Spain’s new “pension in favour of relatives”: what foreign residents over 45 need to know in 2026

What has changed in 2026 for expats?

From 2026, Spain’s Social Security system is actively promoting a way for people aged 45 and over to make regular monthly contributions toward a so‑called “pensión en favor de familiares” – a pension in favour of relatives. For foreign workers and long‑term residents who pay into Spanish Social Security, this opens a clearer route to protect dependants who might struggle financially if you die while still in work. The mechanism itself is not completely new, but the 2026 reforms make it more visible and easier to use as a targeted family‑protection tool.

If you are an expat registered in Spain’s Social Security system, you generally earn the same contributory rights as a Spanish national. That means these over‑45 contributions can be used to strengthen the future pension entitlement of certain relatives – typically children, grandchildren, dependent parents or other close family members who rely on your income and live with you in Spain.

Who among foreign residents can use this?

The main audience is foreign workers or self‑employed residents who:

• Are legally resident in Spain (with NIE and valid residence/work authorisation where required).
• Are already paying into Spanish Social Security through their payslip or autónomo quota.
• Are aged 45 or over.
• Have relatives who could potentially qualify for a pension in favour of relatives if they died (for example, dependent children, adult children without income, relatives with disabilities or dependent parents living in the same household).

For expats, this is particularly relevant if your family’s financial life is now mainly in Spain and your dependants would not automatically be protected by a pension system in your home country. It gives you a way to plug that gap from within the Spanish system.

How the monthly contributions work for expats

The extra payments are voluntary and sit on top of your normal Social Security contributions. Instead of being a generic “top‑up”, they are linked specifically to the family‑protection route: over time they increase the contribution base and periods that will be used if Social Security later has to calculate a pension in favour of relatives for your dependants.

For salaried expats, the simplest option is usually to arrange the extra amount so that it appears as an additional Social Security line on the payslip, agreed between you and the administration (and your employer if needed). For self‑employed expats (autónomos), the added contribution can be folded into your monthly quota. In both cases, the logic is the same: small, consistent contributions build a meaningful cushion over the remaining years of your working life.

Which relatives of an expat can benefit?

A pension in favour of relatives is aimed at family members who were genuinely dependent on your income. Typical beneficiaries include:

• Children or grandchildren (including those with disabilities) who live with you and do not have sufficient income of their own.
• Other relatives taken into your household and maintained by you, in very specific legal circumstances.
• In some cases, dependent parents or older relatives if they relied on your earnings and shared your home.

For foreign residents, this often means children who are growing up and studying in Spain, or a spouse/partner who has not yet found work in the Spanish labour market. The key is that they must meet the dependency and cohabitation rules at the time of your death for the pension to be granted.

How the benefit is calculated

When a claim is made after the contributor’s death, Social Security looks at the total contribution history, including the special over‑45 payments, to calculate a regulated base. The pension in favour of relatives is then a percentage of that base, subject to minimum and maximum limits. The more years and the higher the base, the larger the potential monthly benefit for your relatives.

For expats who arrived in Spain mid‑career, the 2026 option can be especially useful: it allows you to concentrate extra contributions into the Spanish years you do have, so that your dependants can still receive a meaningful pension from Spain even if your earlier working life was mostly in another country.

Why Spain is offering this – and why expats should care

The Spanish government is rolling this out in the context of an ageing population and increasingly complex families, which include a growing number of foreign residents. Many households depend on one or two incomes that support children, extended family and sometimes relatives abroad. If that income disappears suddenly, those dependants often end up relying on non‑contributory benefits or local social services.

By encouraging over‑45s – including foreign workers – to pay a bit extra now, the system aims to reduce that vulnerability later. For expats who are likely to retire in Spain or whose families will remain here, it is a way to anchor their safety net in the country where they actually live and work, rather than relying solely on entitlements in their country of origin.

Step‑by‑step: what foreign workers and residents should do

1. Confirm your legal and Social Security status
   Make sure you have an NIE, valid residence/work permission (if required), and are registered and contributing to Spanish Social Security as an employee or autónomo. Without this, you cannot build the contributory rights that underpin the pension in favour of relatives.
2. Check your age and contribution history
   Verify that you are at least 45 and look at how many years you have already contributed in Spain. If you moved to Spain in mid‑life, your Spanish record may be relatively short, which is precisely where these extra contributions can make a difference for your family.
3. Identify vulnerable dependants
   List any relatives who rely on your income: children (including adults still dependent on you), a non‑working partner, relatives with disabilities or dependent parents living in your household. Consider where they will live and what income they will have if something happens to you while you are still working.
4. Talk to Social Security or a bilingual adviser
   Contact Social Security (online, by phone, or at a local office) and explain that you are a foreign resident over 45 who wants to make voluntary contributions to reinforce a pension in favour of relatives. If you are not comfortable in Spanish, use a gestor or adviser who works with expats and can translate both the language and the bureaucracy.
5. Request a personalised simulation
   Ask for an estimate of how different monthly contribution levels would translate into a potential pension for your relatives. Having numbers on paper helps you compare this option with private life insurance, savings in your home country, or company pension schemes.
6. Set an affordable monthly amount
   Choose a monthly figure in euros that you can sustain alongside rent, school fees, remittances abroad and other expenses. It is better to commit to a modest sum you can maintain for many years than to over‑stretch and cancel after a short period.
7. Formalise the extra contribution
   Employees should ensure the extra line shows clearly on their payslip and that both employer and payroll provider understand it is linked to family‑protection rights. Autónomos should check that the new amount appears in their monthly Social Security receipt and keep the resolution from Social Security on file.
8. Plan for a possible move out of Spain
   If you think you may leave Spain before retirement, ask how your Spanish contribution record interacts with your home country’s system and any international agreements. You want to be sure that, even if you relocate, your family will still be able to claim the pension in favour of relatives based on the years you spent working and contributing here.
9. Inform your family and keep documents accessible
   Tell your partner or other relatives that you are paying into this Spanish scheme and where to find your Social Security number, NIE and key documents. If they ever need to claim, having everything ready will make dealing with the Spanish authorities much easier at a difficult time.

Is this worth it for you as an expat?

For foreign residents who expect to stay in Spain long term and whose dependants are building their lives here, the over‑45 “pension in favour of relatives” contributions can be a valuable extra layer of protection. They are not a substitute for private planning or for pensions you may have in your home country, but they tie part of your family’s security directly to the Spanish system your work is already funding.

If, on the other hand, you have no dependants, plan to leave Spain soon, or have comprehensive protection arranged elsewhere, this particular tool may be less of a priority. In that case, you might focus instead on maximising your main retirement pension or using other savings and insurance products better aligned with your long‑term plans.