What must happen in your first weeks at a new Spanish job

Terms used

• Alta — The alta is your registration with Social Security as a worker, which your employer must file.
• Modelo 145 — Modelo 145 is the form where you tell your employer your family situation so they set your income tax withholding.
• Convenio — The convenio is the collective agreement that sets minimum pay, hours and conditions for your sector.
• IRPF — The IRPF is Spain's personal income tax, withheld from your pay each month.
• Vida laboral — The vida laboral is a report listing your employers, registration dates and contribution group.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government login system used to access online services such as Social Security.
• DNI — The DNI is the Spanish national ID card.

Key rules

• Alta: Your employer must register you with Social Security before you start work, and can do so up to 60 days in advance.
• Modelo 145: Hand it in before the first payroll, or more tax may be withheld than needed.
• Check yourself: Confirm your alta online or in your vida laboral within the first days rather than assuming it was done.
• Errors: Report payslip mistakes to your employer in writing.

Your employer must register you before you start

Your employer must register you with Social Security before you start work, and can do so up to 60 days in advance. This registration is called the alta. It is your employer's job, not yours. Your job is to give them what they need and then check it happened.

What to do, in order

1. Sign your contract and keep a copy. Check the collective agreement (convenio), your category, pay, hours and probation period.
2. Hand over your documents. The documents list below shows what your employer needs.
3. Give your employer modelo 145 before the first payroll. See the next section.
4. Ask for the alta notice. Your employer must give you the justificante de alta, usually shortly after registering you.
5. Check your alta yourself in the first days.
6. Check your first payslip and raise any error in writing.

Modelo 145 and your tax withholding

Modelo 145 is the form where you tell your employer about your family situation: age, children and dependants, disability, and a mortgage on a main home bought before 2013. Your employer uses it to work out how much income tax to withhold from each payslip.

If you do not hand it in, your employer withholds as if you had the lowest family circumstances. More tax may be taken from your pay. You get the difference back in your annual tax return. If your situation changes, for example a birth, tell your employer. The new rate applies from the next payroll after you do.

How to confirm you are registered

You can check in two ways:

• Online. Use the Social Security electronic office (Import@ss / Mi Seguridad Social). You log in with Cl@ve, an electronic certificate or the electronic DNI.
• Vida laboral. This report lists every employer, your alta and baja dates and your contribution group. Request it online, by SMS, by phone with an appointment, or in person.

The alta usually shows within a few days of your employer registering you. The full vida laboral report can lag a little behind. If your alta has not appeared after a few days, ask your employer in writing to confirm your registration date.

What to look for on your first payslip

Check the salary, category, contribution base, income tax (IRPF) withholding and Social Security deductions. If something is wrong, tell your employer in writing straight away. Keep your own record of hours and tasks.

If your employer never registered you

You are still protected. Your employer is liable for your benefits, and you are treated as registered for accidents and health care. But the unregistered periods may need to be claimed through the labour inspectorate (Inspección de Trabajo) or the courts before they count as contributed time. Late or missing registration is a serious offence for the employer, with fines and back contributions.

Timeline and deadlines

• Sign your contract and keep a copy: before you start

• Your employer can register you with Social Security: up to 60 days before your start date

• Your employer must have registered you: before you start work

• Give your employer modelo 145: before the first payroll

• Check your alta online or in your vida laboral: in the first days, within a few days of your employer registering you

• Check your first payslip and raise any error in writing: when the first payslip arrives

Documents your employer needs from you to register you

Documents your employer needs from you

• Your DNI (Spanish ID) or, if you are a foreign national, your NIE (foreigner ID number), plus a copy for your employer.

• Your Social Security affiliation number (NUSS). If you do not have one, your employer can request it when they register you, using your DNI or NIE, so it does not delay your start.

• Your bank IBAN, so your employer knows where to pay your salary.

• A completed modelo 145, the form where you tell your employer your age, children, dependants, disability and similar details so they work out your income tax withholding. Hand it in before the first payroll; without it, the employer withholds at the highest-tax basis for your situation and you get the difference back in your annual tax return.

• Your signed employment contract.

• If you are a non-EU national, your valid work and residence authorisation. EU citizens need only their registration certificate or ID.

• Qualifications, a medical certificate or a certificate from a previous employer, only if your employer asks for them for your role.

Checklist

• Sign your contract and keep a copy, checking the collective agreement (convenio), category, pay, hours and probation period.

• Ask your employer to confirm that they will register you with Social Security before you start work.

• Give your employer your completed modelo 145 before the first payroll.

• Ask your employer for the alta notice (justificante de alta) shortly after they register you.

• Check your alta in the first days through Import@ss / Mi Seguridad Social, using Cl@ve, an electronic certificate or your DNIe.

• Request an informe de vida laboral, online, by SMS, by phone with an appointment or in person, to see your employer and your alta date.

• Keep a record of your hours and tasks, and raise any error in writing promptly.

Frequently asked questions

Am I protected if my employer never registered me with Social Security?

Yes, you are still protected for accidents and health care, because you are treated as registered by law and your employer is liable for your benefits. The unregistered periods may not count as contributed time unless you claim them through the labour inspectorate (Inspección de Trabajo) or the courts. Ask for advice there if your alta is missing.

How long does it take for my alta to show online?

Your alta usually shows online within a few days of your employer registering you. The full vida laboral report (your work history) can lag a little behind, so check Import@ss or Mi Seguridad Social first. If nothing appears after that, ask your employer for the alta notice.

What happens if I do not give my employer modelo 145?

If you do not deliver modelo 145, your employer withholds income tax (IRPF) as if you had the lowest family circumstances, so more tax may be taken from your pay. You recover the difference in your annual tax return. Delivering it later changes the rate only from the next payroll.

What do I do when my family situation changes after I gave modelo 145?

Tell your employer about the change, such as a birth, as soon as it happens. The new withholding rate applies from the next payroll after you tell them. It does not change your final tax, which is settled in the annual return.