The arraigo social can be your best alternative to regularize your situation, obtain residency and start working in Spain. In this article you will discover all its requirements in detail, how long does the process takes, how to apply for it, and much more. The definitive guide that will clear all your doubts!
Key takeaways
- What it is: a one-year temporary residence permit for non-EU foreigners in an irregular situation in Spain, based on family ties with a legal resident or on social integration; you must apply from Spain.
- Requirements: two years of continuous stay in Spain with no more than 90 days of absence, no criminal record in Spain or abroad in the past 5 years and enough financial means.
- Integration report: issued by the Autonomous Community or town hall after an interview; officially it takes 30 days and is valid for 6 months, and family ties with a legal resident make it unnecessary.
- How to apply: get the report at the town hall first if you need it, then book an appointment at the immigration office with form EX 10, your criminal records, the census and the 790/052 fee.
- Timing: the whole process usually takes 3 to 4 months, and the administration has up to 3 months to reply. Once approved, you have 30 days to register your fingerprints and get the TIE.
- Renewal: after the first year you can extend it for another year or switch to an ordinary residence and work authorisation valid for 4 years, which is usually the better option.
Arraigo social is a temporary residence and work permit designed for foreigners who have been living in Spain for 2 years and are in an irregular situation. It is one of the easiest ways for any non-European Union citizen to legalize their situation in the country.
To achieve this, you must prove either a family relationship with a foreigner legally resident in Spain, or your social integration through a favorable report, in addition to meeting the rest of the requirements that we will see below.
It is mandatory to apply for the arraigo directly from Spain.
This process is regulated by Law 4200 of the immigration regulation and Royal Decree 1155/2024; and undoubtedly, after the reform of the immigration regulations, it has undergone important and advantageous modifications.
You must have stayed for a minimum of 2 years irregularly in the country.
In addition, within those years you can’t have left the country (i.e., do not register absences) for more than 90 days.
The requirements to apply for this type of arraigo procedure are different depending on the Autonomous Community you live in. However, most of them are general, so here you will find the main ones.
- First of all, you must prove that you have resided for a total of two years in Spain illegally.
- It is important that you are a citizen from outside the European Union, the EEA, and Switzerland
- Prove a family bond (spouse, registered partner, or parents/children) with a foreigner legally resident in Spain, or a favorable social integration report, issued by the Autonomous Community or the town hall of your home
- Accredit sufficient financial means: if it is due to a family relationship, the family member must have at least 100% of the IPREM (7,200€ annually), and you must have another 100% (200% in total); If it is through an integration report, you must prove at least 100% of the IPREM yourself
- No criminal background records, neither in Spain nor in your country of origin, during the past 5 years.
- Not be an applicant for international protection
- Not be subject to a commitment not to return to Spain
- Not have another residence permit application pending
- If the autonomous community in which you live has a second language, you must show that you understand and speak it. In order to do this, and for example in the case of Catalonia, you will have to take a 45-hour Catalan course
So if you meet all the requirements to apply for the social arraigo in Spain, do not hesitate and start the procedure.
In the following questions, we will resolve the main doubts about each of these requirements in greater detail.
But remember that, if due to your particular circumstances and the main requirements, you cannot apply for social grounding, there are still 3 other types of arraigo that you may be able to apply for.
Social arraigo through your own economic means
To opt for the social arraigo, you have to prove you have sufficient financial means on your own.
In other words, you must have 100% of the IPREM per year if you don’t have any relatives with legal residence in Spain (€7,200 per year), or 200% of the IPREM if you do (€14,400 per year).
How can I prove that I have lived in Spain for two years?
The easiest and most common way is to do it through the census and the “histórico empadronamiento”. The census is the document that shows in which city hall you are registered with and where you live.
The most common is that when a foreigner enters Spain, he or she registers in the town hall of his or her city or town. And the immigration office takes this date as the beginning of the time lived in Spain.
