How to claim your Spanish retirement pension

Terms used

• INSS — The INSS is Spain's national Social Security institute, which decides retirement pension claims.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is Spain's online identity system for signing in to government services.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment you book before visiting or phoning a public office.
• Silencio administrativo negativo — Silencio administrativo negativo means that if the office does not answer in time, your claim is treated as refused.

Key rules

• Claim window: You can file up to 3 months before your retirement date, and a late claim is paid back at most 3 months.
• Decision time: The INSS has 90 days to decide; silence counts as a refusal you can challenge.
• Payments: The pension is paid in 14 instalments a year.
• Foreign work: If you worked abroad, file early so foreign institutions can certify those periods.

File with the INSS, and file early

The INSS is the office that decides retirement claims. You can file up to 3 months before your retirement date. A late claim is paid back at most 3 months. So do not wait: if you file late, you lose any pension before that window.

If you worked in other countries, file earlier within that window. Foreign institutions must certify those periods, and that takes time. The planner below shows the steps in the years and months before.

How to file

You have three ways to file:

• Online, through the Seguridad Social electronic office, using Cl@ve, a digital certificate or an electronic ID.
• By phone, through the cita previa line, which books your appointment.
• In person, at an INSS office (CAISS), by appointment.

Living abroad does not stop you. You can use a consulate or the pension institution of the country where you live. A lawyer or gestor can also file for you. The documents list below shows what to bring.

How long it takes

The INSS has 90 days to decide. If it says nothing in that time, the claim counts as rejected through silencio administrativo negativo. You can then file an administrative complaint and, after that, go to court.

Backdating

If you file on time, the pension starts from the day you stop work, provided you meet the conditions. If you file late, it is backdated at most 3 months before the day you filed.

How you are paid

The pension is paid in 14 instalments a year: 12 monthly payments plus two extra ones, usually in June and November (December in some cases). Payment is by bank transfer, usually in the last days of the month. It goes to a Spanish account or another account you choose, which can be abroad. Some pensions are paid in 12 instalments with the extras spread across the year, so check your award letter.

Retirement planner: what to do in the years and months before

• Request your informe de vida laboral (work-history report) from Seguridad Social, online with Cl@ve and free, and check it for gaps or wrong contribution bases: 3 to 5 years or more before retirement

• Correct any errors with the INSS or TGSS (Spain's Social Security offices): As soon as you spot them, in the years before retirement

• Ask the pension institutions of any other EU/EEA country, the UK, Switzerland or agreement country where you worked for your insurance periods: 1 to 2 years before retirement, because foreign institutions can be slow

• Allow for foreign institutions to certify your periods: Typically 2 to 6 months, sometimes longer; faster inside the EU system

• File the claim online with Cl@ve, by cita previa (phone appointment) or at an INSS office, with ID or NIE, bank details and any foreign documents: 2 to 4 months before your retirement date, and no earlier than 3 months before

• Wait for the INSS decision: Normally up to 90 days after filing

• Stop work or contributions, and confirm your tax and health-cover position if you live abroad: Only once your claim is in order

Documents for a pension claim, including foreign periods

• Your ID document: DNI, NIE or passport

• Your Social Security number

• A bank certificate showing your IBAN, in your own name

• The completed claim form, including the periods you worked abroad with the institution and insurance number for each

• Your foreign insurance numbers, employer details and anything else the foreign institution asks for. The INSS requests the certificates itself, through the EU electronic exchange system for EU/EEA countries or agreement forms for other countries

• Proof that your last job ended, your IRPF (income tax) withholding choice, a marriage or family record if you have dependants, and details of any previous pensions, if they apply to you

Frequently asked questions

What happens if the INSS does not answer my claim?

If the INSS does not answer within 90 days, your claim is treated as rejected through administrative silence. You can then file an administrative complaint and, after that, go to court. Keep the date you filed so you can count the 90 days.

Can someone else file my retirement claim for me?

Yes, a representative such as a lawyer or a gestor (a paperwork agent) can file the claim on your behalf. If you live abroad, you can also use a consulate or a foreign pension institution to send it.

When in the year is the pension paid?

The pension is paid monthly by bank transfer, usually in the last days of the month. The two extra payments come in June and November, or December in some cases. The account can be a Spanish one or another account you choose, even abroad.

Are all Spanish pensions paid in 14 instalments?

No, contributory pensions paid by the INSS come in 14 instalments a year, but some pensions are paid in 12 instalments with the extra payments spread across the months. Ask the INSS which applies to yours.