Benefits for Spaniards returning to Spain

Key rules

• Deadline: You must apply within 30 days after you return to Spain.
• Work abroad: You need at least 12 months of work outside Spain, within 6 years of leaving.
• Amount: The subsidy is 80% of the IPREM, for up to 18 months, or up to 21 months if you are over 52.
• Where you return from: You must return from a non-EU/EEA country or one with no agreement with Spain.

Do you qualify?

You may qualify for the returnee subsidy (subsidio para emigrantes retornados) if you are Spanish and come back to Spain after working abroad. You must meet all of these conditions:

• You worked outside Spain for at least 12 months within the 6 years after you left.
• You have no right to unemployment benefit in the country you are leaving.
• You return from a non-EU/EEA country, or from a country that has no agreement with Spain.
• You are registered as a jobseeker in Spain.
• Your income is not above 75% of the SMI (Spain's minimum monthly wage).

If you come back from another EU/EEA country, this subsidy is generally not for you.

When to apply

Apply within 30 days after you return. Do not wait. Register as a jobseeker first, then apply to the SEPE. The timeline below shows the order.

What you get

The subsidy is 80% of the IPREM, paid for up to 18 months. If you are over 52, it can last up to 21 months.

The scheme was folded into the general subsidy system in the 2024 reform, so the amounts now follow the general step schedule. Ask the SEPE for the exact monthly figure and the current conditions before you travel.

Before you return

• Keep proof of your work abroad: contracts, payslips and employer letters covering at least 12 months.
• Keep proof of your return date, such as travel tickets.
• Get a document from the foreign authority showing you have no unemployment entitlement there.
• Book your SEPE appointment as soon as you arrive, because the 30 days start from your return.

Timeline and deadlines

Returnee subsidy: timing and deadlines

• Work abroad for at least 12 months: in the 6 years since you left Spain, before you return

• Return to Spain from a non-EU/EEA country, or a country with no agreement with Spain: before you apply (earliest on entry date)

• Register as a jobseeker: after you return and before you file the subsidy application

• Apply for the returnee subsidy (subsidio para emigrantes retornados): within 30 days after your return (earliest on entry date; latest 30 days after entry date)

• Receive the subsidy, set at 80% of the IPREM (a public reference index used to set benefits): for up to 18 months, or up to 21 months if you are over 52