What is the payroll cycle in Spain?

Monthly, with salary typically paid at month end. Payroll is paid in EUR (Euro).

Can I run payroll in Spain without a local entity?

Yes. Through an Employer of Record (EOR), Gracemark employs your talent under Spain labor law and runs local payroll, no entity required.

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Payroll in Spain

Payroll in Spain runs in EUR (Euro). Monthly, with salary typically paid at month end. At least two extra payments per year (pagas extraordinarias) are required, commonly summer and Christmas, and may be prorated monthly. Statutory employer contributions apply. Gracemark operates it end-to-end, humans, not tickets.

Get a Spain payroll quote Paying an existing team there? Tell us the headcount, email or phone is enough.

Currency

EUR, Euro

Payroll cycle

Monthly, with salary typically paid at month end

Working week

Ordinary maximum of 40 hours per week on an annual average; overtime is capped at 80 hours per year

Minimum wage

SMI for 2026 is EUR 1,221 per month gross across 14 payments under Royal Decree 126/2026

13th-month

At least two extra payments per year (pagas extraordinarias) are required, commonly summer and Christmas, and may be prorated monthly

Employer cost

Employer social security contributions generally run about 29% to 32% of gross salary; the exact rate depends on contract type, activity and risk class

Probation

Up to 6 months for qualified technicians and shorter periods for other workers under Article 14 of the Workers' Statute; collective agreements may vary the limit

Notice period

Notice and severance depend on cause and contract type; unfair dismissal severance is 33 days' salary per year of service capped at 24 months for post-2012 contracts, and objective dismissal is 20 days per year capped at 12 months

Two ways to run payroll in Spain

Own-entity payroll

For long-term presence in Spain. Gracemark manages statutory filings, pay runs, and year-end reporting under your entity, with a named operator on Southern Europe time.

EOR-run payroll

No entity in Spain? Employ and pay talent under Gracemark's local infrastructure via EOR, onboard in 1–2 weeks (eor), no local incorporation.

Compliance essentials in Spain

Salaries are commonly paid in 14 installments, not 12
Equal 16-week paid leave for both parents
Severance of 20–33 days per year worked by dismissal type
Digital-nomad and remote-work friendly recent reforms
Regional holidays add to the national calendar

Get a payroll quote for Spain

Send your headcount and salary band. We reply with employer burden, net-to-gross, and setup timeline, no sales scripts.

Get your Spain hiring plan

Send the role, a selected worker or an existing-team requirement in Spain. Get a written recommendation covering the model, cost categories, responsibilities and next steps. One hire is welcome; no meeting required.

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Deeper guide

Hiring guide: Spain →

Employ without entity

EOR services →

All countries

Global payroll overview →