Spain Social Welfare — Overview

The 1978 Constitution defines Spain as a estado social (social state). The system it built is dual: tax-funded universal services (public health and education) alongside contributory social insurance (pensions and unemployment). Health care and schooling are available to residents — Spanish and foreign alike — once they are registered, while pensions and unemployment benefits depend on a Seguridad Social (social security) contribution record. The 17 autonomous regions (Comunidades Autónomas) run health, education, housing and much of social services, so Andalusia, Catalonia and Madrid deliver the "same" programme through different offices and procedures. By law, foreign residents have access to Seguridad Social benefits and social services on the same terms as Spaniards.

Key points for newcomers:

• The NIE (foreigner identity number) and empadronamiento (registration on the municipal register) come first. The usual order is NIE → empadronamiento → social security number (NUSS) → health card (tarjeta sanitaria).
• EU and non-EU citizens are treated differently. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens register under free-movement rules; for non-EU citizens, the type of residence permit decides which benefits are open to them.
• Periods abroad can count. EU coordination rules add up insurance periods from other EU/EEA countries and Switzerland, and Spain has bilateral social security agreements with a number of other countries (for example the USA, Morocco, China and Korea).
• Regional variation is large. Registering with a clinic, enrolling a child in school or applying for housing aid goes through your Comunidad and Ayuntamiento (town hall).

The areas at a glance

• Health: the national health system (SNS), run by the regions; residents get primary care free of charge with the tarjeta sanitaria.
• Pension: contributory jubilación through Seguridad Social; in 2026 the pension age is 66 years 10 months, or 65 with 38 years 3 months of contributions, and 67 from 2027.
• Unemployment: contributory prestación por desempleo and the means-tested subsidio, both paid by SEPE.
• Family: no universal child benefit; the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) and its child supplement (CAPI), tax allowances and regional aid.
• Tax: IRPF progressive income tax with a state and a regional scale; IRNR for non-residents.
• Housing: tenant protection under the LAU, the Plan Estatal de Vivienda 2026-2030 and rent limits in stressed-market zones.
• Education: free compulsory schooling from 6 to 16, low public university fees, national and regional grants (becas).
• Parental: 19 weeks of birth and childcare leave for each parent, paid at 100% of the contribution base.

Things to watch

• Most amounts are adjusted every year, and many are linked to the IPREM reference indicator (€600 a month in 2026). Check the current figures before you apply.
• Tax residence (residencia fiscal) and a residence permit are separate things: the 183-day tax test and social insurance rules are assessed independently.
• Outside Castilian-speaking areas, forms and services may also use Catalan, Galician or Basque.
• Some residence permits (for example for students or people living on their own means) require private health insurance; check what your permit requires.

Official guidance: Seguridad Social, SEPE, Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, Seguridad Social: bilateral agreements

Spanish Public Healthcare (Sanidad pública)

Spain runs a residence-based universal health system, the Sistema Nacional de Salud (SNS). It is funded from general taxation, not from separate health-insurance premiums, and the 17 autonomous regions (Comunidades Autónomas) run the services themselves, so day-to-day care in Madrid, Catalonia or Andalusia is organised differently even though the rules are national. By law, Spanish nationals and foreigners who have established their residence in Spain are entitled to public health care; once you are registered, primary care (atención primaria) is free at the point of use.

Who is covered and how to enrol

• Employees, the self-employed, pensioners, the unemployed receiving benefits and their dependants are covered through Seguridad Social once they have a social security number (NUSS).
• Other foreign residents are covered with public funds if they live in Spain legally and habitually and are not required to prove health cover by another route (for example, a permit that obliges you to hold private insurance, or cover from another EU country). The right is recognised by the INSS, the Seguridad Social benefits agency.
• Foreigners without registered residence also have a right to care under specific conditions set by law (Ley 16/2003, article 3 ter).
• You then get the individual health card (tarjeta sanitaria individual, TSI) from your region, usually by applying at your local health centre (centro de salud) with your empadronamiento. Each region issues its own card (CatSalut in Catalonia, SERMAS in Madrid, SAS in Andalusia, and so on).
• EU/EEA and Swiss visitors can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for necessary care during a temporary stay.