The procedure for obtaining this type of temporary residence can be divided into the following phases:
Entry to Spain and live in the country for two years
The first step is simple. The foreigner arrives in Spain and begins to live in the Spanish territory for two continuous years. As previously mentioned, they must be in an irregular situation.
Although it seems that absolutely nothing has to be done in this step, this is not entirely true. By the time the application is made, and as we have seen in previous sections, we must be able to demonstrate that we have indeed been living in Spain.
That is why the foreigner should register her address (preferably), and begin to integrate with the country. That is to say, it will be very beneficial if you can register in centers or social clubs such as libraries, start paying rent, etc.
Appointment with the town hall
After two years in Spain, you will start the legal procedure. The first thing will be to get an appointment with the town hall. During this appointment, you will mainly submit a set of documents (we will see them in the next section), and fill a form out.
Once they verify that everything is correct and nothing is missing, they will schedule a personal interview with you. In this interview, they will check that you speak and understand Spanish (as well as Catalan in the case of Catalonia), and will ask a series of questions to see if you are really integrated into Spanish society.
In the case of passing the interview, they have 30 days to issue the favourable report. And with that report, we can move on to the next step.
Please note that the integration report is valid for 6 months from its issuance, so it is advisable not to delay submitting the application once obtained.
Appointment with the immigration office
Once you have the favorable report, you will be able to get an appointment with the foreigner’s office to apply for the residency. The list of documents to provide is different in this case (we will also see them below).
To get an appointment for the social arraigo, you can do so by clicking here.
You will have to choose your region, the procedure, and see the available dates on the platform. Please note that, depending on the time of year, you may experience certain delays and may not be able to get an appointment until a few months from now.
After a maximum of 3 months of waiting for an answer, the application will be approved.
You can get to know if your arraigo social application was approved through an electronic notification. If you rely on our lawyer team to handle the entire procedure, we will call you right after your application has been approved to notify you.
Finally, with the positive resolution, you will have 30 days to go to a police station, register your fingerprints, and get the TIE or identification card as a foreigner. And with that, you will already have temporary residence in Spain, being able to live and work legally in the country for one year.
As we have seen in the previous section, each phase of the process requires different documents. So that is why we wanted to divide the answer into two different sections:
Documents to provide at the appointment with the city hall
- Passport (original and copy)
- NIE number (if the foreigner has it, otherwise, there would be no problem)
- Town hall registry (census) together with the historical census
- If possible, rental contract or deed of ownership of the housing in which you are living
- In the case of having family ties with legal residents in Spain, documentation that proves it
- Filling out the application form for the arraigo report, which you will be given directly there.
- If you live in Catalonia, you should take a 45-hour Catalan course and provide documentation showing that you have completed it
- Any document or card that proves your integration with the country, such as a library card
Documents to be provided at the appointment at the Immigration Office
- Again, copy of passport and, if you have one, NIE number
- Application form EX 10, completed and signed
- Census and historic, showing a minimum of 2 years in the country
- Favorable report from the Autonomous Community obtained after the personal interview
- Criminal records, properly legalized and translated into Spanish
- Accreditation of family ties (for example, with a marriage certificate, birth or civil partnership certificate)
- Documentation proving financial means: if it is by family link, proof of income/savings of the family member (100% IPREM) and your own (100% IPREM); If it is by integration report, proof of your own means (100% IPREM).
- Payment of the 790/052 fee
Regarding criminal records, please note that in general, they must be valid for a maximum of 6 months. It will not be necessary to provide them in case of either being able to prove five years of continuous stay in Spain or a reiteration in a previous application (without having left Spain).
Integration report for your arraigo application
The social integration report is one of the key documents required for your arraigo application that you will obtain after you have demonstrated that you actually have a link with the region in which you have resided for 2 years.
In addition to the 2 years in Spain, one of the most important requirements to be able to obtain social roots is to be able to demonstrate integration with Spanish society and, more specifically, with the region in which you are located.
If you have first-degree relatives in Spain (i.e., parents, children, grandparents, spouse, etc.), it is way easier, as this will be sufficient proof to demonstrate this link.
