What you can claim as a newcomer, and when

Key rules

• Unemployment benefit: You need at least 360 days contributed in the 6 years before you lose your job.
• Sick pay: After a work accident or an occupational disease, no minimum contribution is needed.
• Residence benefits: These depend on legal residence and an income test, not on contributions.
• Foreign work: Time worked in other EU or EEA countries can help you reach a minimum, but it does not raise the amount.

The short version

You do not qualify for everything on day one. Sick pay comes first, unemployment benefit later, and a pension after many years. Benefits based on residence work differently, because they depend on how long you have lived in Spain legally, not on what you paid in. The timeline below lays out the thresholds in order.

Benefits based on contributions

You need to be registered with Social Security (in "alta", or an equivalent situation) for sick pay and birth leave.

Sick pay. For a common illness, you need 180 days contributed in the 5 years before the sick leave starts. After a work accident or an occupational disease there is no minimum.

Birth and child care leave. The minimum depends on your age:

• Under 21: no minimum.
• Age 21 to 26: 90 days in the last 7 years, or 180 days over your whole working life.
• Over 26: 180 days in the last 7 years, or 360 days over your whole working life.

Part-time work counts in calendar days, the same as full-time work.

Unemployment benefit. You need at least 360 days contributed in the 6 years before you lose your job. You must also be in legal unemployment, for example when a contract ends or you lose the job against your will. You must register as a jobseeker with SEPE and sign the activity commitment. The more you have contributed, the longer it lasts, up to 720 days. Self-employed people have a separate benefit for ceasing activity.

Retirement pension. You need 15 years of contributions, with at least 2 of them in the 15 years before you retire. A full pension needs far more, and the retirement age is rising until 2027. Check the figure for your own retirement date.

Benefits based on residence

If you have not contributed enough, some benefits depend on legal residence instead. All of them also have an income test.

• Non-contributory retirement pension: age 65 or more, and 10 years of residence between age 16 and the claim, with the last 2 consecutive.
• Non-contributory invalidity pension: age 18 to 64, a disability of at least 65%, and 5 years of residence, with the last 2 consecutive.
• Ingreso mínimo vital: at least one year of legal, continuous residence before you claim, usually age 23 to 65, and a low income and few assets. There are exceptions, for example for children and for victims of trafficking or gender violence.
• Regional minimum income: each region sets its own residence period, often longer than a year. Ask your regional social services office.

People without legal residence are generally excluded.

Work in other countries

If you worked in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the UK, that time can be added to your Spanish periods to reach a minimum. This is how you can meet the 360-day unemployment threshold. Spain counts it only to qualify. The amount you get is calculated from your Spanish contributions. You usually need to have last worked in Spain and be registered with SEPE. Ask the other country's social security office for the certificate listed in the documents section.

Countries with a bilateral agreement, such as the US, Canada, Chile, Argentina and Morocco, can count time towards pensions. Most such agreements do not cover unemployment. Check your country's agreement.

Timeline and deadlines

• Sick pay for a common illness becomes available once you have contributed 180 days: in the 5 years before the sick leave begins

• Birth and child care leave: 90 days (age 21 to 26) or 180 days (over 26) of contributions; no minimum under 21: in the 7 years before the leave

• Unemployment benefit lasts 120 days if you contributed 360 to 539 days, and up to 720 days with 2160 days or more: once your claim is granted

• Unemployment benefit pays 70% of your regulatory base, then 50%: 70% for the first 180 days, 50% afterwards

• Retirement pension needs 15 years of contributions, at least 2 of them in the last 15 years: before you retire

• Ordinary retirement age rises to 67 (or 65 with 38 years and 6 months of contributions): from 2027

Documents you need

• Portable Document U1 (PD U1), issued by the social security institution of the EU or EEA country where you worked, certifying your insurance periods there. You need it for unemployment benefit if you want those periods counted.

• The equivalent certificate from the other country's institution (an electronic exchange record, or a country-specific form for treaty countries), if you want foreign periods counted towards a pension.

Frequently asked questions

Can I count work in another EU country towards Spanish unemployment benefit?

Yes, work periods in other EU or EEA countries, Switzerland and the UK are added to your Spanish periods to reach the minimum, if you last worked in Spain. The other country's institution certifies them on a form called PD U1, and you must be registered with SEPE, Spain's public employment service. The amount is still worked out only from your Spanish contributions.

How much do I need to have contributed to get sick pay?

For sick pay from a common illness you need at least 180 days of contributions in the 5 years before the sick leave begins. For a work accident or occupational disease there is no minimum. You must also be registered (in alta) with Social Security when the leave starts.

What contribution do I need for birth and child care leave?

It depends on your age: under 21 you need no minimum contribution.

How many years must I contribute to get a Spanish retirement pension?

You need at least 15 years of contributions, and at least 2 of them must fall within the last 15 years before you retire. Years paid in EU or EEA countries and in treaty countries can be added to reach this minimum.

Can I get a benefit based on residence if I have not contributed?

Yes, but only if you are a legal resident and pass an income test. The non-contributory retirement pension needs age 65 or more and 10 years of residence since age 16, the last 2 consecutive. The minimum vital income (IMV) needs at least 1 year of continuous legal residence before you claim.