How care is organised

• Primary care: you are assigned a family doctor (médico de familia) and, for children, a paediatrician (pediatra). The GP acts as gatekeeper.
• Specialist care (atención especializada): needs a referral from primary care; waiting times depend on the region and specialty.
• Emergency care (urgencias): available to everyone in an emergency.
• Prescriptions: you pay a share (aportación) of the price of medicines from a pharmacy, set by income and status: 40% to 60% for people of working age and their dependants, 10% for most pensioners (with monthly caps), and nothing for some groups such as IMV recipients.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Your permit may require private insurance. Students and people with non-working residence permits are often required to hold private health insurance (seguro privado) and cannot rely on the public system for that reason.
• Moving to another region means a new card. If you move from Madrid to Barcelona, register with the Catalan health service and get a CatSalut card.
• Register your address first. Health centres usually ask for your empadronamiento, so complete it before trying to register with a doctor.

Official guidance: Ministerio de Sanidad, Seguridad Social, Ley 16/2003 (consolidated text). Regional health services: SERMAS (Madrid), CatSalut (Catalonia), SAS (Andalusia) and others.

Spanish Pension System (Sistema de pensiones)

Spain's pension system rests on the contributory pension (pensión contributiva) based on your Seguridad Social contribution record, with a means-tested non-contributory pension (pensión no contributiva) for people with little or no record. Employees are in the general scheme (Régimen General) and the self-employed in RETA (Régimen Especial de Trabajadores Autónomos). Pensions are paid by the INSS (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social). Pensions rose by 2.7% in 2026, and the maximum public pension is €3,359.60 a month (2026).

Old-age pension (jubilación): main rules

• Pension age (2026): 65 if you have at least 38 years 3 months of contributions, otherwise 66 years 10 months. From 2027: 65 with 38 years 6 months, otherwise 67.
• Minimum period: 15 years of contributions, of which at least 2 years within the 15 years just before retirement.
• Amount: 15 years give 50% of your base reguladora (average contribution base), rising to 100% after 36 years 6 months of contributions in 2026 (37 years from 2027).
• Base reguladora: the 25-year average is being replaced step by step. In 2026 it uses the best 302 monthly bases of the last 304 months, moving to the best 27 of the last 29 years; until 2040 the old 25-year rule applies if it gives you more.
• Early retirement (jubilación anticipada): up to 2 years early on your own initiative (with at least 35 years of contributions) or up to 4 years early after involuntary job loss (at least 33 years), with permanent reductions.
• Deferred retirement (jubilación demorada): each full year worked past pension age adds 4% to the pension, or can be taken as a lump sum or a mix of both.

Periods abroad: EU rules and bilateral agreements

• Spain applies the EU coordination rules (Regulation (EC) 883/2004): insurance periods in other EU/EEA countries and Switzerland count towards the 15-year minimum, and each country pays a pension for its own periods.
• Spain also has bilateral social security agreements with a number of non-EU countries, among them Argentina, Morocco, the USA, China, Japan and Korea. Depending on the agreement, periods can be added up and posted workers can stay in their home scheme for a time.
• Countries without an agreement do not count: a career split between Spain and such a country may leave you short of 15 years in Spain.

Non-contributory pension (pensión no contributiva)

• For people aged 65 or over with income below a set limit and little or no contribution record. It pays up to €8,803.20 a year in 14 payments (2026). It is run by the regional social services and IMSERSO.
• You must have lived legally in Spain for 10 years between age 16 and the pension age, including the 2 years immediately before you apply.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Self-employed contributions (RETA) follow their own rules; low declared income leads to a low pension.
• Gaps hurt. If you stop working or move abroad, a voluntary agreement with Seguridad Social (convenio especial) lets you keep contributing.
• Check your record online in your Seguridad Social working life report (informe de vida laboral) and correct mistakes early.

Official guidance: Seguridad Social: pensions, Seguridad Social: bilateral agreements, Seguridad Social: EU regulations, Real Decreto-ley 3/2026 (2026 amounts)

Spanish Unemployment Benefits (Desempleo)

Spain's unemployment protection has two levels: the contributory benefit (prestación contributiva) for people with enough Seguridad Social contributions, and the means-tested unemployment allowance (subsidio por desempleo) for those who have used up the benefit or contributed too little. Both are paid by SEPE (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal), while job search and training are run by regional employment services (for example SOC in Catalonia or SAE in Andalusia).

