Before I moved to Spain, I planned on writing all of these “how to” posts for getting your life together here. Guess what?! I don’t have my life together and those posts haven’t really happened, but today, TODAY! I do have a “how to” post for you. For whatever random reason, you might need to get a social security number in Spain and you’re going to be like “What??? How do I do that? Aren’t they reserved for…citizens?” But no, social security numbers in Spain aren’t quite the same thing as they are in the United States. Apparently, they hand out social security numbers here like the PPA hands out tickets. With minimal effort, you’ll get your number (and a ticket, ha). If you look below, I have all of the instructions (and links for documents) to help you get your own social security number in Spain.
I was asked to get a social security number for a group private teaching opportunity here. I was dreading the process and almost told them I wasn’t interested in the job, but it really wasn’t bad. Just 4 easy steps, which you will find below.
How to Get a Social Security Number in Spain (MADRID).
1. Collect your documents.
Bring: Your passport, your visa, your TIE. And then bring COPIES of all of these things. I only brought the originals and they made me go get copies made. Black and white is fine. You can also bring your school contract or rental contract, but they were not needed in my case. Bring it all.
2. Fill out the TA-1 Form and then print it.
The form can be found HERE. It looks scary, but it’s not. Fill out your name, parents names, passport number, address, e-mail address, phone number, and that’s about it. Include the date and your signature at the bottom. it’s a good idea to bring an extra copy to the appointment in case you did something wrong and need to do it again.
3. Go to a Tesoreria General de la Seguridad Social.
No appointment needed and a complete list of offices can be found HERE. Just be aware of the hours. The one I went to is only open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 2 pm.
4. Be patient.
When I walked into the office, it looked like the DMV…unhappy people waiting and everyone is confused about what to do. Make sure you take a number and pay attention to the screen that lists the numbers they are calling. In total, I was in and out in about 45 minutes (including time to go get things copied).
2 Comments
Fellow Spanish resident here that stalks your blog! (hey girl heyyyyy) After 2+ years of living and Spain I finally have a SS# here. I feel like a human. You might want to add though that not all people qualify for social security numbers and it really does depend on your visa. If they get an appointment with the wrong person on the wrong day (that’s how things work here in Spain), they might not hand over a number. Some people skid by but others (like myself, about 6 months ago) aren’t so lucky. I wasn’t able to get a number until I had PROOF I was legally allowed to work outside of my student visa. Anyway once you have it, it’s truly like having the world (or at least Spain) by the balls.
Loving all the posts and hoping you end up extended your time here in España like I have!!
I never saw this comment, I am so sorry! Anyway, good point and thank you for pointing it out! I was under the impression that (at least in Madrid), it’s very easy to get the SS number and you don’t have to have permission to work? At least for what I needed it for. Thanks for letting me know!