Spain
Worked in Spain? Any pension you built up here is yours to keep and can usually be paid to you abroad — but you have to claim it; it won't start automatically. The full state pension age is 67, with early access from 61. On totalization, Spain has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is Spain's system at a glance and what expats should check.
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Overview
Spain operates a mandatory pay-as-you-go (PAYG) earnings-related defined benefit public pension system administered by the Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) under the Seguridad Social framework. It is one of the most generous systems in the OECD, with a gross replacement rate of approximately 80% for average earners — the joint highest in the OECD alongside Greece (Pensions at a Glance 2025). The system is financed by compulsory contributions from employers and employees, with the state pension payable worldwide subject to bilateral or EU coordination rules. Major reforms in 2011 and 2021–2023 progressively raised the retirement age to 67 (to be fully phased in by 2027), extended the pension calculation period, reintroduced CPI-linked indexation (Law 21/2021), and introduced the Intergenerational Equity Mechanism (MEI) — a surcharge replacing the former Sustainability Factor — to replenish the pension reserve fund. From 2026, a new dual calculation method began phasing in: the Social Security automatically calculates pensions using both the traditional 25-year method (last 300 months ÷ 350) and a new adjusted high-basis method (best 302 months out of the last 304 months ÷ 352.33), applying whichever is more favourable. This system will expand progressively through 2037, eventually reaching a 29-year window with the 2 worst years excluded, becoming mandatory from 2044. The ordinary retirement age in 2026 is 66 years and 10 months (for those with fewer than 38 years and 3 months of contributions), rising to 67 in 2027.
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The second and third pillars remain voluntary and relatively underdeveloped compared to other EU countries. Occupational pension plans (planes de pensiones de empleo) are promoted by employers and may be defined benefit or defined contribution; coverage is limited but growing following 2023 reforms encouraging simplified employment pension plans. Individual pension plans (planes de pensiones individuales) are available to all residents, with tax-deductible contributions capped at EUR 1,500/year for individuals (rising to EUR 5,750 for self-employed and up to EUR 8,500 combined with employer contributions). From January 2025, members of individual and associate pension plans may withdraw consolidated rights from contributions made at least 10 years ago. The Convenio Especial allows individuals temporarily outside the workforce — including expats — to make voluntary contributions to maintain pension rights.
Spain has an extensive network of bilateral totalization agreements covering over 25 countries, plus full EU coordination under EC 883/2004. Pensions are uprated annually by CPI for all recipients regardless of country of residence — contributory pensions were revalued by 2.8% in 2025 and 2.7% in 2026. Non-resident pensioners must submit proof of life (Fe de Vida) twice in 2026 (January–March and September), now facilitated by the VIVESS mobile app (biometric facial recognition). From August 2026, flexible retirement (jubilación flexible) was expanded via Royal Decreto 416/2026 to include self-employed workers (autónomos), allowing pensioners to return to part-time work while drawing a portion of their pension.
~80% for average earner (OECD Pensions at a Glance 2025 — joint highest in OECD with Greece)
Pillar 1: Seguridad Social — mandatory PAYG earnings-related DB (INSS); Pillar 2: Planes de pensiones de empleo — voluntary occupational DC (employer-promoted); Pillar 3: Planes de pensiones individuales / asociados — voluntary individual and associate DC plans
Bismarckian (earnings-related, contributory PAYG defined benefit public system) with voluntary supplementary occupational and individual DC pillars
Employee
4.7% (common contingencies) + 0.15% MEI (2026) = 4.85%; plus solidarity contribution (employee share: 0.19%/0.21%/0.24% by tier) on salary above EUR 5,101.20/month cap
Employer
23.6% (common contingencies) + 0.75% MEI (2026) = 24.35%; plus solidarity contribution (employer share: 0.96%/1.04%/1.22% by tier) on salary above EUR 5,101.20/month cap; plus variable occupational accident rate (e.g. 1.5% office work)
Self-Employed
31.4% general rate on chosen contribution base (real-income bracket system from 2023, transitional until 2032); plus 0.9% MEI (2026) fully borne by self-employed; solidarity contribution does not apply to self-employed (RETA)
Notes
Maximum contribution base: EUR 5,101.20/month (2026), confirmed by Order PJC/297/2026 of March 30, 2026. Minimum contribution base: EUR 1,424.40/month (2026). MEI (Mecanismo de Equidad Intergeneracional): total 0.9% in 2026 (up from 0.8% in 2025), rising to 1.2% by 2032. Solidarity contribution on salaries above maximum base (EUR 5,101.20/month): Tier 1 (EUR 5,101.21–5,611.32): 1.15% total (0.96% employer / 0.19% employee); Tier 2 (EUR 5,611.33–7,651.80): 1.25% total (1.04% employer / 0.21% employee); Tier 3 (above EUR 7,651.81): 1.46% total (1.22% employer / 0.24% employee). Rates increase annually until 2045. Does not generate additional pension entitlements. Self-employed contribution system based on real net income (15 brackets), phased in from 2023; minimum base for lowest bracket EUR 653.59, maximum EUR 5,101.20.
Common questions
What is the retirement age in Spain?
The full state pension age in Spain is 67. Early retirement may be possible from 61.
Can I claim a Spain pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in Spain stays yours wherever you retire, and can usually be paid into an overseas account once you reach pension age. It won't start automatically, though — you need to claim it, typically a few months in advance, through Spain's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my Spain pension?
Spain has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in Spain with years in partner countries to meet a minimum qualifying period, so short stints aren't wasted. Which partners and rules apply depends on your own work history.
How is the pension system structured in Spain?
Bismarckian (earnings-related, contributory PAYG defined benefit public system) with voluntary supplementary occupational and individual DC pillars Pillar 1: Seguridad Social — mandatory PAYG earnings-related DB (INSS); Pillar 2: Planes de pensiones de empleo — voluntary occupational DC (employer-promoted); Pillar 3: Planes de pensiones individuales / asociados — voluntary individual and associate DC plans It includes 3 schemes in our directory.
How do I get a copy of my Spain pension record?
Ask Seguridad Social — Sede Electrónica for your Informe de vida laboral (the Working life report). It's free and you can request it yourself — our step-by-step guide on this page walks through the portal, what to have ready, and what to do if the login fails.