Prestación contributiva (contributory benefit)

• Conditions: involuntary job loss (situación legal de desempleo), at least 360 days of contributions in the last 6 years, registration as a jobseeker and a signed activity agreement (acuerdo de actividad).
• Duration: depends on the days contributed in the last 6 years, from 120 days (360–539 days contributed) up to 720 days (2,160 days or more).
• Amount: 70% of your base reguladora for the first 180 days, 60% afterwards. The base is your average contribution base over the last 180 days. Limits are linked to the IPREM indicator (2026: €600 a month); without children the benefit is at least €560 and at most €1,225 a month, with children the minimum is €749 and the maximum €1,400 (one child) or €1,575 (two or more) (2026).
• Claim within 15 days of losing your job. If you claim later, you lose the days in between.

Subsidio por desempleo (unemployment allowance)

• Since the reform of November 2024 it covers people who have used up the contributory benefit or who have contributed at least 90 days but not enough for it, provided their own income is low or they have family responsibilities.
• Amount: a percentage of the IPREM: 95% for the first 180 days, 90% for days 181–360 and 80% afterwards (2026: €570, €540 and €480 a month).
• A special allowance for people aged 52 and over (subsidio para mayores de 52 años) continues until pension age if you meet the contribution conditions for a retirement pension.
• After the allowance ends, the minimum income scheme (Ingreso Mínimo Vital) may apply.

Foreign workers and periods abroad

• Foreign residents with a work permit are entitled on the same terms as Spaniards.
• Under EU coordination rules, periods worked in other EU/EEA countries or Switzerland can count (proved with form U1). Work in other countries generally does not count, so you must build up 360 days in Spain.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Resigning (baja voluntaria) does not give a right to the benefit. The job must end for a reason outside your control, such as dismissal or the end of a temporary contract.
• The self-employed have a separate scheme, the prestación por cese de actividad.
• Travelling abroad: a single trip of up to 30 days a year does not count as a stay abroad. Longer stays abroad of up to 90 days a year must be notified to and authorised by SEPE beforehand, and payment is suspended during them; leaving without telling SEPE can end your entitlement.

Note: during an ERTE (expediente de regulación temporal de empleo), a temporary suspension of contracts or reduction of hours, workers can receive unemployment benefit without being dismissed.

Official guidance: SEPE, Seguridad Social, General Social Security Act (consolidated text)

Spanish Family Benefits and Minimum Income (IMV)

Unlike many European countries, Spain has no universal child benefit paid to every family. The old Seguridad Social allowance per child without disability was closed to new claims when the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) minimum income was introduced in 2020. Today, cash support for families centres on the IMV and its child supplement, the CAPI (complemento de ayuda para la infancia). Other help comes through IRPF income-tax allowances, regional birth and child grants, and childcare subsidies, so what you can claim depends partly on your region.

IMV (Ingreso Mínimo Vital)

• A national benefit that tops up household income to a guaranteed level when income and assets are below set limits. It is managed by the INSS (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social).
• Amount: the guaranteed income for one adult is €733.60 a month in 2026 (one twelfth of the annual non-contributory pension). It rises by 30% for each extra household member, up to 220%, plus 22% for single-parent households. You receive the difference between this level and your household income.
• Conditions: at least 1 year of legal and effective residence in Spain immediately before applying (not required for children born or brought into the household, or for victims of gender violence or trafficking). The applicant must usually be at least 23.
• CAPI (child supplement): €100 a month per child under 3, €70 for ages 3–5 and €50 for ages 6–17. Families with income up to 300% of the IMV thresholds can get the CAPI even if they do not qualify for the IMV itself.

Tax allowances

• IRPF gives a child allowance (mínimo por descendientes): €2,400 a year for the first child, €2,700 for the second, €4,000 for the third and €4,500 for each further child, plus €2,800 for each child under 3.
• Maternity deduction (deducción por maternidad): up to €1,200 a year per child under 3, for mothers who work (employed or self-employed, with at least 30 days of contributions) or who receive unemployment benefits when the child is born; you can ask for it to be paid in advance. It rises by up to €1,000 a year for nursery costs.

