In today’s globalised world, more and more professionals are choosing to build their careers abroad. Whether it’s for better job opportunities, a change of lifestyle, or simply the chance to try something new, many Spanish employees are making the move and settling in other countries.
Starting a new life abroad can be exciting, but it’s important not to forget about long-term planning— especially when it comes to your pension. If you move to a country that doesn’t have a Social Security agreement with Spain, your right to receive a Spanish state pension in the future could be at risk.
If you’re moving within the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland, there are coordinated rules in place for Social Security. This means that any contributions you make in these countries are recognised across the whole region. When it’s time to retire, all your contribution periods from different countries are taken into account to work out your pension entitlement. Each country calculates the pension according to its own rules. Spain will pay you the part that corresponds to the years you worked there, and the foreign country will do the same.
If you’ve worked in a country that has a Social Security agreement with Spain, such as Switzerland, the years you paid into that country’s system can be added to the years you contributed to Spain when calculating your Spanish pension. In addition to the EU, EEA, and Switzerland, Spain also has agreements with countries such as Argentina, Chile, the United States, Morocco, and many others.
When you apply for your pension in Spain, the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) will coordinate with the authorities in the other country to make sure your employment periods are added together. This means your time working abroad isn’t lost—it will count towards your pension entitlement.
Spain has bilateral agreements with many non-EU countries, including the United States, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, and others across Latin America, Asia, and North Africa. These agreements are designed to ensure that your contributions are recognised and coordinated between countries. While the exact terms vary depending on the agreement, the general principle is the same: your pension will be calculated based on the total contributions made in both countries.
The situation is more complicated if you move to a country that doesn’t have a Social Security agreement with Spain. In these cases, the two systems don’t recognise each other’s contributions. This means the time you spend working and paying into a foreign pension system won’t count towards your Spanish state pension. Each country will assess your entitlement based only on what you’ve contributed within its own borders.
This can have serious consequences. For example, in Spain, to qualify for a contributory pension, you must have contributed for at least two years within the last fifteen years before you retire. So, if you worked in Spain for 15 years or more, then moved to a non-agreement country and stayed there until retirement, you could find yourself ineligible for a Spanish pension—just because you didn’t pay into the system during your final working years. As a result, all those earlier contributions in Spain might end up going unused.
To prevent this, Spain offers a special agreement with the Social Security system for Spanish employees working abroad. This allows you to continue making contributions to the Spanish system, even if you live in a country without an agreement. You can apply for this arrangement at any time, no matter where you’ve moved, as long as you can prove that you’re living and working there legally—usually through documents certified by the Spanish consulate. Once the agreement is in place, you can choose to contribute at the minimum base level, which helps you keep your rights without putting too much strain on your finances.
In addition to maintaining your Spanish contributions, it’s also wise to build up private savings. If you’re living in a country with limited or unreliable state pensions, relying only on public retirement benefits may not be enough. Saving money in a private pension plan, a savings account, or other long-term investments can help you enjoy a more comfortable retirement—whether you decide to stay abroad or move back to Spain.
Moving to a country without a Social Security agreement doesn’t mean giving up your pension rights—but it does mean you’ll need to take extra steps to protect them.
Working abroad can be a great opportunity, but it’s essential to understand how it could affect your Spanish state pension—especially if your new country doesn’t have an agreement with Spain. With the right information and careful financial planning, including private savings, you can protect your future and enjoy peace of mind—no matter where your career takes you.
