By 2026, the ordinary retirement age in Spain will vary according to the contributions accumulated by each worker throughout his or her working life. If a person has contributed at least 38 years and three months, he/she will be able to retire at 65.
On the other hand, those who do not reach that minimum will see their retirement age increased to 66 years and 10 months -two months more than in 2025-, according to a progressive application schedule derived from the 2011 pension reform, regulated in the seventh transitory provision of the Social Security.
Thus, there are currently two different retirement ages in Spain: the earlier one, for those who have sufficient years of contributions; and the later one, for those who do not reach this threshold.
Why the retirement age increases in 2026
The modification responds to the progressive entry into force of the 2011 reform, designed to make the system more sustainable in view of the aging of the population. This reform established that the legal retirement age would be gradually increased to 67 years for those who fail to reach the required contribution.
Thus, the retirement age depends not only on the worker’s age, but also on his or her contribution history -how many years he or she contributed to Social Security-, which introduces a double variable in the calculation of the pension.
This duality is intended to encourage long and continuous careers, although it also means that those who have suffered prolonged work interruptions – due to unemployment, precarious work or periods outside the contributory system – will see their retirement delayed.
Impact on early retirement
The change in the ordinary retirement age has direct effects on early retirement. In 2026, according to the new requirements:
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Voluntary early retirement will be possible from the age of 63 if 38 years and three months of contributions have been credited, or from the age of 64 years and ten months if this minimum contribution is not reached – since the maximum advance allowed is two years.
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Involuntary early retirement, derived from dismissal or termination of contract not attributable to the employee, exceeds four years in advance with respect to the ordinary age: therefore, it will be from the age of 61 (with sufficient contributions) or from 62 years and ten months (if the required contributions are not reached).
These new thresholds tighten the conditions for early exit to the labor market, which could particularly affect those who work in more precarious sectors or those who have had discontinuous trajectories.
Quiet change with very real effects
Many of these changes go unnoticed by the average citizen, but their impact is decisive in retirement planning. The coexistence of two different legal ages generates inequalities between potential pensioners: those who have contributed continuously and those who have had interrupted periods.
In addition, the increase in the regular retirement age for part of the population could further strain the relationship between employment, health and the ability to work at older ages. For some workers, delay means working even under harsh conditions or with tight earnings until later in life.
What does it mean for those who are still active?
For those planning to retire in 2026 or in the next few years, it is a good idea to review their contribution history in detail and calculate whether they will reach the 38 years and three months required to retire at 65.
Those who fall below that threshold should prepare to work two more months – or to rethink early retirement, if they qualify. This adjustment may change not only retirement plans, but also career, savings, health and work-life balance decisions.
For its part, the Social Security maintains the criteria established in the 2011 reform, with a timetable that is extended to 2027, when the ordinary retirement age will reach 67 for those who do not meet the contribution requirements.
A system that seeks balance, but leaves open questions
The reform aims to ensure the sustainability of the pension system in a complex demographic context, with an aging population and an increasingly unstable labor market. However, the duality of retirement ages raises questions about fairness: is it fair that two people of the same age retire at different times because of work interruptions?
The answer will depend in part on how the labor market evolves, the quality of employment, the continuity of contributions and future employment policies. But what is certain is that, starting in 2026, many workers will have to rethink retirement at a later age than before.
With the changes already underway, the new retirement regulation in 2026 draws a scenario of uncertainty for a large part of the working population, and makes it necessary to plan ahead for a key aspect of working life: the time to stop working.
