Family allowances in Spain
Since 2022, Spain has integrated the former child benefit (prestación por hijo a cargo) into the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) with its CAPI complement (Complemento de Ayuda Para la Infancia). On top of this: monthly maternity deduction (€100/month), fully egalitarian 16-week parental leave and free public education from age 3.
Targeted system for low-income families via CAPI (up to €115/month per child), monthly maternity tax deduction (cheque bebé), fully egalitarian non-transferable parental leave (16 weeks at 100%) and free public school from age 3.
Complemento de Ayuda Para la Infancia (CAPI)
Complement to the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV) paid by Social Security (Seguridad Social) to families with children, means-tested:
- €115/month per child under 3
- €80.50/month per child aged 3–6
- €57.50/month per child aged 6–18
Paid even without receiving the base IMV if household income stays under certain thresholds (around €27,000/year for a family with 2 children).
Deducción por maternidad — “Cheque bebé”
Income tax (IRPF) deduction of €1,200/year (€100/month) per child under 3, reserved for working mothers (employees or self-employed) paying into Social Security.
Since 2023, extended to mothers unemployed or inactive who contributed for at least 30 days after birth.
Can be received monthly in advance via the Agencia Tributaria (form 140).
Fully egalitarian parental leave
Since 1 January 2021, Spain has fully equalised parental leave: 16 weeks for each parent, paid at 100% by Social Security (no cap).
- 6 mandatory weeks immediately after birth for each parent
- 10 remaining weeks usable freely within 12 months of birth
- Non-transferable between parents
- Single-parent families: since 2024, possibility to combine both leaves (32 weeks)
Familia Numerosa — Large family
Official status granted by Autonomous Communities for families with 3+ children (or 2 if one has a disability):
- 20–50% reductions on public transport, water, gas, electricity
- Reductions on university and school fees
- Bonus for social housing access
- €1,200 to €2,400/year IRPF deduction
Free education and 0–3 nurseries
Public school is free and compulsory from age 6 to 16. Educación infantil (ages 3–6) is free in public schools but not compulsory (>95% enrolment).
For 0–3, public escuelas infantiles are paid but heavily subsidised. Several Autonomous Communities (Madrid, Andalusia, Catalonia) made the 2–3 age bracket free from 2022/2023.
Regional bonuses
Autonomous Communities offer their own additional support:
- Madrid: €14,500 for 3rd child (over 3 years), birth bonus up to €5,200
- Catalonia: universal €1,200/year aid for families with children < 6 under income conditions
- Basque Country: €900/year per child for 3 years (universal benefit)
- Galicia, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha: birth bonuses and regional IRPF deductions
How Illizeo helps on the HR side
Illizeo is not a consulting firm or a paying body. However, our HR layer manages all of an employee’s family variables: family composition (dependent children, ages), supporting documents, event declarations (birth, adoption), leave workflows (maternity, paternity, parental) with key date calculations, and automatic feed to your payroll software.
Official sources
- Seguridad Social — IMV and CAPI
- Agencia Tributaria — Maternity deduction
- Ministerio de Inclusión y Seguridad Social
Manage the HR side of family allowances
From birth declarations to parental leave calculation, Illizeo centralises variables and feeds your payroll automatically.
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