To retire in Spain in 2026, you must meet several basic requirements. The first is to have reached the legal retirement age, which will be 65 years for those who have at least 38 years and three months of contributions, or 66 years and 10 months for those who do not reach that period. The second is to have a minimum of 15 years of contributions, of which at least two must be included within the 15 years prior to the time of accruing the pension. Furthermore, to access under the ordinary conditions it is required to be in a registered status or assimilated to a registered status, although the law also allows access to retirement from a non-registered status if the required requirements are met. These conditions are regulated in the article 205 of the General Law of Social Security (LGSS).
When they are met, the worker can request the contributory pension and collect it for life. When any of the requirements are missing, the alternatives are to fill the gap through a special agreement, wait to reach the corresponding ordinary age or, if you do not have sufficient resources, resort to the non-contributory pension.
What is the legal retirement age in 2026?
The retirement age depends on the total number of years contributed to Social Security throughout one’s working life. These would be the ages for 2026 and 2027, the year in which the transitional calendar will end:
| Year | Quoted periods | Retirement age |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 38 years and 3 months or more | 65 years |
| Less than 38 years and 3 months | 66 years and 10 months | |
| From 2027 | 38 years and 6 months or more | 65 years |
| Less than 38 years and 6 months | 67 years |
The age has continued to increase gradually since 2013 as a consequence of the reform introduced by Law 27/2011. In 2027 it will be definitively set at 65 years for those who prove 38 years and 6 months of contributions and at 67 years for those who do not reach that contribution.
Workers who have already reached ordinary age can delay access to the pension and take advantage of delayed retirement, as long as they meet the legal requirements. In this way they will be able to obtain a financial supplement in their pension. There is no maximum age limit to request contributory retirement.
How many years do you have to have contributions to retire?
The minimum is 15 years of contributions, which is known as a generic grace period. In addition, at least 2 of those years must be included within the 15 years prior to the causative event, which is known as a specific grace period. This double requirement prevents a person who worked for years in his youth and then completely disconnected from the system from accessing a contributory pension without recent contributions.
To collect 100% of the regulatory base in 2026, 36 years and 6 months of contributions are required. The amount increases progressively from the 50% that corresponds to 15 years of contributions until reaching 100% upon reaching that period. This would be the table applicable in 2026:
| Years quoted | Percentage of the regulatory base |
|---|---|
| 15 | 50% |
| 16 | 52.52% |
| 17 | 55.04% |
| 18 | 57.56% |
| 19 | 60.08% |
| 20 | 62.38% |
| 21 | 64.66% |
| 22 | 66.94% |
| 23 | 69.22% |
| 24 | 71.50% |
| 25 | 73.78% |
| 26 | 76.06% |
| 27 | 78.34% |
| 28 | 80.62% |
| 29 | 82.90% |
| 30 | 85.18% |
| 31 | 87.46% |
| 32 | 89.74% |
| 33 | 92.02% |
| 34 | 94.30% |
| 35 | 96.58% |
| 36 years and 6 months or more | 100% |
Periods worked without registration in Social Security or those in which there is no effective contribution are not counted as contributions. On the other hand, certain periods protected by law can be counted, such as periods of leave to care for children, which are considered contributions within the limits provided for in article 237 of the LGSS. The time of compulsory military service, substitute social benefit or compulsory female social service may also be computed, with a maximum limit of one year and only for the purposes of certain types of early retirement or partial retirement.
This means that, for example, a mother who stopped working for three years to care for a child can recover that period as contributions under the terms recognized by law. On the other hand, those who served in the mandatory military service will only be able to add that time in the specific cases provided for early or partial retirement, but not for ordinary retirement.
What is the discharge situation or similar to discharge?
To access contributory retirement under ordinary conditions, it is common for the worker to be registered with Social Security or in a situation similar to registration on the day the causative event occurs. Among the most common situations are the following:
- Involuntary unemployment with benefit or subsidy
- Forced leave due to public or union position
- Transfer of the worker by the company outside the national territory
- Periods of legal strike or lockout
- Special agreement with Social Security
- Certain situations of temporary disability, risk during pregnancy or risk during breastfeeding
However, retirement can also be recognized from a non-registered status, as long as the legally required age and contribution requirements are met. If the minimum of 15 years of contributions is not reached, the alternative is a non-contributory pension, provided that there is insufficient income and the residence requirements are met.
When should it be requested?
The contributory retirement pension should be requested sufficiently in advance to avoid delays in collection. Although there is no maximum period to request it, since the right to recognition of the retirement pension is imprescriptible, submitting the request later may affect the economic effects.
Specifically, when retirement is requested while registered, the economic effects can go back, at most, to three months prior to the date of the request. Therefore, submitting documentation with margin helps reduce the risk of delays in the resolution and payment of the pension.
Additionally, applications submitted after reaching the legal age remain valid. In certain cases, this delay in access can lead to delayed retirement and generate the corresponding financial incentive.
What happens if any requirements are missing?
If upon reaching the ordinary age the 15 years of contributions are not reached, there are several ways to try to complete the deficiency:
- Special agreement with Social Security, which allows you to continue contributing voluntarily even if there is no effective work
- Register as self-employed to continue generating contributions until you reach the minimum required
- Totalization of contributions made in other countries with which Spain has an agreement or that are within community regulations
If despite everything the minimum deficiency is not reached, the alternative is the non-contributory retirement pension, aimed at people over 65 years of age with insufficient resources. In 2026, this benefit amounts to 628.80 euros per month in 14 payments and requires, among other requirements, having resided in Spain for at least 10 years between the age of 16 and the date of accrual of the pension, of which 2 must be consecutive and immediately prior to the application.
What happens if the INSS denies the request?
If the resolution is unfavorable, the worker has 30 days to file a prior claim with the INSS itself, in accordance with article 71 of the Law Regulating Social Jurisdiction. The organization has 45 days to respond. If it is rejected or does not respond within that period, judicial proceedings are opened and the interested party has 30 days to file a claim before the Social Court.
When the resolution recognizes the pension with an amount lower than the corresponding amount or leaves out contribution periods that should be computed, it can also be challenged in this same way. In these cases, if the court agrees with the worker, the INSS must review the benefit and pay the appropriate economic differences.