Morocco travel unemployment fine Spain 3500 euros

Traveling to Morocco while receiving unemployment benefits in Spain can have serious consequences if the trip is not declared. The Superior Court of Justice in Madrid has just reduced the sanction imposed on a man who had left Spain for more than 15 days without notifying SEPE.

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The Spanish public employment service had initially terminated his contributory benefit and demanded 8,496.55 euros considered as unduly received. The man left Spain in late November 2021 for Morocco, returning in January 2022.

According to the decision reported by Noticias Trabajo, he remained outside Spanish territory for 42 days, not counting departure and return dates. However, unemployment benefit recipients must notify SEPE before any foreign travel.

The sanction reduced by the court

The man explained that he had verbally informed a civil servant of his plans and believed he could stay abroad within the 15-day limit. He also claimed to have been ill in Morocco with symptoms compatible with Covid, which delayed his return. However, he could not prove having officially notified SEPE.

The judges did find a serious violation. But they retroactively applied a more favorable reform that came into force with Royal Decree 2/2024. From now on, a first violation of this type results in the loss of three months of benefits, no longer automatically the complete loss of unemployment rights.

The sanction is therefore reduced to three months of unemployment. The exact amount does not appear in the decision, but the initial benefit was 37.80 euros per day, which would correspond to approximately 3,500 euros.

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The court, however, refused to limit the sanction to only the 42 days spent in Morocco. For the tribunal, the minimum applicable rule remains the loss of three months of benefits. An appeal is still possible before the Spanish Supreme Court.