What is a Spanish Social Security Number and what is it used for?
Social security is the responsibility of the State. It is the State which pays, among other things, benefits and financial aid to those who are unemployed and to workers who find themselves incapacitated and unable to work (sick leave or disability). To pay for this, all business owners and workers must pay into the social security system, in the form of a contribution. The level of contributions is based on workers’ salaries.
Who can apply for a Spanish Social Security Number?
Anyone who legally resides in the Spanish territories can apply as long as you belong to one of the following categories:
Employees working for a company or another person
Self-employed workers (autónomo)
Working partners in associated work co-operatives
Students who are doing a professional internship and are on the company’s payroll
Civil Servants or Military Personnel.
Note: As of 2020 the social security number has to be applied for by the employer and/or their respective payroll provider. Therefore and if you are an employee, you will receive your social security number by your employer.
You can look around the official website of Spanish Social Security System here.
Office responsible: Tesorería de la Seguridad Social (Treasury of Social Security)