All foreign employees working for Spanish companies
and self-employed foreigners in Spain must usually
contribute to Spanish social security. Generally
if you're an employee in Spain,
you will be insured under Spanish social security
legislation and won't have any liability
for social security contributions in your home
country or country of domicile. However, social
security agreements exist between Spain and over
40 countries, including all EU countries and the
USA, whereby expatriates may remain members of
their home country's social security scheme for
a limited period. EU nationals transferred to
Spain by an employer in their home country can
continue to pay social security abroad for one
year (form E-101 is required), which can be extended
for another year in unforeseen circumstances (when
form E-102 is needed). However,
after working in Spain for two years, EU nationals
must contribute to the Spanish social security
system.
If you're working in Spain, your employer will
usually complete the necessary formalities to
ensure that you're covered by social security.
If he doesn't do it, you must
obtain an attestation that you're employed in
Spain and register at the nearest social security
office to your home. Your local town hall
will give you the address of your local office
or it will be listed under Seguridad
Social in your local Yellow Pages.
You will need to produce passports and (certified)
birth certificates for all dependants and a marriage
certificate (if applicable). You may also
need to provide copies with official translations
(but check first as translations may be unnecessary).
You will also need proof of
residence such as a property deed of sale
(escritura) or a rental contract.
After you have registered you will receive a
registration card (cartilla de la seguridad social
or tarjeta sanitaria), usually by post around
four to eight weeks later. A married couple with
one partner working are covered by the same social
security card and number, as are all dependants
(e.g. children under 16) who are listed on your
social security card.
More Information
Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social,
Subdirección General de Relaciones Internacionales,
Padre Damian, 4, Madrid 28036. Tel: (91) 564 7681.
Free telephone information is available on 900-166565
(mainland and the Balearics), 900-103535 (Las
Palmas) and 900-103838 (Tenerife).
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