Evangelical and Adventist ministers can add years to pensions

You must prove your service and pay an amount set by the procedure; the announcement gives no figure.

If you served as an Evangelical or Seventh-day Adventist minister in Spain before your church joined the Social Security system, the approved measure lets you count that time as contributions. The Council of Ministers approved the Royal Decree on 22 September 2026.

Could your years count?

This applies to ministers who served in Spain for a Seventh-day Adventist church or an Evangelical church belonging to FEREDE, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain. The cut-off is 1987 for Adventists and 1999 for Evangelicals.

The time can count towards a retirement pension, a permanent disability pension, or death and survivor benefits.

What will you need to prove and pay?

You must prove that you were a minister and how long you served. You must also pay an amount for the time to be recognised, called the capital coste. The Social Security announcement gives no figure. The measure has financial effects from 1 January 2015.

The announcement does not say when or how you can apply.

What should you do now?

• Start gathering evidence of your ministerial role and the years you served.
• Save the official Social Security announcement and check it for application details.
• For help with your Spanish Social Security number and contributions, read our Social Security number guide. Our Work in Spain paperwork guide covers other employment admin.