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Spanish retirement pension basics
The contributory retirement pension is paid by the Spanish Social Security. The Social Security pages set an age rule that depends on how long a person has contributed, plus a minimum contribution record of 15 years, 2 of them in the 15 years before retirement. This card describes how the rules are laid out, not whether anyone qualifies.
- Why it matters
- People who work and pay into the Spanish system build this record year by year. The official pages describe adding up periods from other countries for some agreements; the rules for a given country are not stated on this card.
- When
- You pay into Spanish Social Security and want to understand how the retirement pension is built, or you are close to the retirement age and want to know how to ask for it.
- Official page
- Jubilación: edad y períodos de cotización
- Last checked
- 26 Oct 2026
In the guide: the 5 steps, what to bring (4 items), the office with addresses and hours, and 4 Easy to miss lines, with every official source.
One Easy to miss, on us
The phase-in table has two columns: the age with a long record and the age with a shorter record. In 2026 they are 65 (38 years 3 months or more) and 66 years 10 months.