Regional help and large families

• Several regions pay their own birth, adoption or child grants; check your regional social-services website.
• Large family status (familia numerosa): households with 3 or more children, or 2 in certain cases (for example with a disability), can obtain a large-family title from their region. It brings tax deductions, discounts on transport and university fees, and a free DNI.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Do not expect an automatic monthly payment per child: support in Spain is means-tested or given through tax.
• IMV applications need NIE, empadronamiento, and income and asset information for every household member; the INSS has up to 6 months to decide.
• The large-family title is issued by your region; if you move, check whether you need to apply again.

Official guidance: Seguridad Social: Ingreso Mínimo Vital, Ley 19/2021 on the IMV (consolidated text), Agencia Tributaria, and your regional social-services department.

Spanish Income Tax (IRPF and IRNR)

Spanish personal income tax is split between IRPF (Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas) for tax residents and IRNR (Impuesto sobre la Renta de no Residentes) for non-residents. Its key feature is that the progressive rate is made of a state scale plus a regional scale, so the same income is taxed differently in Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia or Andalusia. The tax authority is the Agencia Tributaria (AEAT); the Basque Country and Navarre have their own tax administrations (Haciendas Forales) and their own rules.

Tax residence

• You are a tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in a calendar year in Spain, or if your main centre of business or economic interests is in Spain.
• You are also presumed resident if your spouse (not legally separated) and minor children live in Spain.

IRPF rates

• General income (wages, business income, pensions): the state scale runs from 9.5% to 24.5%, with bands at €12,450, €20,200, €35,200, €60,000 and €300,000. Each region adds its own scale. For the 2025 tax year, combined rates started at about 18–19% and the top rate ranged from 45% in Madrid to 54% in the Valencian Community (Catalonia 50%, Andalusia 47%).
• Savings income (interest, dividends, capital gains) has its own combined scale: 19%, 21%, 23%, 27% and 30% (above €300,000).
• Filing: returns are filed once a year in spring; for 2025 income the campaign ran from 8 April to 30 June 2026.

Main allowances

• Personal and family allowance (mínimo personal y familiar), with extra amounts for children, older relatives and disability.
• Reduction for employment income and deductible pension-plan contributions (up to an annual limit).
• Regional deductions, for example for rent, births or childcare.

IRNR (non-residents)

• Non-residents pay tax only on Spanish-source income, usually at a flat 24%, or 19% if resident in another EU/EEA country with tax information exchange. Pensions and some other income have their own rates.
• Non-residents who own a home in Spain owe IRNR every year on deemed rental income (imputación de rentas inmobiliarias) even if they do not let it.

Tax treaties

• Spain has double taxation treaties with many countries. They decide which country may tax wages, pensions, dividends and interest, and cap withholding rates. Check the official list to see whether your country has one.

Special regime for incoming workers (the "Beckham law")

• People who move to Spain for a job, as company directors, entrepreneurs or highly qualified professionals for start-ups, and who were not tax resident in Spain in the previous 5 years, can opt to be taxed under IRNR rules for the year of arrival and the following 5 years: 24% on employment income up to €600,000 and 47% above.
• You must opt within 6 months of the start of your activity registered with Seguridad Social (form 149).

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• In your first year, residence depends on the days you actually spend in Spain in that calendar year; keep travel records.
• Moving to another region changes your IRPF bill, but only a genuine change of residence counts.
• Other taxes still apply: IVA (VAT, generally 21%) on consumption, and the municipal property tax (IBI) if you own property.

Official guidance: Agencia Tributaria, Ministry of Finance: double taxation treaties, IRPF Act (consolidated text)

Spanish Housing Support (Vivienda)

Spanish housing policy combines protected housing (vivienda protegida, traditionally VPO, Vivienda de Protección Oficial), rent aid (ayudas al alquiler) and tenant protection under the Urban Leases Act (LAU). The national framework comes from the Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana, the Ley 12/2023 on the right to housing and the Plan Estatal de Vivienda 2026-2030, but the regions decide eligibility and run the applications, so procedures differ between Catalonia, Madrid, the Basque Country or Andalusia.

