Overview
- The government published Real Decreto 416/2026 in the BOE on 28 May and the rule takes effect on 28 August 2026, three months after publication.
- The decree formally opens the 'jubilación flexible' to autónomos who were not registered as self-employed during the three years before their retirement date.
- Self-employed retirees may receive 25% of their pension while they carry out economic activity, and salaried returnees may work between 33% and 80% of a full day under the expanded rules.
- Contributions made while working under flexible retirement are kept and the Seguridad Social will recalculate the pension when the person stops working to include those new contributions.
- Experts such as Pilar García de la Granja expect many retired autónomos to resume work because the rule lets them earn income without permanently losing pension rights and it should modestly raise long-term benefits for participants.