This page is for people looking for financial assistance in Spain or helping relatives find it. It covers the programs in force in 2026, their conditions and where to apply. Unemployment benefit and pensions have their own pages.
Are there special payments for Ukrainians in Spain?
There is no separate state cash payment specifically for Ukrainians in 2026. In 2022 Spain funded, through the autonomous communities, direct aid to people under temporary protection who had no means: €400 a month per adult and €100 for each child, for up to six months. This program ended on 31 December 2023, and we have not found a new program replacing it in the Official State Gazette.
Temporary protection gives the right to social assistance only when a person lacks means. Both the regulation on temporary protection and the answers of the Ministry of Inclusion say so: protection opens access to programs, but each program has its own conditions.
What is the reception system, and who can get into it?
The reception system for people under international and temporary protection (Sistema de Acogida) provides housing and support to those who do not have sufficient means. People who have applied for temporary protection or already have it can apply.
Means are considered insufficient if a person’s monthly income does not exceed the individual amount of the minimum living income; in 2026 this amount is €733.60 a month. Your own assets, wages and any social assistance are taken into account. You confirm your lack of means with a signed statement (declaración responsable).
The regulation on the reception system describes three phases (the length of each phase is set there for people under international protection; the ministry’s page for people from Ukraine describes two phases: a stay at a reception facility, then help with rent and basic needs):
- Assessment and referral. Temporary accommodation, as a rule for up to a month, and help with the most urgent needs: hygiene products, clothing, food, medical care.
- Reception. Housing, food and clothing in kind or as cash assistance, plus money for daily expenses.
- Autonomy. Cash assistance for basic needs and rent after you leave the reception facility, for up to six months (for vulnerable people it can be extended by another six).
The total length may not exceed 18 months, except in cases of special vulnerability. You can apply at the CREADE reception centers (Pozuelo de Alarcón in Madrid, Málaga, Barcelona, Torrevieja) or to the organization that provides this service in your province. The right to reception is lost, in particular, when a person acquires sufficient means or when the maximum period of assistance has been used up.
The amounts of cash assistance in the autonomy phase are not published in the rules; they are set according to each person’s needs.
Can you get the minimum living income (IMV)?
Yes, if you have lived in Spain legally for at least a year and have a low income. The minimum living income (Ingreso Mínimo Vital) is a state Social Security benefit for low-income households. The main condition for foreign nationals is legal and actual residence in Spain, without interruption, for at least a year before the date of the application. Once the benefit has been granted, trips abroad of up to 90 days a year do not take away the right to it. Without this year, only certain groups can receive the benefit: children born into or joining the family, victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and women who have suffered gender-based violence.
The law has no separate rule for holders of temporary protection. Legal residence is proven by a residence permit, and a temporary protection decision includes such a permit. So, on general terms, a protection holder may be eligible for the benefit after a year of legal residence if they also meet the other requirements. We have not found an official clarification of the date from which this year is counted.
Amounts per month in 2026:
| Household | Guaranteed amount per month |
|---|---|
| One adult | €733.60 |
| Two people (including an adult and a child, if the adult is not raising the child alone) | €953.68 |
| Three people | €1,173.76 |
| Four people | €1,393.84 |
| Five or more | €1,613.92 |
| One adult raising a child alone | €1,115.07 |
The benefit tops up your income to this amount; it is not added to your income in full. If a household member has a disability of 65% or more, the amount is 22% higher. A child supplement (complemento de ayuda para la infancia) is paid separately: €115 per child under three, €80.50 from three to six, and €57.50 from six to 18, if the household income does not exceed the set limit.
You apply online on the Social Security portal, at a Social Security office (CAISS) or by post. In the Basque Country, applications are accepted by the employment service Lanbide, in Navarre by local social services, and in Catalonia new applications have been accepted by the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat) since 1 October 2026. Information line: 020.
What regional minimum incomes are there?
Each autonomous community has its own minimum income benefit with its own conditions. Examples:
| Region | Benefit | Residence condition |
|---|---|---|
| Madrid | Renta Mínima de Inserción: €469.93 a month for a person who lives alone and has no other income | Registration in a municipality of the region and actual residence there for at least a year |
| Catalonia | Renda Garantida de Ciutadania | 2 years of continuous residence in Catalonia; for refugees and applicants for international protection, one year |
| Andalusia | Renta Mínima de Inserción Social | Registration at the same address in Andalusia for at least a year (with an exception for refugees and people under international protection); you must first be refused the minimum living income in the same year (there are exceptions, including for those whose application for international protection is being examined) |
Regional rules do not say expressly whether the exceptions for refugees and people under international protection extend to temporary protection. Check with the social services in your region.
Where do you go if you are outside the reception system?
The Ministry of Inclusion advises contacting the social services of the municipality or autonomous community where you are registered at your address (padrón). They assess your situation and tell you which local programs are available to you.
Is health care free?
Yes. For health care, the receipt for your temporary protection application or the protection decision is enough. The health card (tarjeta sanitaria) is issued at your local health center.
How do you enroll a child in school?
Children from Ukraine have the right to attend school at the appropriate stage. School in Spain is compulsory and free from age 6 to 16. You can enroll your child through the municipality or directly at a school.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Assuming that temporary protection in itself gives the right to a monthly payment.
- Looking for the €400 payment from 2022: the program has ended.
- Applying for the regional minimum income in Andalusia without first being refused the minimum living income.
- Not registering at your address: access to local social services and regional benefits depends on the padrón.