Renting: your rights under the LAU

• Duration: whatever the contract says, a tenant can stay for at least 5 years, or 7 years if the landlord is a company, through annual extensions.
• Deposit (fianza): one month's rent by law. Any extra guarantee is limited to 2 months' rent on contracts of up to 5 or 7 years, and the landlord cannot require you to buy rent-default insurance.
• Fees: agency and contract-drafting fees must be paid by the landlord, not the tenant.
• Rent increases: the yearly update is capped by an official index (IRAV). A decree-law in force since 1 October 2026 (Real Decreto-ley 26/2026, which Parliament must still confirm) limits updates due until 31 December 2027 to 2% unless both sides agree otherwise, with no increase if the rent is above the reference-price limit. Tenants whose contracts end before 2029 can also request an extension of up to 2 years.
• Temporary and room lets: a temporary contract is only valid if you are away from your usual home for a justified reason. Since 1 October 2026, temporary or room contracts without such a reason are treated as ordinary housing leases.

Stressed-market zones (zonas de mercado residencial tensionado)

• Under Ley 12/2023, regions can declare stressed residential market zones, where rents on new contracts are capped by the previous contract and by a state reference-price index for large landlords.
• By July 2026, 317 municipalities in 5 regions had been declared: Catalonia (including Barcelona), the Basque Country, Navarre, Galicia and Asturias.
• A large landlord (gran tenedor) owns more than 10 homes, or 5 or more in a stressed zone if the region so decides.

Rent aid and protected housing

• Plan Estatal de Vivienda 2026-2030: rent aid for low-income tenants of up to €250 a month (€150 for a room). Young people up to 35 can get up to €300 a month (€200 for a room), at most 60% of the rent, for 2 years plus up to 2 more, if their income is at most 5 times the IPREM and the rent at most €1,000 (€600 for a room). Regions open calls for applications.
• Protected housing is sold or let at capped prices to people below income limits; you usually need to be on your region's register of applicants and allocation is by lottery or points.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Register early on your region's protected-housing register; some schemes require years of residence in the region.
• Landlords often ask for payslips (nóminas), an employment contract or a guarantor; extra guarantees must stay within the legal limits above.
• Tourist and holiday lets are not housing leases and have none of these protections.
• Buying a home adds taxes: the regional transfer tax (ITP) or VAT on new homes, the municipal property tax (IBI) and the municipal capital-gains tax (plusvalía municipal).

Official guidance: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana, Plan Estatal de Vivienda 2026-2030, Urban Leases Act (consolidated text), Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya

Spanish Education System (Educación)

Schooling in Spain is compulsory and free from age 6 to 16 (Article 27 of the Constitution). The Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes sets the national framework, while the 17 autonomous regions run the schools, adapt the curriculum and set the school calendar. Families choose between public (público), state-funded private (concertado) and private (privado) schools, and public university fees are low by European standards. In Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country and Galicia, much teaching is in the co-official language (Catalan/Valencian, Basque or Galician), so language is part of choosing a school. Foreign children under 16 have the same right and duty to attend school as Spanish children.

Stages

• Educación Infantil (early years): ages 0–6. The 0–3 cycle is optional, with regional nursery places and subsidies; the 3–6 cycle is optional but free in public schools.
• Educación Primaria (primary): ages 6–12, compulsory.
• Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO): ages 12–16, compulsory.
• Bachillerato (academic upper secondary) or Formación Profesional (FP, vocational training): usually ages 16–18, optional.
• University: grado (bachelor's, usually 4 years), máster (1–2 years) and doctorado (PhD).

Types of school and admissions

• Public schools (centros públicos): run by the region and free; families pay for things like meals, books and trips.
• Concertado schools: privately run but publicly funded under an agreement with the region; many are religious. Teaching is free, but voluntary contributions are often requested.
• Private schools: fully fee-paying, including international schools (British, French, American and others).
• Admissions: places are allocated by points (baremo) for siblings at the school, distance from home, income, disability and similar criteria. Each region sets its own application dates.
• Foreign qualifications: a school-leaving certificate from abroad needs recognition (homologación or convalidación) by the Ministry before it counts in Spain.

