The change culminates the progressive calendar initiated in 2013 and leaves a definitive table under current regulations: 65 years for long contribution careers and 67 years for those who do not reach the threshold required by Social Security.
The retirement age in Spain will be set in 2027 at 67 years for those who have not contributed at least 38 years and six months. On the other hand, those who do reach that contribution period will be able to retire at 65 years of age in the ordinary way.
The change culminates the progressive calendar initiated in 2013 and leaves a definitive table under current regulations: 65 years for long contribution careers and 67 years for those who do not reach the threshold required by Social Security.
The retirement age in Spain definitively changes in 2027
The retirement age in Spain enters a new phase in 2027. From that year, the ordinary age will be set at 67 years for workers who have not contributed at least 38 years and six months. Those who do accumulate that contribution period will be able to continue retiring at 65 years.
The Social Security includes this scale within the gradual calendar that began in 2013 and that has been raising both the legal retirement age and the years contributed necessary to access ordinary retirement at 65 years of age. In 2026, for example, those who have contributed 38 years and three months or more can retire at 65; those who do not reach that figure must wait until 66 years and 10 months. As of 2027, the threshold rises to 38 years and six months and the alternative age changes to 67 years.
The data is key for millions of workers because it marks when they will be able to retire without applying reduction coefficients for anticipating retirement. It does not mean, by itself, that everyone will collect the maximum pension, but rather that they will be able to access ordinary retirement without age penalties.
Retirement table by years contributed
The official retirement table by years contributed establishes two scenarios for each fiscal year: one for those who reach the minimum period required to retire at 65 years of age and another for those who do not reach that threshold.
The difference between 2026 and 2027 is small on paper, but very relevant in practice. In 2026, those who do not reach 38 years and three months contributed must wait until 66 years and 10 months. From 2027, if they do not reach 38 years and six months, the ordinary age will be 67 years.
| Year | Contributed period | Ordinary retirement age |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 38 years or more | 65 years |
| 2024 | Less than 38 years | 66 years and 6 months |
| 2025 | 38 years and 3 months or more | 65 years |
| 2025 | Less than 38 years and 3 months | 66 years and 8 months |
| 2026 | 38 years and 3 months or more | 65 years |
| 2026 | Less than 38 years and 3 months | 66 years and 10 months |
| From 2027 | 38 years and 6 months or more | 65 years |
| From 2027 | Less than 38 years and 6 months | 67 years |
What happens if you want to retire at 65 in 2027
To retire at 65 years old in 2027, it will be necessary to have contributed at least 38 years and six months.
That is the central condition. If the worker reaches that figure, they will be able to access ordinary retirement at 65 years old. If they do not reach it, they will have to wait until 67 years old to retire ordinarily.
This system does not eliminate early retirement, but it does clearly differentiate between retiring at the ordinary age and doing so ahead of time. Early retirement may involve reductions in the pension, while waiting for the ordinary age avoids those discounts for early withdrawal.
Collecting 100% of the pension does not depend solely on age
This point is important: reaching the ordinary age does not automatically mean collecting the maximum pension from the system.
To collect 100% of the regulatory base, two different conditions are necessary. The first is to reach the ordinary age that corresponds to not suffer a penalty for early retirement. The second is to have enough years contributed to generate 100% of the regulatory base.
Social Security establishes that with 15 years contributed, one is entitled to 50% of the regulatory base. From there, the percentage increases progressively according to the additional months contributed until reaching 100%.
Therefore, a person can retire at the ordinary age and not receive 100% of their regulatory base if they do not have a sufficient contribution record. And they can also have many years contributed, but suffer a penalty if they decide to retire before the age that corresponds to them.
The minimum to have a pension is not 38 and a half years
Another common confusion is interpreting the table as if it marked the minimum to be entitled to a pension. This is not the case.
The minimum contribution period to access ordinary retirement is much lower: in general terms, 15 years of contributions are required, provided that at least two are within the 15 years prior to the right being acquired.
The 38 years and six months of 2027 are not the minimum to collect a pension. They are the threshold that allows retirement at 65 years of age instead of at 67.
Who are the most affected by the 2027 change
The change especially affects workers who are approaching retirement with intermediate contribution histories.
Those who have contributed 38 years and six months or more will retain the option to retire at age 65. On the other hand, those who fall below that threshold will have to wait until age 67 if they want to access ordinary retirement without advances.
The measure impacts above all those who have had work interruptions, periods of unemployment, temporary jobs, contribution gaps, or professional careers started later.
How to know when you can retire
The first step is to check the years contributed in the employment history report. That document allows you to know how many years, months, and days are officially registered with Social Security.
Then, this data must be cross-referenced with the planned retirement year. If retirement occurs in 2027 or later, the reference will be clear: 65 years with 38 years and six months or more contributed; 67 years if less has been contributed.
It is also advisable to review your personal situation in advance, especially if you have had gaps in contributions, periods in different schemes, work abroad, or possible bonuses for certain professions.
The difference between ordinary age, early retirement, and maximum pension
The ordinary age is the age at which a person can retire without early retirement penalties being applied.
Early retirement allows one to retire sooner, but it usually implies reduction coefficients that lower the pension based on the months of advancement and the years contributed.
The maximum pension, on the other hand, is another matter: it depends on the contribution bases, the years contributed, and the maximum limits set each year by the regulations.
Therefore, talking about "collecting 100%" must be done with precision. What guarantees reaching the ordinary age is not suffering a penalty for anticipation. The final amount will depend on the regulatory base and the total accumulated contribution.
2027 leaves two clear ages: 65 or 67 years
The retirement age reform culminates in 2027 with a simpler scheme than in previous years. From then on, ordinary retirement will be at 65 years for those who have contributed 38 years and six months or more, and at 67 years for those who do not reach that period.
The change closes a transition calendar that for years has been gradually raising the retirement age for those who did not accumulate long contribution careers.
The key for workers is to review their work history as soon as possible and calculate which bracket they fall into. In 2027, a few months of contributions can make the difference between retiring at 65 or having to wait until 67.