Minimum living income for young people in 2026
Independent, non-governmental site
The tool is set for a 25-year-old who has lived alone for a year and a half: change the figures to see which condition is missing and for how long.
Personal conditions
One is missing
Income and wealth are checked next
| Age (23, or 18 with children) | ✓ 25 |
| 1 year of legal residence | ✓ 24 months |
| Living independently (2 years) | ✗ 18 months |
| 12 months registered in that period | ✗ 8 months |
The independent-living rule is waived for care leavers, homeless people and anyone who has started a separation or divorce. The conditions must be met when applying, when the decision is made and while being paid.
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · Rules read in the BOE and on the Social Security site on 1 November 2026
A young person can receive Spain’s minimum living income, but the law asks more of them than of an older adult. Someone living alone must be at least 23. If they are under 30, they must also show that they have lived independently, at an address other than their parents’, guardians’ or foster carers’, for the 2 years immediately before the claim, and that in that time they were registered with Social Security for at least 12 months, continuous or not. From 30 one year at another address is enough. Under 23, only people with children or minors in their care, victims of gender violence or trafficking, those in the care of child protection services in the three years before turning 18 and those leaving prison after more than six months can be claimants. Someone living with their parents cannot claim the IMV on their own: they belong to their parents’ household, and it is the parents who claim, on everyone’s income. A 25-year-old who has lived away for 18 months with 8 months registered does not qualify yet: six more months of independent living and four of registration are needed.
Why the law asks more of young people
The rule is in article 10.2 of Law 19/2021 and is meant to stop people moving out of their parents’ home just to claim the IMV. So it asks for proven independence: two years at another address and a minimum link to work, twelve months registered in that time. From 30 the bar drops to one year away from home and the registration rule disappears. Age is taken on the date of the claim.
The tool compares your months with those required. The padrón register is usually the proof of independent living, and the employment record the proof of registration. If you are close, the sum is simple: with 24 months away from home and 12 registered you qualify, and they do not need to be continuous.
What you still need
Personal conditions
You meet them
| Age (23, or 18 with children) | ✓ 25 |
| 1 year of legal residence | ✓ 24 months |
| Living independently (2 years) | ✓ 36 months |
| 12 months registered in that period | ✓ 12 months |
The exceptions
Independent living is not required of someone who stopped living with their parents because they died, victims of gender violence who left their home, homeless people, anyone who has started a separation or divorce, victims of trafficking and people leaving prison after more than six months. Nor of 18 to 22-year-olds coming from residential child protection centres. In each case you must provide proof: a social services certificate, the police report or protection order, the separation filing or the centre’s certificate.
Young people with a partner or children
If you live with your partner you are not claiming alone: you form a household, which must have existed for six months, and the claimant must be 23, or 18 if you have children. The two-year independent living rule is for people living alone. If you start working while on the IMV, the employment incentive leaves out the first €6,000 of a pay rise at the annual review, an advantage that applies to a first job too.