This page tells you what the law says you must be paid in 2026, how to read your nómina, and what to do when you are not paid. Every figure here is taken from the state gazette or from the labour inspectorate’s own pages, and the date we checked it is at the foot of the page. These amounts change every year — if that date looks old, open the source before you rely on the number.
Where your pay is written down
Salario Mínimo Interprofesional (SMI)
Spain’s minimum wage is called the Salario Mínimo Interprofesional (SMI). The government sets it each year by Real Decreto, published in the state gazette, the BOE. For 2026 it was set by Real Decreto 126/2026 and the amounts apply from 1 January 2026. It went up 3.1% from 2025.
| Per month | €1,221 where the wage is set by the month. |
|---|---|
| Per day | €40.70 where the wage is set by the day. This daily figure does not include the proportional share of Sundays and public holidays. |
| Per year | Never less than €17,094, counting the two extra payments. |
| Temporary and seasonal work | €57.82 per legal working day, for fixed-term work of no more than 120 days for the same company. This one does already include Sundays, holidays and the extra payments. |
| Domestic work | €9.55 per hour actually worked, which already includes the extra payments and holiday pay. |
On top of the monthly figure you are owed two extra payments a year (pagas extraordinarias), each of at least thirty days’ pay. If you and your employer agree to spread them across the year instead, the inspectorate puts the full-time monthly minimum at €1,424.50 over twelve months.
These are minimums for full-time work; part-time work is paid pro rata. Only money counts towards the SMI — board and lodging do not. And if the convenio colectivo for your sector sets a higher wage, that higher figure is what you are owed, not the SMI.
Your employer may deduct only what the law allows: your share of social security — 6.58% on an open-ended contract, 6.53% on a temporary one — and income tax (IRPF) where it applies.
Reading your nómina
Every month you should get a document called a nómina. It is not just a receipt — it is proof that you worked and what you were owed. Keep them. A photo or a PDF counts if you get nothing on paper.
| Devengos / Total devengado | Gross pay, before deductions. |
|---|---|
| Salario base | Base salary, before any extras. |
| Horas extraordinarias | Overtime. If you worked extra and this line is empty, ask why. |
| Deducciones — Contingencias comunes | Your share of social security. |
| IRPF | Income tax withheld in advance. |
| Líquido a percibir | The net amount. This is the number that should reach your account. |
If the hours on the nómina and the hours you actually worked are different, that matters. Keep your own daily record of when you started and finished — a plain notebook turns out to be the strongest evidence later.
If you are not paid
You can claim unpaid wages even without papers. In Spain an employment relationship is recognised even where the worker has no permit — work done is wages owed. The route usually starts with a written claim (a papeleta de conciliación), and the unions do this for free. We still print no deadline here, because it depends on what exactly you are claiming — ask a union or a workers’ advice centre before you start counting days.
Complaining does not require papers, and it is confidential. The labour inspectorate accepts a complaint from anyone who knows of the breach, identified by DNI, NIE or passport — a passport on its own is enough. The form is called Escrito de Denuncia IP-107. The inspectorate is obliged to keep the origin of a complaint confidential and not to tell the company who reported it. And if your employer dismisses you without cause after you complain, that dismissal is void (nula).
A route to papers that few people know about
The labour inspectorate states this on its own page for foreign workers: if you have worked in Spain for at least six months within the last two years, you can co-operate with the inspectorate by reporting these facts. Once they have been verified, you may apply for a temporary residence authorisation on exceptional grounds — co-operation with the authorities — and that authorisation lets you work legally in Spain.
It is not automatic and it is not a shortcut. But it is a real, official route, written down by the body that would investigate your case. Take it to a lawyer or a union before you act on it.
Where to get free help
- CCOO — Comisiones Obreras — A large trade union. Many cities have a migrant workers' office and the advice is free.
- UGT — Unión General de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores — The other large union. Free advice in the same way.
- Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social — the inspectorate’s own site. Its complaint page carries the IP-107 form, and it publishes a rights leaflet written for foreign workers in Spanish, Romanian, French, Ukrainian, Chinese and Tagalog. The complaint form itself is also published in English.
Severe exploitation and forced labour
In an emergency, call 112. Where it is not an emergency but the work itself is the abuse, the inspectorate’s complaint route above is confidential and accepts a passport as identification.
Spain also has a specialised police line for trafficking and exploitation: 900 10 50 90. The Interior Ministry lists it for anyone who knows of a situation of trafficking or exploitation of human beings, as well as for people who are or have been victims. You can also call the Policía Nacional on 091 or write to trata@policia.es, or reach the Guardia Civil on 062 or at trata@guardiacivil.es.
One thing the state says about that line matters more than the number itself: help is given whatever your situation. If you are foreign and have not regularised your status, or cannot identify yourself with a legal document, you can still reach the help you need and the measures meant to keep you safe.
Common mistakes
- Not asking for the nómina. It is the first thing you will be asked for if you ever claim.
- Deleting the WhatsApp messages. Conversations about hours, place and money are evidence in themselves — keep them.
- Assuming that no papers means no rights. Work done is still owed.
- Not getting the pay and the hours in writing before day one. A WhatsApp message counts as writing.
Next step
If the problem is papers rather than pay, start by checking that whoever is advising you is actually on a register.
Spain: check your adviser before you paySources
Every figure and condition on this page comes from one of the sources below. Wages change each year — check them yourself rather than trusting a date.
- BOE — Boletín Oficial del Estado
- Ministerio del Interior — how to report trafficking and exploitation
- Ministerio de Igualdad — help is given whatever your situation
- CCOO — Comisiones Obreras
- UGT — Unión General de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores
- Real Decreto 126/2026 — the 2026 minimum wage, consolidated text
- Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social
- ITSS — Know your rights: information for foreign workers
Last verified: 2026-09-08
