State compensation for victims of violent crime

Key rules

• Deadline: You must apply for state aid for violent crime within one year, counted from the crime or, if a criminal case is under way, from the final decision that ends it.
• Sexual crimes: Victims of crimes against sexual freedom can apply even without serious injury.
• Other compensation: Anything you have already received for the same harm is deducted from the aid.
• Provisional aid: You can ask for it in your application if you are in urgent need, but you may have to repay part of it.

Who can get the aid

Spain pays public aid to victims of intentional violent crimes that cause death, serious injury or serious damage to physical or mental health. It also covers all victims of crimes against sexual freedom, even without serious injury.

You can apply if you are:

• the direct victim, or
• if the victim died, their spouse or partner, children, parents or other dependants.

Victims of gender violence and terrorism have their own separate schemes. Ask the victim assistance office which one fits you.

Conditions

• The crime happened in Spain. Spanish nationals abroad and EU residents can qualify in some cases.
• If you are not an EU national, you qualify if you are a Spanish resident or if your home country gives Spanish victims the same treatment.
• The criminal case is in progress, or it has ended with a judgment that recognises the facts.
• You are not the cause of the harm.
• You are not claiming the same loss from another source. The aid is reduced by any compensation you have already received.

What you can receive

There are several types of aid: provisional aid, aid for death, aid for permanent total disability or very serious injury, aid for serious injury, and aid for sexual-freedom crimes. The last one includes a specific amount for psychological treatment. If you claim treatment costs, add the receipts.

Amounts come from an official table based on the IPREM, a public income index set each year in the state budget. Each type has a cap. The caps are higher for dependants and for very serious injuries. Ask the victim assistance office for the current figures before you rely on any amount.

Getting money before the case ends

If the crime has left you in a difficult financial situation, you can ask for provisional aid in the same application. Explain why it is urgent. It is granted after a preliminary check that the harm is plausible, and it is later set against the final aid. If the final aid is lower, or refused, you may have to repay the difference. The decision below helps you weigh this.

Deadline

You must apply within one year. The year counts from the crime or, if a criminal case is under way, from the final decision that ends it. If you were injured, it can run from the date your injuries stabilised. For minors and people who lack legal capacity, the year starts later. Confirm your start date with the victim assistance office, because exceptions apply.

Where to apply

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business decides applications. The process is the same across Spain, although some regions run their own extra help. You use the official standard form and can submit it:

• online, through the ministry's electronic office,
• at a public registry, or
• through an Oficinas de Asistencia a las Víctimas, the local victim assistance office. Staff there can help you fill in the form.

The documents list below shows what to attach. The ministry may ask for more.

Choosing between options

Should you ask for provisional aid now or wait for the final aid?

• Ask for provisional aid now: The crime has left you in a difficult economic situation and the criminal case is still open. Request it in the same application and explain the urgency.

• Wait for the final aid: You can manage financially until the case ends.

Ask for provisional aid only if you need money urgently, because it is set against the final aid and any excess may have to be repaid.

Check current amounts and conditions with the Ministry of Economy or a victim assistance office.

Timeline and deadlines

• If you were injured, count from the date your injuries stabilised (medical discharge or recognition of the injuries): where it applies to your case

• If the victim is a minor or lacks legal capacity, the year starts later: at majority or when legal capacity is gained

Documents you need

• Official application form, completed and signed by you.

• A copy of your ID, passport or residence document.

• Proof of the crime, such as the police complaint (denuncia) or court records.

• Medical reports and discharge reports showing your injuries.

• The criminal judgment or court resolution, if the case has produced one.

• Proof of any other compensation you have received for the same harm.

• If you apply as a relative: the death certificate and proof of your family relationship.

• Bank account details for the payment.

• Receipts or evidence of expenses you claim, for example psychological treatment.

Checklist

• Check that the crime was intentional and violent and caused death or serious injury, or was a crime against sexual freedom.

• Confirm the crime happened in Spain, and that you are a Spanish resident, an EU national or from a country that grants the same aid.

• Work out your deadline of one year, counted from the crime or from the final decision that ends the case.

• Gather the complaint, medical reports, ID, bank details and any court judgment.

• Ask for provisional aid in your application if you are in urgent financial need.

• Ask for the cost of psychological treatment, with receipts, if you are claiming it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get money before the criminal case ends?

Yes, you can ask for provisional aid before the criminal case ends if the crime has left you in a difficult economic situation. Request it in the same application and explain why it is urgent.

Where do I send the application for state aid?

You send it to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, which decides these applications, using the official standard form. You can file it online through the ministry's electronic office, at a registry, or through a victim assistance office (Oficina de Asistencia a las Víctimas). The process is the same across Spain.

Can I get state aid if I am not a Spanish citizen?

Yes, if you are a legal resident in Spain, or if your home country grants the same aid to Spaniards. EU nationals can also qualify in defined cases. The crime must normally have been committed in Spain.

Does other compensation reduce the state aid I receive?

Yes, the aid is reduced by any compensation you have already received for the same loss from other sources. Keep proof of every payment, because you must include it with your application.