Whether it be for financial reasons, a passion for work or simply to keep some kind of routine or social life, there are many reasons why some pensioners and soon-to-be pensioners in Spain might want to combine retirement and part-time work.

Fortunately in Spain this is fairly common and there are two main ways to do this – flexible and partial retirement. In this article we will discuss the options for foreigners who have been working in Spain and are eligible for a Spanish pension.

This sort of hybrid retirement has been in the news in recent months when the Spanish government, along with trade unions and employers’ organisations, tweaked how it works.

These reforms revolved around rules on partial retirement, the compatibility between pension and part-time employment (more on that below), as well as other issues like sick leave and conditions under which employees can take early retirement in Spain.

The changes included, among other things, extending the partial retirement period from two to three years, and allowed a reduction in working hours of up to 75 percent in the last two years of partial retirement.

READ MORE: Five key changes to Spain’s retirement age and pensions

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said at the time that the reforms will improve the compatibility of pensions and part-time work, allowing a “transition towards a flexible retirement adapted to each individual.”

Partial and flexible retirement in Spain 

So in a sentence, yes, you can work if you’re a pensioner in Spain and have the right to claim a Spanish pension. 

According to information from the European Commission’s (EC) Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion website, in Spain there are essentially two options for those who are or want to retire while combining their pension with some part-work work.

These are flexible retirement (known as jubilación flexible in Spanish) partial retirement (jubilación parcial).

Flexible retirement

This is basically the option once you retire (in other words, you’ve reached retirement age and claimed your pension) to combine receiving some of your pension with part-time work, with your pension reduced proportionally.

It’s usually a way for retired people return to the labour market.

Spain’s Social Security Ministry considers part-time work limits for reducing the working day to be between a minimum of 25 percent and a maximum of 50 percent, meaning retirees must work between 75-50 percent of the full-time working day.

Note that, in Spain, even if you take some or all of your pension while maintaining some part-time work, you are still considered a pensioner by Spanish law and therefore still have the same healthcare rights.

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Partial retirement

This is when you haven’t reached legal retirement age and you combine part-time work while also receiving part of pension early.

Spain’s Social Security Ministry defines it as “considered to be retirement commenced after the age of 60, at the same time as a part-time employment contract.”

In other words, in Spain from age 60 you can take partial early retirement while continuing to work on a part-time basis. It must be part-time, however, and the remaining hours must be given to someone else, usually an unemployed person. 

According to the EC: “This retirement should be linked to a hand-over contract, that is, the part-time hiring of an unemployed worker. If you have already reached the legal retirement age, there is no need to sign a hand-over contract.”

You can also take partial retirement if you have reached retirement age and reduce your working day by 25-50 percent.

The EC states that: “You can also take partial retirement before the legal retirement age, reducing your working day from 25-75 percent (with a minimum age that varies depending on the case) if, furthermore, you have a minimum of 6 years of service in the company, have been paying contributions for 33 years and your company signs a specific relief contract.”

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