Unemployment and Claiming Benefits in Spain

Lost a job, retrenched? Find out where to go, how to register for unemployed benefits (el paro) and where to start job seeking...
In
order to be eligible to receive unemployment benefits in Spain, a person must
have been employed and paid contributions into the social security system. The
amount of benefit received by unemployed workers varies depending on how long
they were employed.
The
Spanish unemployment office is Servicio
Público de Empleo Estatal. Unemployment benefits are known as
"el paro".
Being Eligible to Claim Unemployment
Allowance
In
order to receive unemployment allowance, a person must be legally unemployed.
The following situations are considered legal unemployment:
- End, or
authorised suspension of employment
- Temporary and
authorised reduction of working hours
- Spanish
workers becoming unemployed abroad and returning to Spain
- Release from
prison when the sentence has been served or release is conditional
Most
legal unemployment situations can be proved with a company certificate which
will be supplied by an employer at the end of the job.
Unemployed after working less than one year
Workers
who have been employed for less than one year do not have the minimum
requirement of contributions to receive unemployment benefits; however they may
apply for an Unemployment Subsidy (Subsidio
por Desempleo) providing they meet the following conditions:
- They are
legally unemployed
- They register
as a job seeker and sign an Activity Agreement (Compromiso de Actividad)
- They have
contributed at least three months of Social Security payments if they have
family responsibilities, or six months of contributions if they do not
- They do not
have an income of more than 75 percent of the Minimum Professional Wage (El Salario Mínimo
Interprofesional)
Unemployed after working longer than one year
Workers
who have been employed for over one year have made sufficient contributions to
qualify for unemployment benefits, providing they meet the following
conditions:
- They are
legally unemployed
- They register
as a job seeker and sign an Activity Agreement
- They are not
over the usual age of retirement (65 years for men)
- They worked
for a minimum of 360 days in the previous six years
This contributory period means the right to receive benefits
for 120 days (4 months).
Unemployed becoming self-employed
Those
who are unemployed and wish to become self employed (autonomo) may claim a
single payment if they meet the following conditions:
- They must be
in receipt of unemployment benefit and have at least three months of
payments left to claim
- They must not
have claimed this entitlement in the previous four years
- They must be
able to prove that activities as a self-employed worker are carried out
- They must
prove, if they join a associated work cooperative or employee-owned
company, that they have not had a previous contractual relationship of
more than 24 months
Note:
Self employed workers are unable to claim unemployment benefit but may be
eligible for other subsidies.
Claiming unemployment in Spain for work done
in another EU country
Someone
becoming resident in Spain who has paid contributions in any EU or EEA (European
Economic Area) country may use those social security contributions to receive
unemployment benefits in Spain.
Request
form E301 (a record of contributions made) from the local Employment office
before moving to Spain.
Activity Agreement
In
order to claim unemployment benefits, an Activity Agreement must be signed with
the unemployment office. This confirms that the unemployed person is willing to
actively participate in searching for work, to take any suitable position
offered, and to take part in any retraining schemes or similar which are
required. Not keeping to the Activity Agreement is minor offence and will lead
to penalties.
Minimum Professional Wage
The
Minimum Professional Wage is set by the Spanish Government. In 2019 it was set
at €900 per month. Anyone receiving over 75 percent of this amount may not be
entitled to benefits if this income is received through capital gains, property
or other investment, pension or other unemployment benefits, income from other
employment or professional activity. Income received through child allowance,
payment for community work, or certain subsidies does not count towards this
figure.
- For
information on the Minimum Professional Wage
- Full details
on calculating benefits are available from SEPE
Registering with the Unemployment Office
In
order to apply for unemployment benefits the worker must present the following
documents within 15 working days of becoming unemployed:
- Completed
application form (Mod. PR-AIN/03-279-S). Forms can be obtained at a
provincial Public
Employment Portal (Servicio Público de Empleo
Estatal) Service Center. The application form includes a
statement on dependants and their incomes, bank account details for
payment of the benefit, an Activity Agreement and authorisation to request
information from AEAT (Agencia Tributaria -
tax office)
- Servicio Público de Empleo
Estatal
At: Calle Condesa de Venadito, 28027 Madrid
Tel: +34 900 812 400 - Company
certificate or certificates from the workers' employer from the previous
six months
- Identity
documents for the applicant and any children who are dependant and named
on the application
- Spanish
identification document (DNI or NIE)
- Family
register book (or equivalent for foreign citizens)
Job Seeking and Looking for Work in Spain
There
are many ways to look for work in Spain, including registering with employment
agencies or searching in local press. The following links may be useful for
those who are looking for work:
- EURES European Employment Services: job vacancies, advice and information.
Useful websites for jobseekers
- Oficina
Empleo
- Bolsadetrabajo.com
- Indeed
- InfoJobs
- Wemploy
- Adecco
- The Local English language jobs in Spain