LIFE IN SPAIN: I Finally Got My Spanish Pension – But What a Long, Sad Tale…

After literally years of chasing after it, I have finally received my Spanish pension.

If you’re hoping your journey will be smoother, I sincerely wish you luck — though I’m not optimistic.

You may not have to put yourself through this. You may have moved to Spain with an impressive nest egg or are banking on a big lottery win. You’re doing well. But for the rest of us — those who’ve worked, grafted and done odd jobs here — it’s a different story.

What is considered pensionable work?

To qualify for a Spanish pension, you need 15 years of “cotizado” work — i.e. Registered, taxed employment. The Hacienda does not count your cash-in hand job fixing fruit machines in British pubs.

To find out where you stand, you’ll need your vida laboral — an official printout of all recognised work you’ve done in Spain. It’s available at your local Seguridad Social or, better yet, ask your accountant for help. Technically, you can request it online… but if you can navigate that monster of a website, you deserve a medal — or at least a pension.

Dodgy Bosses: The Big Spanish Secret

Here’s some insider information. Spanish employers don’t always play fair. Not all of them, of course — but many see social security payments as a burden.

Say you’re earning €800 a month. That may not sound like much, but your boss is probably paying an extra €400 in taxes and contributions. Suddenly, you’re a €1,200 headache, and he’s looking for ways to cut corners.

One common trick. You are falsely registered as a “part-time” worker. It saves them money, but it slashes your pension contributions — and you might not even know it’s happening.

PAYE in the UK means that pensions are automatically paid. In Spain, you need to check your contributions regularly — or risk finding out too late.

Kafka would be proud of my own case

I also taught English for 12 years in Spain. When I hit 65, I trotted off to the Seguridad Social and said, “Right then — time to cash in.”

I was told that my contribution period had not been met. Why? One of my employers has secretly filed me under part-time.

I spoke to an attorney. She said I could sue, but it would cost €3,000, take five years, and wasn’t guaranteed to succeed. Not ideal.

My shortfall was relatively small: I had to work an additional 147 days (around 6 months). Easy to say, but harder to do. You’re not going to find many employers interested in hiring you if you’re over 60. They prefer younger workers who are cheaper and more obedient.

Still, I found a job, registered as autónomo (self-employed), and worked like mad — even though my earnings were so low, I sometimes couldn’t afford the monthly autónomo fee. At the end of the six months, I had to borrow €500 to clear my back taxes.

Bureaucracy, Spanish-Style

I was back and said: “Pension please!”

Nope.

Two visits later, the issue was revealed: I still owed €11 in interest on the late payments. I was deemed a debtor and was not legally eligible for a retirement until that debt was paid.

I gave cash to the person on the spot.

“No, señor — transfers only.”

So I transferred. Then, “Pension?”

“En trámite,” they said — “in process.” No timeline, no amount, no clarity.

In August, I received my first letter. My application had “been viewed favorably.” The mood improved, even though there was no money.

And Finally…

The pension is finally here. I won’t say how much — but if you see me in the pub, the crisps are on me!

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