Applying for the minimum living income in 2026

Independent, non-governmental site

Enter the date you will file and the amount you expect: see when entitlement starts, when each deadline falls and how much builds up in arrears.

Entitlement starts on

1 December 2026

decision due by 1 May 2027

Possible rejection at intake, by1 December 2026
Deadline to decide1 May 2027
Months of arrears if decided at the deadline5
Arrears that would be paid€3,670

With no answer in six months the application counts as refused: you can appeal or apply again. If approved, payment runs from the month after you applied.

How this is calculated
From application to decision

  • Intake check · 1 Nov 2026 to 1 Dec 2026

  • Review and decision · 1 Nov 2026 to 1 May 2027

  • Months paid as arrears · 1 Dec 2026 to 1 May 2027

Starts: 1 Dec 2026

Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · Rules read in the BOE and on the Social Security site on 1 November 2026

The minimum living income is claimed on the Social Security website, in the IMV section, in one of three ways: with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, without identifying yourself by filling in a form, or at an INSS office by appointment. The claimant signs on behalf of the whole household, with the consent of the other adults. You need the ID or NIE of everyone, the household padrón certificate, the family book if there are children and a bank account; income and wealth are checked by the INSS with the tax agency. Entitlement starts on the first day of the month after you apply, even if the decision comes months later. The INSS can reject the claim at intake within 30 days if it sees no hardship and has 6 months to decide; if it does not answer, the claim counts as refused and can be challenged. If you file on 15 November 2026, entitlement runs from 1 December 2026 and the decision deadline is 15 May 2027: if the decision comes that day, 5 months of arrears are paid in one go.

Before you apply

First check the personal conditions, because failing on age, residence or independent living leads to a refusal even with zero income. Then work out who is in your household: everyone registered at your address who is the claimant’s partner or a relative up to the second degree goes on the claim, with their income.

The claim is filed on the IMV e-office. Under article 21 of the law, identity is shown with an ID card, NIE or passport; legal residence with the foreigners’ register or a residence permit; the address with the padrón certificate; and the household with the family book or the civil partnership register. You do not have to prove income or wealth: the INSS gets them from the tax agency.

The deadlines, on an example

A claim filed on 15 November 2026 has financial effect from 1 December 2026, the first day of the following month. The INSS can reject it at intake until 15 December 2026 if there is clearly no financial hardship. Otherwise it must decide before 15 May 2027. If the decision arrives on that last day and is favourable, the instalments since December are paid together: 5 months of arrears. The calculator above draws these dates on any day you choose.

Your deadlines and arrears

Entitlement starts on

1 December 2026

Possible rejection at intake, by1 December 2026
Deadline to decide1 May 2027
Months of arrears if decided at the deadline5
Arrears that would be paid€3,670
See the full timeline →

After the decision

If the IMV is awarded, it is paid monthly by transfer to the claimant’s account. From then on any change in the household, in income or in address must be reported within 30 days. If it is refused, the decision gives the reason, usually one of three: last year’s income above the limit, wealth, or a household condition. If the reason is last year’s income and you have nothing now, the route is sudden hardship, which looks at the current year’s income.

The regions keep their own minimum income schemes, which in many cases top up the IMV. This site does not calculate them: ask your town council’s social services which one applies to you.

Common questions

Can I claim the IMV without a digital certificate?

Yes. The Social Security website has a form for filing without identifying yourself, which asks for every member’s details and lets you attach scanned documents. You can also apply at an INSS office by appointment. Town councils and approved social organisations help fill it in free of charge.

What happens if a document is missing from my IMV claim?

The INSS will ask for it and the procedure is put on hold until you provide it. If 3 months pass without it, the claim lapses and you have to start again, with a later start date. That is why it pays to file with the household padrón certificate and everyone’s identity documents.

How do I challenge it if the INSS never answers my IMV claim?

After 6 months without an answer, the claim counts as refused by silence. From then on you can file a prior administrative claim with the INSS and, if that is rejected, go to the labour court. The prior claim is compulsory before going to court and has short deadlines, usually 30 working days from an express decision.

Can I claim the IMV and a regional minimum income at the same time?

Yes, and in many regions you must claim the IMV first, because the regional income works as a top-up to its own threshold. Each region has its own rules: some count the IMV as income and pay the difference, others require longer registration in the region. This site’s calculator only does the national calculation.

Keep going

Eligibility

Age, residence, independent living and how long the household has existed, checked one by one

Sudden hardship

If your income fell this year: claim on 2026 figures, from April to December

Overpayment

When the INSS claims back what was overpaid, and the part not repaid if children live at home

Child supplement

Up to 115 euros a month per child, even with income well above the IMV limit

Household rules

Who counts in your home, separate households and the income ceiling for each

Official sources for this page

Prepared by

Publisher of free tools on Spain's minimum living income: guaranteed income by household, the child support supplement, asset limits, the IPREM and the non-contributory pension

Updated on · Editorial policy · Contact

As of 2026, rules read in the BOE and on the Social Security site on