You can generally claim your UK State Pension while living in Spain, provided you have enough qualifying years on your National Insurance record. Under current UK rules for 2026/27, Spain is one of the countries where annual increases are paid, so your pension would normally rise each year as it would in the UK. For someone who is tax resident in Spain, the UK State Pension is generally taxed in Spain rather than the UK under the UK and Spain tax treaty.

Annual increases continue in Spain

GOV.UK says yearly State Pension increases are paid to people living in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Gibraltar and certain countries with social security agreements. Spain is in the EEA, so your pension would normally be uprated each April. This compares with countries such as the UAE or Australia, where the State Pension is frozen.

The full new State Pension rate for 2026/27 is GBP 241.30 a week. Your own amount may be lower or higher depending on your National Insurance record and starting amount. You generally need at least 10 qualifying years to receive any new State Pension and 35 for the full rate if your record started after April 2016. If you have worked in Spain or another EEA country, those periods may help you meet the UK minimum, and you may also be entitled to a separate Spanish pension. GOV.UK suggests contacting the Spanish social security institute (INSS) about any Spanish entitlement.

How to claim from Spain

The State Pension is not paid automatically. To claim from abroad, you contact the International Pension Centre or send it the international claim form. GOV.UK says you must be within four months of your State Pension age to claim.

You can have it paid into a Spanish bank account or a UK account. Payments to an overseas account are converted at the exchange rate at the time, and GOV.UK notes a conversion charge of 0.39% before payment. You can choose to be paid every four or 13 weeks.

If you are already receiving your State Pension in the UK and then move to Spain, tell the International Pension Centre so your details are updated.

How the UK State Pension is taxed in Spain

Under the UK and Spain double taxation convention, pensions paid to a resident of one country are generally taxable only in that country. The main exception is pensions paid for government service, such as some civil service, armed forces or police pensions. The Agencia Tributaria explains that these are generally taxed only in the UK, unless the recipient is a Spanish national, in which case only Spain taxes them.

For someone who is tax resident in Spain, the UK State Pension is therefore normally taxable in Spain, not the UK. It is paid without UK tax deducted, and you would usually need to declare it on your Spanish income tax return, which runs on the calendar year. Spanish rates and allowances then apply alongside your other income, and these can vary by autonomous community. Your Spanish tax residence and filing obligations depend on your own facts.

Our guide to tax in Spain for expats covers Spanish residency and income tax in more detail.

Healthcare and the S1 form

Some UK State Pension recipients living in Spain may be eligible for state healthcare funded by the UK through an S1 form, depending on their circumstances. If the NHS funds your healthcare in Spain through an S1 and you later leave Spain, GOV.UK advises contacting the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team to cancel it.

Illustrative example

Illustrative example only, not a real client.

Peter and Linda, both 67, live in Alicante and are tax resident only in Spain. Assume each qualifies for the full UK State Pension of GBP 241.30 a week, about GBP 12,550 a year each (GBP 241.30 x 52).

Because they live in Spain, their pensions rose in April 2026 along with UK pensioners' and would normally continue to be uprated each year. The pensions are paid without UK tax into their Spanish account. They declare the income on their Spanish tax returns, where it is taxed together with Peter's private UK pension. Linda also receives a UK civil service pension. As she does not hold Spanish nationality, that pension would generally be taxed in the UK instead, so they check it separately.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the UK State Pension is taxed in the UK and not declaring it in Spain.
  • Treating a government service pension the same way as the State Pension for tax.
  • Waiting for the pension to start automatically instead of contacting the International Pension Centre.
  • Forgetting to check entitlement to a Spanish pension for years worked in Spain.

Sources and further reading

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Last reviewed: October 2026. Tax year: 2026/27 (UK); 2026 calendar tax year (Spain). Jurisdictions covered: UK, Spain. Rates, legislation and guidance change, so recheck before relying on this. Rules can differ between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; tax residence is fact-specific; treaty outcomes depend on residence, domicile or nationality provisions; examples are simplified and omit reliefs, costs, exchange rates and anti-avoidance rules. This is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Take advice in the relevant country before acting.