises with household size. Some business items you use for work are also left out. Ask Seguridad Social for the current limit for your household size.

What you would receive

Your monthly IMV is the guaranteed income for your household type minus your household's own income. The guaranteed income is a base for one adult. It has extra amounts for each further adult and child. Lone-parent households and children get supplements. The amounts are revalued each January.

Claim other benefits first

IMV is a last resort. You must first claim any pension or benefit you may be entitled to from another public scheme, such as unemployment or a pension. If the INSS asks you to claim one and you do not, it can reject or suspend your claim.

A regional minimum income does not block IMV. The two are usually paid together, or IMV is reduced by the regional amount. The rules differ by region, so ask your regional social services office.

The decision, documents and checklist below help you choose what to apply for and what to bring.

Which minimum-income or family benefit should you apply for first?

Which minimum-income or family benefit should you apply for first?

• Apply for the national minimum income (IMV) first: You meet the residence and registration conditions and your household has low income and few assets. IMV is the national floor and a last-resort benefit, so start here.

• Apply for IMV and claim the child supplement in the same application: You have children under 18. IMV includes a child supplement (complemento de ayuda para la infancia), paid monthly and higher for younger children. If your household qualifies for the supplement but not for IMV itself, you can receive the supplement alone.

• Apply for your regional scheme at the same time, or right after IMV: Your region has its own minimum-income scheme. Many regions ask you to claim IMV first, or to apply for both at once. The regional benefit then tops up the difference up to its own amount, so both can be received, but the total is capped at the regional level. Report the IMV decision to the regional body once it arrives.

• Claim the Social Security child benefit instead of IMV: Your household has children but does not fit IMV. The benefit (prestación por hijo o menor a cargo) is paid by the INSS under an income limit. IMV recipients cannot also receive it, because IMV already includes a child supplement.

Secure legal residence, padrón registration, a digital ID and a bank account first. Then file for IMV, with the child supplement if you have children, and apply for your regional scheme in parallel rather than waiting, since delays cost money. Claim any pension or benefit the INSS asks you to claim, or your IMV can be refused or suspended. Large-family benefits and the birth benefit can generally be combined with IMV. Non-contributory pensions generally cannot be combined with IMV for the same person.

Documents you need

• Your TIE (foreigner identity card) or an equivalent valid residence document, if you are not from the EU. Temporary, long-term, work-and-residence and family-member residence permits all count.

• Your EU registration certificate or card, if you are an EU citizen. It shows the date your legal residence began.

• Proof of international protection, if you are an asylum seeker with a recognised application or have refugee or subsidiary protection status. Some victims of trafficking or gender violence are also covered.

Checklist

• Check whether you are exempt: children born in the year of application or the year before, people who joined a household with children, and victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation or gender violence.

• Check that your permit or residence document is valid.

• Add up your household's income for the previous year and compare it with the guaranteed minimum income for your household type. It must be below that figure, and it rises with household size.

• Add up your net assets other than your main home and compare them with the asset limit for your household size. The home and business items used for work are left out.

• Work out your monthly amount: the guaranteed income for your household type minus your household's own income.

• Claim any pension or benefit you may be entitled to from another public scheme, such as unemployment or a pension, before or when asked by the INSS. Otherwise your claim can be rejected or suspended.

• Check your regional minimum income scheme. It does not block IMV, but the two are usually paid together or with a deduction.

Income, asset and monthly amounts change every year, so check the current figures with the Seguridad Social before applying.

Quick answers on minimum income and family aid

Can I work and still receive the minimum income?

Yes, working is compatible with the minimum income, but your earnings count in the income test. An employment incentive lets you keep part of the benefit when you start work, as long as your household stays within the limits for a set period. Report any change in work to the INSS.

Do I need to be registered in the padrón at my address?

Yes, you must be registered in the padrón (municipal register) at your real address, and your household has generally lived there for at least six months before applying. People with no fixed address, victims of gender violence or trafficking who have left home, and people in shelters can prove their situation with social services reports.

Does claiming the minimum income affect my residence permit?

No, claiming the minimum income is not in itself a bar to renewing a residence permit. However, some permits and family reunification require proof of sufficient means, and the minimum income may not count toward that proof. Ask a lawyer about your permit type before relying on it.

Is there an income limit for the national child benefit?

Yes, the Social Security child benefit has an income limit, which is revised yearly and is higher for large families. It requires legal residence in Spain. For a child with a disability of 65% or more, there is no income limit. Most low-income families now receive the IMV child supplement instead.