Arraigo
Arraigo: how most people regularise in Spain
Arraigo is a residence permit on exceptional grounds for people already living in Spain. Since the 2025 regulation there are five distinct routes, and choosing the right one is essential for the application to succeed.
Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025, reorganised the arraigo routes and changed requirements that had stood for over a decade. The most discussed change was the reduction in the general residence period required, but there were others: arraigo familiar stopped being the usual route for relatives of Spanish nationals and was redirected to specific cases, and new routes appeared.
The five routes
Arraigo social
The most common route, together with arraigo sociolaboral. It requires evidencing continuous residence in Spain for at least 2 years and either family ties with other resident foreign nationals or a social integration report issued by the autonomous community. In the Valencian Community that report is processed by the relevant town hall and has its own timescales, which are worth factoring into your planning.
Arraigo sociolaboral
For those evidencing residence plus an actual employment relationship or a contract meeting the required conditions on hours and duration. It is the most direct route when an employer is already willing to make a job offer, but the contract has to meet specific requirements: not any offer will do.
Arraigo socioformativo
For those committing to accredited training so they can later enter the labour market. It suits younger applicants or anyone wanting to reorient their professional profile. With certain types of training you will be allowed to work while you study, up to 30 hours a week.
Arraigo familiar
After the reform it is largely reserved for cases involving parents of Spanish minors or of citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland. In exchange for narrower access, it grants a 5-year permit that allows both employed and self-employed work from day one.
Second-chance arraigo
For those who held a residence permit and lost it for reasons beyond their control, but it DOES NOT APPLY to anyone who has already had a residence permit through arraigo.
What actually decides the file
Documents are where it is won or lost. These are the points we always check before filing, because they are what generates requests:
- Padrón registration: it must evidence continuous residence. Gaps can be covered by other evidence, but they have to be anticipated, not left for the administration to ask about.
- A valid passport with enough time left on it. One about to expire complicates collecting the card at the end of the process. If you renewed your passport while already in Spain, do not throw the old one away: keep the original, or at least a copy OF EVERY PAGE. It is always needed.
- Criminal record certificate from your country of origin, legalised, or apostilled with the Hague Apostille if your country has signed the Hague Convention, and translated by a sworn translator. It is best to have it translated in Spain, to be sure the translator is authorised by the MAECC: a translation made by an unauthorised translator IS NOT VALID FOR PROCESSING THE APPLICATION.
- Integration report or employment contract, depending on the route, meeting the exact requirements.
- Evidence of means of support where the route requires it.
Updated
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to have been in Spain?
It depends on the route, and the 2025 regulation changed periods that had applied for more than ten years. Because the answer varies by route and by how you can evidence your presence, we would rather look at it with your documents in front of us than give you a figure that may not be yours. It takes minutes.
Can I apply for arraigo if I entered as a tourist and overstayed?
Yes. Arraigo exists precisely for situations of subsequent irregularity. Having entered legally and stayed beyond the permitted period does not prevent an application; in fact it is the most common starting point. What matters is being able to evidence when you arrived.
I do not have padrón registration for the whole period. Am I out?
Not necessarily. The padrón is the most convenient evidence, not the only one. Medical records, school enrolments for children, money transfer receipts, contracts, invoices or certificates from associations can help build continuity. It is more painstaking work, but it is done and it works.
How long is the permit I would get?
As a general rule the initial arraigo permit runs for one year, with the exception of arraigo familiar, which is considerably longer. It has to be renewed before it expires, and that is where having worked during the year matters for evidencing continuity. The first card is not the end of the road: it is the start.