Author Irina Firsova Immigration lawyer in Spain, member of the Barcelona Bar Association no. 46.385 17 September 2026 5 min read Message the author

Vida laboral in Spain: what it is and how to get your employment record in 2026

The vida laboral is your employment record in Spain: a Social Security report listing every period in which you were registered as an employee or autónomo, with the total number of days. Its official name is Informe de vida laboral, and it is issued free of charge by the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social (TGSS). The easiest way to get it is online through the Import@ss portal: the PDF downloads instantly. A foreigner with an NIE gets the report on the same terms as a Spaniard, provided they have been registered with Social Security at least once.

What the vida laboral is

The report shows every registration (alta) and deregistration (baja) in the Social Security schemes:

scheme — Régimen General for employees or RETA for autónomos;
employer and its code, or for an autónomo, the province of registration;
dates when each period started and ended;
contract type and part-time coefficient (column C.T.P.);
contribution group — from 1 to 11 by qualification;
total days registered as of the date of issue.

What the report does not include:

salary and contribution base amounts — that is a separate document, the Informe de bases de cotización;
work abroad and military service;
periods in civil servants’ schemes.

If you have never been registered, you cannot get a vida laboral: there is nothing to show. In that case another document helps — the Informe de situación actual, issued even without a Social Security number.

Social Security number (NUSS)

For the report and for SMS login you need a Social Security number — NUSS, also called the affiliation number. If you are hired as an employee, the employer requests it. Otherwise you request it yourself in Import@ss: you need your NIE, a mobile phone, an email and an address, and without an electronic signature a selfie and a photo of the document. The paper form is TA.1. You can also find your number in your employment contract, payslip and the vida laboral itself.

The vida laboral is issued by the Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social; the fastest way is online through Import@ss.

How to get your vida laboral online

The official portal is Import@ss (portal.seg-social.gob.es), section «Vida laboral e informes». In September 2026 you can log in five ways: Cl@ve Permanente, Cl@ve Móvil, electronic DNI, a digital certificate or SMS.

Open the «Informe de tu vida laboral» service in Import@ss or the «Importass Seguridad Social» app.
Log in. For SMS you need your NUSS and a phone number already registered with Social Security, and the details in the form must match the database.
Choose the full report or a period, and filter by employer if needed.
Download the PDF — it is generated instantly, 24/7 and free, with data as of the download date.

Without Cl@ve or a certificate. Import@ss lets you submit a request by entering your details, taking a selfie and attaching a photo of your NIE or passport. You can also update your phone and address in the database under «Datos personales».

Vida laboral by post and in person

By post — through the «Informe de vida laboral en mi domicilio» form: name, surnames, NIE, date of birth and address. The address must match the one held by the TGSS, otherwise the report will not be sent. Track the request by number in «Consulta de estado de solicitud de informes».
In person — TGSS offices accept visitors without an appointment, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 14:00. TGSS phone: 901 50 20 50 or 91 541 02 91. CAISS centres deal with pensions and benefits, not the vida laboral.

What the vida laboral is used for

Renewing a work-based residence permit. The regulation requires proof of work and registration periods — for example, 9 months registered out of 12, or at least 3 months of work a year plus a new contract (Article 80 of RD 1155/2024). The regulation does not name the document, but in practice periods are proven with the vida laboral.
Unemployment benefit. You need at least 360 days of contributions in the last 6 years (Articles 266 and 269 LGSS). SEPE checks this itself, but the report helps you count your days in advance. More on working in Spain.
Pension. At least 15 years of contributions, two of them within the last 15 years (Article 205 LGSS). For pension purposes, check «Tu Seguridad Social → Ver tus cotizaciones». More on pensions in Spain.
Renting, mortgages, a new employer — in practice the vida laboral is requested as proof of stable work.

For residence through settlement based on an employment contract (arraigo sociolaboral), past contributions are not required: you need a contract of at least 20 hours a week at no less than the minimum wage.

Errors in the vida laboral and how to fix them

A period of work is missing. A common cause is that the employer did not register you. They must do so before work starts, and deregister you within three days after it ends.
Fewer days than you worked. When you work several jobs at once, each day counts only once. Part-time work shows as a coefficient, but for the minimum contribution period it has counted as full-time since 1 October 2023 (Article 247 LGSS).
How to fix it. In Import@ss the vida laboral service has a request to add or correct data, the app has an «Informar error» button, and the e-office offers «Rectificación de informe de vida laboral». Attach contracts and payslips proving the work.

Frequently asked questions

What is the vida laboral in simple terms?

It is a Social Security report of your employment record in Spain: where and when you worked as an employee or autónomo and how many days in total you were registered.

How do I get my vida laboral without a digital certificate?

Through SMS in Import@ss if you have a Social Security number and your phone is registered in the database, or through the form with a selfie and a photo of your NIE. You can also order the report by post to the address held by the TGSS.

How much does the vida laboral cost?

Nothing: the report is free whichever way you get it.

Can a foreigner with an NIE get a vida laboral?

Yes, if they have been registered with Social Security at least once as an employee or autónomo. Import@ss forms accept the NIE just like the DNI.

Does the vida laboral show salary?

No. Contribution base amounts are shown in a separate document, the Informe de bases de cotización, also available in Import@ss.

What if a period of work is missing from my vida laboral?

Request a correction in Import@ss or through «Rectificación de informe de vida laboral» on the Social Security website, attaching your contract and payslips. The usual cause is that the employer did not register you.

Do I need a vida laboral for unemployment benefit?

SEPE checks your contribution record from its own data and does not require the report. But it helps you confirm in advance that you have 360 days of contributions in the last 6 years.