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The U1 form certifies the time you worked in another EU country so it can count towards unemployment benefit in Spain. It is not mandatory: SEPE requests your periods electronically. See which document you need and what to do if something goes wrong.
What the U1 form is (PD U1, formerly E301)
The U1 form (PD U1, formerly the E301 form) certifies the periods you paid social security in another country of the European Union, the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) or Switzerland; in this guide, “the EU” includes them. The employment or social security service of that country issues it. It is not mandatory: SEPE, the Spanish public employment service, requests those periods through electronic exchange (EESSI).
Which document you need in your situation
| Your situation | Which document | Where |
|---|---|---|
| You lose your job in Spain and worked before in another EU country | U1 (optional) | The benefit: SEPE. The U1: country where you worked |
| You get unemployment benefit in another EU country and come to look for work | U2 form | Employment service of the country paying you, before you leave |
| You worked in the United Kingdom | Electronic exchange (EU-UK agreement), as with the EU | At SEPE, when you claim |
| You worked in Australia | AUS/E1, under the agreement with Spain | You request it through SEPE |
If you get unemployment benefit in Spain and go to look for work in another EU country, see leaving Spain while on unemployment benefit.
How to get the U1 and claim benefit in Spain
- Ask for the U1 in the country where you worked. Contact its employment or social security service. If you worked in several countries, ask each one. This step is optional.
- Claim unemployment benefit (paro) in Spain.
Do it online with the presolicitud, SEPE's online pre-application form, or at the office with a cita previa (appointment), which is free. Say which countries you worked in, so SEPE can request your periods there.
- Hand in the U1 form if you have it. Take it to your appointment or submit it with your claim. If you do not have it, do not wait for it before you claim.
Unemployment benefit in Spain after working in another EU country
Through the aggregation of periods (totalización de periodos), SEPE counts your contributions from another EU country as Spanish, to reach the minimum for unemployment benefit.
It only counts if your last insured job was in Spain (Regulation (EC) 883/2004, Article 61), unless you lived in Spain while working in another EU country (Article 65). If you become unemployed abroad and move here without working in Spain, the U1 is not enough.
- The amount is calculated only from your contributions in your last job in Spain.
- If you already received benefit in another country, the duration in Spain is reduced by those days.
Moving to Spain unemployed: bringing your benefit with the U2 form
You can bring unemployment benefit from another EU country to Spain while you look for work here. That country keeps paying. You need the U2 form from its employment service before you leave.
- Before leaving, you must have been registered there as a jobseeker for at least four weeks, unless they authorise an earlier departure.
- In Spain, register as a jobseeker (demandante de empleo) within seven days of leaving.
- You receive it for three months, extendable up to six if that country agrees.
- If you do not return before the period ends, you generally lose the benefit left there.
Still planning? See the moving to Spain checklist.
Common problems
SEPE does not have my periods from abroad
Ask for the U1 yourself in the country where you worked and hand it in at your benefits office (oficina de prestaciones). According to Your Europe, the European Commission portal, the form can speed things up.
They ask me for the U1 and I do not have it
You are not obliged to hand it in. According to the SEPE website, SEPE itself requests your periods from the other country through electronic exchange (EESSI).
I did not work in Spain afterwards
If you did not live here either while working abroad, SEPE does not add your periods from abroad: your last insured job must be in Spain. If you get benefit in the other country, check whether you can bring it with the U2.
I am not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen
You can use your EU periods if you have the right to live and work legally in Spain. Periods from Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein do not count.
Frequently asked questions
What is the E301 form?
It is the old name of the U1 form. If someone asks you for the E301, they mean the same document.
How do I get a U1 for my years in Spain if I move to another country?
Contact the SEPE Dirección Provincial (provincial headquarters) in the province where you had your last job. It is not mandatory: the country where you claim can request your Spanish periods from SEPE.
Can I choose which country pays my unemployment benefit?
Generally not: it depends on where you last worked and where you lived, not on your nationality. If you lived in one country and worked in another, special rules apply to cross-border workers.
Do I have to register as a jobseeker in Spain?
Yes. To claim benefit here, you register with the public employment service of your region (in Ceuta and Melilla, SEPE). See how to register as unemployed in Spain.
Official procedure
Official sources
These are the official sources for this guide:
- He trabajado o quiero trabajar en la UE: prestaciones por desempleo (SEPE) www.sepe.es
- Unemployment cover abroad (Your Europe) europa.eu
- Reglamento (CE) 883/2004, coordinación de los sistemas de seguridad social, arts. 61 a 65 (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
- Solicitud de prestaciones (sede electrónica del SEPE) sede.sepe.gob.es
These links go to official websites. Booking an appointment and downloading official forms is free; if the procedure has an official fee, it is paid only to the authorities.
Spotted something incorrect? Email us at info@ayudatramites.es.
