The social security system guarantees people covered by its provisions either because they perform an occupational activity or meet the requirements established for non-contributory type social security, as well as dependent members of the family or similar, adequate protection in the contingencies and circumstances defined by law.

1.- Scope of Provisions:

• All Spaniards, whatever their gender, marital status and accupation, who are resident and usually perform their activity on national territory and are:

  * employed workers

  * self-employed workers

  * working members of productive cooperatives

  * domestic help

  * students

  * civil servants

• All Spaniards resident on national territory for the purposes of non-contributory type benefits.
• All Spaniards non resident on national territory in given circumstances.
• Foreigners with residence and work permits in Spain. European Community workers do not need work permits.

2.- Composition of the Social Security System:

• General scheme: this scheme covers

  * Employed Spanish workers who usually perform their activity on national territory.

  * Spanish workers not resident in Spain in given cases (civil servants or employees of international bodies, Spaniards employed by the Spanish administration abroad, without being civil servants), etc.

  * Employed foreigners with residence and work permits in Spain. European Community workers do not need work permits.

  * Local government employees (whether civil servants or under contract) (under the special conditions on minimum contribution periods and benefit calculation applicable under the integration rules).

• Special schemes: for

  * agricultural workers.

  * seafarers.

  * self-employed persons.

  * domestic help.

  * coal mining.

  * students.

3.- Insurance and Contribution.-

• With respect the contrubutory type, insurance under the social security system is obligatory for all those encompassed by its field of application and is unique for life and for the whole system.
• Contribution to social security is obligatory as of the start of the activity.

If you need more information about this topic, please write or call to the below mentioned institution and ask for the "LABOUR GUIDE 1993":

     SUBDIRECTORATE GENERAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
     ATTACHED TO THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF SERVICES OF
     MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY
     Agustin de Bethancourt, 11, 2
     28071 MADRID (Spain)

     Phone Number: 011 34 1 554 34 00

The above mentioned guide is available in Spanish and in English.

Thank-you, very much.