However, if this is not the case (which is usually the most common), you will have to apply for the so-called social integration report.
To obtain this report successfully means fulfilling a series of requirements that are specified by each Autonomous Community and that are understood as sufficient to demonstrate the link with the region.
For example, in Catalonia this means taking Catalan courses to be able to verify that you speak the language (a course of approximately 40 hours); while in other places we can find Spanish courses in case it is not your native language.
In addition, another point that is highly valued for the achievement of this report is the participation in some associations, interactions with the neighborhood, use of municipal public services, and any other similar undertaking.
Generally, obtaining this report is not a complicated task, and it is not usually rejected. However, it is always essential to know in detail how the process works and to comply with the requirements thoroughly. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, and through this post we will solve all your doubts so that you can succeed.
Again, and this point is very important, if you have a family member in Spain, it is NOT necessary to request the report.
For the rest of the foreigners, let’s see how this process works step by step.
How can you obtain this report?
The way and steps to get this report depend on and vary according to the Autonomous Community where you are.
That is to say, it is not the same process in Madrid as in Barcelona.
However, in general, this process starts at the town hall where you live and will always consist of an interview with a public worker at the town hall or local government.
This interview will mainly measure your level of Spanish or the language of the autonomous community in case you have your own language (for example, in Catalonia your level of Catalan will be measured); as well as understanding what exactly you are doing in Spain and what your plans are in the country.
If Spanish is your native language, the interview will most likely be by telephone, and you will not have to go in person (this is, for example, what happens in Madrid).
However, if it is not, you will probably have to go in person for your arraigo interview with the social services officer after making an appointment.
In this interview, you will have to bring with you all the requirements of the arraigo social employment contract (with the required characteristics), criminal record certificate, proof that you have been in Spain for at least 2 years, etc.
As we have already mentioned, the report for arraigo is issued by the Autonomous Community in which you have your habitual residence as a foreigner, or by the corresponding town hall if that is what is specified by the government of the Autonomous Community.
Here you can find the complete list of institutions in charge of issuing it according to the region where you are, something that will be essential to understand in view of the particularities of the procedure.
As you can see, it is a document that depends on regional regulations, and therefore the requirements to obtain it also vary depending on where you live.
How long does it take to get the integration report for arraigo?
Generally, on any official web page, you will see that the official time specified is 30 days from the date of application. However, you will usually receive the report by email after approximately 2 weeks, so the process after the interview is quite fast (although sometimes there may be longer delays).
Once you receive it, you will be able to finally start your application for social arraigo at the immigration office, attaching this report to the rest of the necessary documentation.
However, keep in mind that it is best not to request any other documents from your country of origin until you receive this report.
Criminal records have an expiration date of 3 months, and if you request them before you receive your arraigo report (which can experience certain delays), you will have to request the criminal records again since they could have expired.
How long is the process?
The total time depends on different factors. However, it usually takes 3 to 4 months from beginning to end.
But everything will depend on:
- How long it takes for you to gather and prepare all the necessary documentation.
- Getting an appointment at the immigration office.
- The time it takes for the administration to emit a favorable response.
Out of these 3 points, the second is the one that can present greater uncertainties. Because preparing all the documents is something relatively fast, and we know that the administration has a total of 3 months to issue its response.
However, the day on which we will get the appointment will depend on the demand and availability of the immigration office at that particular time.
The interview for the arraigo social application in Spain is a crucial step where you need to demonstrate your integration into Spanish society. The social worker or interviewer will ask questions to assess your ties to the community, your understanding of Spanish culture, and your personal and professional circumstances.
Below are some common types of questions you might encounter during the interview:
- How long have you been living in Spain?
- Why did you come to Spain, and how did you enter the country?
- What is your current living situation?
- Do you have family members living in Spain?
- Do you have Spanish friends? How did you meet them?
- How do you support yourself financially?
- Do you speak Spanish? If so, how did you learn it?
- What do you know about Spanish culture and traditions?
- What are your plans for the future in Spain?
- How do you plan to contribute to Spanish society?
- What is your educational background?
