SEPE application: look for work in another EU country and keep your unemployment benefit

“Solicitud de autorización para desplazamiento a fin de buscar empleo a otro Estado Miembro de la Unión Europea” is a one-page form of Spain’s State Public Employment Service (SEPE). It requests permission to go and look for work in another EU or EEA country or in Switzerland while continuing to receive Spanish unemployment benefit (Article 64 of Regulation (EC) 883/2004).

According to SEPE, the benefit can be exported for 3 months, extendable by another 3 months. Payment continues by the same method as in Spain. Extension, and resumption of the authorised period after a suspension (for example, temporary work in that country), use separate SEPE forms.

• people receiving unemployment benefit in Spain who have been registered as job seekers (demandante de empleo) for at least 4 weeks;
• according to SEPE, non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals may export the benefit to EU/EEA countries except Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, or to Switzerland, if they hold a residence or work authorisation that lets them register and work legally there;
• the authorisation and the U2 document are requested at your SEPE benefits office (oficina de prestaciones) before leaving Spain.

• personal details: given name, two surnames, DNI or NIE, place and date of birth, nationality, phone;
• date of departure from Spain and the country you are moving to;
• address in the destination country if already known, postcode and town, contact phone there and e-mail;
• date of filing and signature; the right-hand column is completed by SEPE staff.

• the signed form;
• identity document: DNI for Spaniards; for foreigners, the document with your NIE (TIE or certificado de registro) and passport;
• if you are not an EU/EEA/Swiss national — your residence or work authorisation for the destination country.

You must register as a job seeker with that country’s employment service within 7 days of ceasing to be available to the Spanish employment services (according to SEPE). Check the exact procedure and document list with your benefits office.

1. Tell the chat in any language when and where you are going to look for work.
2. The assistant fills the boxes in capitals, writes your nationality in Spanish and splits the filing date into its boxes.
3. Download the PDF, check it, sign it and file it at the SEPE benefits office before you leave.

Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal, page “He trabajado o quiero trabajar en la UE” and the form on it: sepe.es — He trabajado o quiero trabajar en la UE. Checked 2026-10-09. This is not legal advice.