Post actualizado el día octubre 17, 2026 by DeiviSanzPlay
You need your employment history report (known in Spain as informe de vida laboral) for a mortgage, a public exam, or just to check if your boss has actually been paying your Social Security contributions. Here’s the thing: most people still think you have to queue at an office. You don’t. In 2026 you can get it in under three minutes, free, from your couch.
I’ve done this myself twice this year, once with a digital certificate and once with the Cl@ve app, and I’m going to tell you exactly what works, what fails, and where the traps are. No fluff.
The fastest legal way: online with Digital Certificate or Cl@ve
The Social Security website (seg-social.es) is the official channel and it’s the only source that gives you a legally valid employment history report. Forget third-party sites that charge you €15 for something that’s free.
Steps that actually work right now:
- Go to the Import@ss portal (the citizen area of the Social Security site).
- Search «Informe de Vida Laboral» in the search bar.
- Choose your authentication method: Digital Certificate, Cl@ve PIN, Cl@ve Permanente, or the newer [email protected] system.
- Download the PDF or send it to your email.
That PDF has a secure verification code (CSV) at the bottom. Any bank, court, or public administration can verify it online. If someone tells you a printed copy from the app isn’t valid, they’re wrong.
The digital certificate is still the most reliable method. Cl@ve works, but if you’ve changed phones recently, you’ll likely need to re-register. The [email protected] system is the newest and honestly the smoothest for one-off requests.
Digital certificate expired? That’s your real problem
Here’s the trap nobody warns you about: your digital certificate expires every 2 to 4 years depending on the issuer (FNMT certificates last 4 years, DNIe certificates usually 2). If it expired, you can’t access the employment history report online until you renew it.
You can renew the FNMT certificate online if you still have the old one installed and it hasn’t been revoked. If it’s fully expired, you’ll need to go in person to a registration office (AEAT, Social Security, or City Hall). Annoying, yes. But once renewed, you’re set for years.
The app route: Social Security on your phone
The official app is called «Seguridad Social» and it’s available on Android and iOS. It’s free and surprisingly decent for 2026 standards.
How to get your employment history report from the app:
- Download it from the official store (not APK mirrors).
- Register with DNIe + NFC, or with your Social Security number plus an SMS code.
- Tap «Vida Laboral» and generate the report.
One genuinely useful feature: you can share the report directly with an employer or bank in encrypted format, without printing anything. I used this for a rental application and the landlord accepted it without blinking.
By phone: still works, still free
Call 901 50 20 50. It’s an automated line, available 24/7. You’ll need your DNI/NIE and your Social Security affiliation number.
You can receive the employment history report by email (full version) or SMS (summary). The phone service saves your last reports so you can resend them without re-identifying yourself, which is handy if you’re requesting it repeatedly for different procedures.
Downside: the SMS version is useless for banks. Always choose email.
In person: only if you really have to
You can request an appointment through the Social Security website and go to a TGSS office (Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social). Bring your original DNI. If you don’t know your affiliation number, they’ll look it up.
Some offices now have self-service machines where you can print the employment history report without waiting in line. It’s basically an ATM for paperwork. Not all offices have them yet, so call ahead if you’re making the trip.
What the 2026 employment history report actually contains
This isn’t just a list of dates. The current version includes:
- Every company you’ve worked for, with exact start and end dates.
- Contract type: permanent, temporary, internship, part-time.
- Hours worked if you were part-time (crucial for pension calculations).
- Contribution bases, which determine your future pension.
- Disability bonus if applicable.
- Periods of unemployment benefit and sick leave.
Updates are now in real time. Companies upload contribution data almost immediately after processing payroll. If you check your employment history report and your current job doesn’t appear yet, wait a week. If it still doesn’t appear, your employer hasn’t paid. That’s a red flag worth acting on.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
First: requesting the report for someone else. You can’t, unless you have a notarized power of attorney. Data protection rules tightened this, and offices will turn you away without the document.
Second: assuming the report is enough for a public exam. Some exams require a «plus report» that details exact days contributed, not just months. Request it specifically.
Third: if you worked abroad in the EU, your Spanish employment history report won’t show those periods. You need to request the A1 document or the U1 form through the EU’s official portal, and in some cases, the equivalent report from the other country’s social security body.
Why you might need it in 2026
Banks now routinely ask for the employment history report covering the last 10 years for mortgage applications. Some employers verify your stated work experience against it. And if you’re approaching retirement, it’s the only reliable way to check whether you have gaps in your contributions that could reduce your pension.
Check it once a year. It takes three minutes, it’s free, and it’s the single most useful document in your labor life. If something’s wrong, you want to find out now, not when you’re 64 and it’s too late to fix.