- Are you planning to continue your education or professional development?**
These questions aim to assess how well-integrated you are into Spanish society, your ties to the country, and your future intentions. It’s important to be honest and provide as much detail as possible to demonstrate your commitment to living in Spain.
Would you like us to help you prepare for the interview so that your application can be approved? Then do not hesitate to contact us. We will provide you with the main questions that are usually asked and help you know how to answer them.
After the first year, you have two options:
- extend your own social arraigo for an additional year
- modify it towards an ordinary residence and work authorization (employed or self-employed)
You must submit the extension or modification from 60 days before your card expires until 90 days after its expiry.
This second option is usually preferable when your requirements are met, as it consolidates a more stable situation.
For the extension, you must prove compliance with the initial requirements and that you are actively searching for employment registered in the public employment service.
In specific cases of force majeure, disability or retirement, it will not be necessary to demonstrate the above requirements.
Although there is the possibility of renewal, many people choose to simply modify the permit to a regular residence permit.
So yes, it is possible to modify it to an ordinary residence and work authorization valid for 4 years. In other words, once the first year as a legal foreigner has ended, you can continue being a legal resident if you meet the necessary requirements. In that sense, you can change to a work permit, either as a company’s worker or as a self-employed; or to a non-lucrative residency visa (if you do not want to work).
That’s why we recommend that during the last few months of your arraigo year, you start looking for a job. Otherwise, without one, you won’t be able to renew it.
You can get arraigo for about €500. The cost of the procedure is divided into two main parts:
- The service of the lawyer who will prepare and submit all the documents for you
- The cost of the corresponding fee to be paid to the immigration office, model 790/052, which is €38.28
As for the legal assistance, at Balcells Group we manage the whole process for you for just €499. This price includes preparing all the necessary documentation, guiding you step by step through the whole process, helping you to prepare for the interview with the town hall, etc.
And all that while eliminating any administrative burden, so that you only need to sign and easily get residency in Spain.
If you have any doubts about the regularization, do not hesitate to contact us. We can start now managing the entire legal application process for you step by step so that you do not worry about anything!
Choose the date that suits you best for a consultation with our lawyers, and let us guide you step by step.
Related content of interest:
- Types of arraigo in Spain
- Arraigo familiar in Spain
- Reforms in immigration regulations
- Socioformative arraigo in Spain
At Balcells Group we have been foreigners effortlessly moving to Spain for over 11 years. We help expats from all around the world with their immigration, business, tax and legal needs; ensuring a legally safe and enjoyable transition to the Spanish territory. Our multilingual team understands the importance of adapting to the cultural and legal specificities of our international clients. We offer a comprehensive service that combines the expertise of several generations of lawyers with the innovation needed to address today’s legal challenges, always striving to simplify processes and ensure reliable, effective results.
You do not talk about having 2.500. Euros in the bank for 12 months, nor do you mention about proof that you have 25.000 in bank, stock market, or bonds, need to hear back. Darrell Calvin… you have my five hundred euros.
Hi Darrell, this post it’s for information only. For this type of procedure, they also required a job contract.
If you have any questions please, write us to our email: info@balcellsgroup.com
Regards.
I should’ve searched further and find this website earlier rather than getting the service of the rude lady lawyer in one of the law office in Gran Via.
I’m pretty sure I will be satisfied here than there.
Sigh.
Hi Peng!
We will make our best to really satisfy you and help with everything you need.
You just need to ask us!
I want to know , i am living here in spain from last almost three years.I having a schengen visa from Germany on my passport so please tell me do I also need a police clearence certificate from Germany ?I am from India .I shall be thankful to you .
Hi Prince!
You can get further details regarding the documentation needed for the arraigo here in this post: https://balcellsgroup.com/types-of-arraigo-in-spain/
Furthermore, for any other specific doubt, you can contact us at info@balcellsgroup.com
Thank you!
How do I get a contract of work when puting in for my resident in Spain?
Hi!
You will first need to find a job offer in Spain. Then, the employer must do the initial application.
For any other doubt, do not hesitate to contact us at info@balcellsgroup.com, we will be glad to help!
hi all my family member are now citizen of Spain by naturalization but non of them work by now for that we i was not approved for my resident for there times. now i will complete my three years stay on 3 June, hopefully start my arraigo. please if am approved can i change it to the 5 years stay based on my parents nationality in Spain. i mean comunitario. and am 24 years old
Hi Elvis!
You are talking about two different processes, one is the Spanish reunification (your parents can apply for you if they already have a residence permit for the second year, meaning that they have renewed once the first one; and then the arraigo. The application process for both is completely different.
Hope we have solved your doubts. If not, you can send us an email at info@balcellsgroup.com
thans for reaching out to us!
Hi, My name is SUYOG PRAKASH SAWANT and I came Barcelona from Madrid airport on 10 th April this month on 45 days business visa. I want to apply for Arraigo social as soon as possible . How can I apply for that and How much total expenditure will come for this process? And when should I start working after applying for this process.
Hi Suyog!
One of the main requirements of arraigo is that you must have been living in Spain for 3 years. Unfortunately, if you arrived in the country on the 10th of April, it won’t be possible to apply to this procedure.
Kind regards.
Sorry I forgot to mention that I have NIE number too
Hello,
I’m living in Spain on a student visa (since September 2017) and I want to know if arraigo social will be an option for me after having resided here for 3 years. Also, I know that it must be residing for 3 years “continuously”, or not residing outside of Spain for more than 120 days in the three year period. If I am outside of Spain for more than 120 days during this time, could I still be eligible if I wait until I’ve made up that time? For example, if I were out of Spain for 150 days during the three years, could I wait until 3 years + the additional 30 days over the maximum 120? Hope this makes sense. Ive been researching this quite a bit but I can’t find the answers to these questions. I hope you can help! Thanks in advance!
Hi Christina,
In order to apply for arraigo social is mandatory to have been living in Spain minimum of 3 years. During this period, you could only be out of the country less than 120 days since the Government will double check all the pages of your passport with all the entry/out stamps.
You should consider as well that this kind of permit is only possible if the applicant is irregular in the country. It means that while you are applying, you cannot get any other card. In case you have a residence card you must renounce to it.
So, if you have been studying in Spain for 3 years is much better to switch your permit into an ordinary work permit not to do arraigo social.
Hope we have answered your doubts,
kind regards!
Hi! I got my residency through arraigo social cuenta ajena and will be expiring by 3rd qtr this year. How much would it cost for me if i get your service for assistance with the procedure to modify it? Thanks!
Hi Nico!
In order to know more information regarding prices, you should send us an email at info@balcellsgroup.com and we will precisely define that.
thanks a lot for reaching out to us!
Hi there,i want some information that for applying arraigo social .
how much language (castallano,catalan)hours certificate we needed with new immigaraion arraigo rules?
i heard that in catalunya they ask for 90 hours od castellano and 45 hours of catalan.
is that true?
Hi Sheikh!
That is true, you need to complete a course consisting of 45 hours of Catalan, provided that you are in Catalonia).
Hello,
I just reside in Spain here and i have registered with the fundacion Cepaim in Almeria. I have been given a medical card for which i can get a medical service. Can i be going to the hospital for every three or four month within that three years to prove that i have live in the country for that time. And how much months or years do i need to for my Empatramiento for the process too. Thanks
Hi Baba,
Yes, that can be a piece of evidence. As long as you can demonstrate a total of 3 years, being with empadronamiento or with other evidence, it will be ok.
A very specific question,When applying for arriago social, I have been living in Spain for last 3 years have copy of enpadrenamento for that time frame, however my original passport was stolen, have a denunciation for the same from police station with the old passport number, I have been issued a new passport and it has the new passport number and also mentioned the old passport number that was lost.would I have any problem I have the copy of the front and back pages of the old passport and also a police clearance certificate from my home country notarized from ministry of external affairs and translated in Spanish etc. that shouldn’t be a problem right? as enpadrenamento has old passport number for 2.4 years and new passport number for the last 8 months, I am willing to provide a affidavit along with police report for the loss of old passport while applying.
Hi TJ,
No, you shouldn’t have any problem with that!
Hello there. Sir and ma’am.. I’m …….from Pakistan I’m stay in Barcelona Spain from 2 years and 3 months I have padron also Same time.. but I take asylum last year and I have working permit witch renew every 6 month my I know after 9 months I can apply my arraigo in Spain or I have to cancel my asylum application? And if I need to cancel then when I can cancel or no need to cancel I can apply arraigo and I’m working also I’m paying Tex and I can apply behoof of this job or I need other 1 year work contract? How much your fees I can pay you and u can tell me this all and I can come your office?thanks very much
Hi Adeel,
Yes, you need to cancel your asylum in order to apply for arraigo social. Send us an email at info@balcellsgroup.com so we can start helping you out and answering all your specific questions! 🙂
dear sir if person can speak good catalan language can he must also need to Finishing a Catalan course of 45 hours of duration.
my second question pl. my son is living in Barcelona since june1918 as he registered him at asylum centre but he also gone for padronament February this year.
which time is acceptable for proof of living in Spain for arraigo ;padronament or asylum registering time. best regards
Hi Asif,
Yes, the Catalan course will be necessary if you live in Catalonia. In regards to the acceptable proof of living, as we have discussed in this article, the census + any other proof such as payments to local stores, for example.
Hi, can you find me the contract or just processing my file.
Hi Ikbal,
As lawyers, we just manage the application procedure.
Kind regards!
Hi I already applied for the residence with arrigo certificate on 13th February but still I have heart any from them wheather my papers is favorable or no not though i am checkingmy my status online it says inproces.
I made i mistake i think when i apply for the arrigo certificate with a tourism related company.
Then i submit my paper works with a restaurant contract with same arrigo certificate which I have been taken from tourism based company. Do you think does it make any impact on my papers please let me know . Because it’s been now more than 3 months from the time I submitted the application on 13th February 2020. Thank you
You should check the status of your application online. Usually it takes about 1 month or 1 month and a half to receive the resolution.
What is the minimum amount required by pre-employment contract for the presentation of papers for arraigo social, considering the pandemic if locutorio cun mobile repair shop is giving me a contract of € 1200 / month and 40 hours / week pre contrato de trabajo, is it good? or if I have 4 hours / day and from an employer and another 4 hours / day from another employer,is it also fine for the presentation of the pre contrato de trabajo. If rejected, what are the other options for me?
Please note I have my father who is legally living here for 11 years and has his 5 years larga duracion card, unfortunately I have crossed the 21 age so i am not coming under minor rule of under 21 age. My father’s monthly income isn’t much as well to show he can support me and himself his basic salary is 1200/month.
So please advise what is the way forward as to get a clean pre contrato de trabajo now a days is difficult due to the pandemia,as most of the employers or empressarios are on Erte or have not paid their IVA. So to get a pre contrato de trabajo is difficult. Also what is the Minimum amount is it €950 per month, still.
In order to be able to assess what would be the best option for you, ideally we would like to have a consultation with you so that one of the lawyers can advise you on your case. You can send an email to info@balcellsgroup.com.
During the 1st year of arraigo social permit being issued for 1 year, can you change your job in case you get a better job in another company.
Hello, first of all, thanks a lot for the very comprehensive information.
I am confused about my case as I am eligible for this arraigo or not?
I am going to complete my 3 years in Spain this September 2021. but my 3 years were not completely illegal. In my first year, I was a student, second-year I posses Residencia temporal no lucrative and in 3rd year, I am illegal. So my last year Is illegal out of 3 years, Can I still be able to apply for Arraigo?
I would really appreciate it if you could resolve my query.
Thanks in advance.
Un saludo,
In order to assess what would be your best option, it would be ideal to have a consultation with you so that one of the lawyers can advise you taking into account your case. You can send an email to info@balcellsgroup.com