Spain unemployment benefit (paro) calculator
How much you get a month, for how many days and the total, with 70% and 60% of the base and the 2026 caps.
Benefit per month, first 180 days
€1,050.00
then €900.00 a month, up to 360 days
- 360 days of benefit
- Total €11,700.00
- Apply within 15 working days
With a base of €1,500.00 a month and 1,080 days contributed in the last six years, you get €1,050.00 a month for the first 180 days (70% of the base) and €900.00 a month from day 181 (60%), for 360 days: €11,700.00 in total, before deductions.
With no dependent children, the benefit goes from €560.00 to €1,225.00 a month in 2026.
- These are gross amounts: the SEPE deducts your share of the Social Security contribution (4.85% in 2026, according to the SEPE) and, where applicable, the IRPF withholding. It is paid in 30-day monthly payments, between the 10th and the 15th of the following month.
- Only unemployment that is not your choice gives entitlement: dismissal, end of a temporary contract, collective layoff or objective causes, and the cases in article 267 of the law; voluntary resignation does not usually give it. For part-time jobs, the base and caps are calculated by hours: this page does not know them.
How much you get in each stage
- First 180 days€6,30054%
- From day 181€5,40046%
I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.
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The calculation
| Step | How it is calculated | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Average contribution base | the one you entered | €1,500.00 |
| First 180 days | 70% of the base | €1,050.00 a month |
| From day 181 | 60% of the base | €900.00 a month |
| Duration | 1,080 days contributed | 360 days |
| Total before deductions | €6,300.00 + €5,400.00 | €11,700.00 |
How it works
- The regulatory base is the average of the unemployment contribution base over the last 180 days, not counting overtime (General Social Security Law, art. 270). On it, the benefit is 70% for the first 180 days of unemployment and 60% from day 181.
- The result stays between a minimum cap and a maximum cap, which depend on dependent children and are calculated with the monthly IPREM (€600 in 2026) plus one sixth, for the extra payments: the minimum is 80% (107% with children) and the maximum is 175% (200% with one child, 225% with two or more). In 2026 that is €560 and €749 as minimums, and €1,225, €1,400 and €1,575 as maximums.
- The duration depends on the days contributed in the previous six years (art. 269): from 360 to 539 days, 120 days of benefit; from 540 to 719, 180; and so on, 60 more days for every 180 contributed, up to 720 days with 2,160 contributed or more. With fewer than 360 days there is no contributory benefit. Contributions that already served for a previous benefit do not count.
Worked example
A base of €1,500 a month, 1,080 days contributed (three years) and no children. 70% is €1,050 and 60% is €900, both between the minimum of €560 and the maximum of €1,225. With 1,080 days, the benefit lasts 360 days: 6 months at €1,050 (€6,300) and 6 months at €900 (€5,400), €11,700 in total, before deductions.
Sources
- BOE: General Social Security Law (RDLeg 8/2015), articles 266 to 273: requirements, duration, amount and contributions (in Spanish)
- SEPE: annual amounts: IPREM, minimums and maximums of the contributory benefit in 2026 (in Spanish)
- SEPE: contributory benefit: I have worked more than a year (requirements, duration, amount, dependent children, deadlines) (in Spanish)
- SEPE: electronic office: apply for unemployment benefit and check your benefit (in Spanish)
Text checked on October 6, 2026
Good to know
- The amounts are gross: your share of the Social Security contribution (4.85% in 2026, according to the SEPE) and, where applicable, the IRPF withholding are deducted from the amount. What reaches your account is less.
- The 2026 caps come from the IPREM, which stays at €600 a month; they change when the IPREM changes. If you receive the benefit with the highest base, the maximum cap rules: with a base of €1,750 or more, with no children, 70% already reaches €1,225.
- The benefit starts the day after the legal unemployment situation if you apply in time. You have 15 working days from the last day worked; after that you lose as many days of benefit as you were late (art. 268).
- For part-time jobs, the base and caps are calculated taking hours into account, and there are special rules for agricultural and sea workers: this calculator is for full-time work in the General Regime.
- When the benefit runs out, the unemployment allowance (subsidio) may remain, with other requirements and amounts (€570, €540 or €480 in 2026 according to the SEPE): see the SEPE website.
Frequently asked questions
How much unemployment benefit is paid?
70% of the regulatory base for the first 180 days and 60% from day 181, with a minimum of 80% of the IPREM (107% with children) and a maximum of 175% (200% with one child, 225% with two or more): in 2026, from €560 to €1,225 with no children and from €749 to €1,400 or €1,575 with children.
How long does the benefit last?
It depends on the days contributed in the last six years: 120 days with 360 to 539 days contributed, 240 with 720 to 899, 360 with 1,080 to 1,259, and up to 720 days with 2,160 contributed or more.
How many days do I have to apply?
15 working days from the last day worked. If you go over, the benefit starts on the day of the application and you lose the days you were late.
Am I entitled to the benefit if I leave myself?
In general no: voluntary resignation is not a legal unemployment situation. Dismissal, the end of a temporary contract, collective layoff or layoff for objective causes are, and so are some cases of voluntary termination for a justified reason (art. 267 of the law).
What if I do not reach 360 days?
There is no contributory benefit. Depending on your situation you may be entitled to an unemployment allowance, with other requirements: the SEPE explains it on its website.
Next step
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