University fees and grants

• Each region sets the price per credit at public universities. In 2024-25 a first-enrolment credit for a bachelor's degree cost €11.95 (Galicia) to €19.29 (Navarre), about €700–€1,160 for a 60-credit year.
• Some regions charge more to non-EU students who are not residents; for example, Madrid charges them fourth-enrolment prices.
• University entry is through the PAU (Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad), which replaced the EBAU in 2025, combined with your Bachillerato grades.
• National grants (becas) from the Ministry are based on income and results; for 2026-27 they include fixed amounts of €1,700 (income-related) and €2,700 (for living away from home), plus free tuition. Foreign residents can apply on the same terms as Spaniards; regions add their own grants.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Deadlines and documents differ by region, so check your regional education website early, even before your address is final.
• Start recognition of foreign diplomas early; it can take months and is needed to enter university or FP.
• Costs at public schools (meals, books, trips) add up; low-income families can apply for regional help with meals and books.

Official guidance: Ministerio de Educación, FP y Deportes, Becas y ayudas al estudio, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities: university prices, and your regional education department (Consejería / Departament d'Educació).

Spanish Parental Leave (Permiso por nacimiento y cuidado del menor)

Since 2021 Spain has given each parent the same individual, non-transferable leave after a birth or adoption, and a reform of July 2025 (Real Decreto-ley 9/2025) extended it from 16 to 19 weeks per parent. The leave is paid by Seguridad Social, not by the employer, at 100% of your contribution base. Benefits are managed by the INSS (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social).

Birth and childcare leave (permiso por nacimiento y cuidado del menor)

• Length: 19 weeks for each parent, which cannot be transferred to the other parent. A single parent gets 32 weeks.
• How it is taken: the first 6 weeks are compulsory, full-time and straight after the birth; 11 weeks can be taken in weekly blocks until the child turns 1; the last 2 weeks can be used at any time until the child turns 8. The mother may start up to 4 weeks before the due date.
• Extensions: 2 extra weeks (one per parent) for each additional child in a multiple birth, and for a child with a disability. A premature baby's hospital stay can add up to 13 weeks.
• Pay: 100% of the base reguladora (your contribution base for the previous month), paid by the INSS.
• Contributions needed: none under 21; at 21–25, 90 days in the last 7 years (or 180 in your working life); from 26, 180 days in the last 7 years (or 360 in your working life).
• Employees without enough contributions can receive a non-contributory allowance of up to the IPREM (€600 a month in 2026) for the 6 compulsory weeks, plus 14 days for large families, single parents and multiple births.

Protection during pregnancy and breastfeeding

• Risk during pregnancy or breastfeeding (riesgo durante el embarazo / la lactancia natural): if your job is unsafe and cannot be adapted, you stop work and receive 100% of your contribution base from Seguridad Social.
• Protection from dismissal: dismissal during pregnancy or leave is void unless the employer proves an unrelated reason.
• Breastfeeding leave (permiso para el cuidado del lactante): 1 hour off work a day until the baby is 9 months old, which can be split in two or, if the employer or collective agreement allows, combined into full days.

Other childcare rights

• Parental leave (permiso parental): up to 8 weeks per parent, until the child turns 8, full-time or part-time. It is currently unpaid.
• Reduced hours (reducción de jornada): for a child under 12, you can cut your working day by between one eighth and one half, with a proportional cut in pay.
• Childcare leave of absence (excedencia por cuidado de hijos): up to 3 years from the birth; your own job is kept for the first year. Up to 3 years count as contribution periods for future pensions.
• Seriously ill child (cuidado de menores con cáncer u otra enfermedad grave): a parent who reduces working hours by at least 50% receives a Seguridad Social benefit.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Each parent's right depends on their own Seguridad Social record; a parent who is not insured in Spain has no leave benefit here.
• Posted workers who remain insured in another country under EU rules or a bilateral agreement fall under that country's parental benefits.
• Apply to the INSS promptly after the birth, and tell your employer in advance when you plan to take the flexible weeks.

Official guidance: Seguridad Social, Workers' Statute, article 48 (consolidated text), Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones