Everything you need to know about arraigo laboral in Spain in this post! Discover the most important requirements you will have to meet to get your labor arraigo, the documents that are required, and the legal application process explained step by step. Everything below!
Key takeaways
- What it is: a residence permit for exceptional circumstances for foreigners who have lived in Spain for 2 years and have an employment contract; since May 2025 it is called arraigo sociolaboral.
- What it allows: living legally in Spain for one year and working only as an employee; it can then be extended for one year in exceptional cases, though another residency is usually better.
- Requirements: no criminal record, being a non-EU citizen with no entry ban, being in an irregular situation, paying the 790/052 fee and proving 2 years of continuous residence.
- The contract: it must guarantee at least the minimum wage (€17,094 a year) or the collective agreement salary, with an average of 20 hours a week and, if temporary, more than 90 days.
- How to apply: online with a digital certificate or with an appointment at the immigration office; the administration has 3 months to reply, and no answer means the application is rejected.
What is “arraigo laboral”?
Arraigo laboral in Spain is the residency due to exceptional circumstances granted to those foreigners who have been living in Spain continuously for 2 years, and who have an employment contract.
Traditionally, this residency was designed for foreigners who had worked illegally in the Spanish territory.
Thus, labor arraigo was created with the purpose of eradicating labor exploitation in the country. This type of arraigo was (and always has been) the reward granted by the immigration office for notifying the labor irregularity and denouncing the exploiter (the employer, who could then be sanctioned).
But as we will see below, the scope of application has changed, since this residency is now granted only to those who have an employment contract, and not to those who have been working illegally in Spain for a certain period of time.
Overall, we are talking about a temporary residence card with a work permit.
That is to say, the foreigner who obtains the “arraigo laboral” can not only live legally in Spain for one year, but can also work (only as an employee).
Once this year is over, in exceptional cases, the residency permit may be extended for one year, but generally, the best option is to choose a different type of residency.
New instruction on labor arraigo
Until very recently, the arraigo laboral was not widely spread, and not too many foreigners used it.
In order to be able to apply for it, the foreigner had to legally report his employer against court (so that a labor inspection could be initiated and finally confirm that the employment relationship had indeed taken place illegally).
However, following the reform of the immigration regulations under Royal Decree 1155/2024, effective May 2025, “arraigo laboral” has been renamed “arraigo sociolaboral”, and the requirements to apply for it have changed.
It is no longer necessary to file a complaint against the employer, because the fundamental requirement is not to demonstrate a prior employment relationship, but rather to provide an employment contract showing that an employment relationship will begin in the future.
Do you have any questions regarding the arraigo laboral? Then ask our lawyers anything here, or keep on reading for more information:
Requirements for labor arraigo
Below we analyze the list of specific requirements that you will have to meet in order to successfully apply for the arraigo laboral in Spain.
As you will see, many of them are common and shared with the other residence authorizations for exceptional circumstances.
What are these requirements?
General requirements
The general requirements for the arraigo laboral in Spain are:
- Not having criminal records in Spain or in any other country in which you have resided in the past 5 years (as well as in your country of origin)
- You must be a non-EU citizen
- Can’t have the entry prohibited to Spain
- You must be under an irregular situation at the moment of your application (i.e. without a valid residence permit)
- Pay the corresponding fee (790/052)
In addition to these 5, we also find 2 extra requirements with special relevance that define the labor arraigo procedure: the continuous residency in the country and the capacity to demonstrate your working relationship.
Let’s explore those two.
Living continuously in Spain
To get your labor arraigo, it will be crucial to demonstrate that you have been living for a minimum of 2 years in Spain continuously.
This period of time must be immediately prior to the date of application (i.e., no time can pass in between).
In addition, the word continuous is of great importance here. That is because the period of residency must be without prolonged absences (although the regulations allow you to leave the country for a period of no more than 3 months (90 days) in total during those 2 years).
How can you prove this permanence?
Basically through any official document issued by the public administration in which the issuance date and your name can be clearly identified.
We are talking about documents issued by the city hall (such as the registration form or “empadronamiento”), by the health services (such as medical certificates from the social security), although invoices or money transfers would also be valid documents here.
The more documents you can provide, the better!
Demonstrating your employment relationship
Finally, perhaps the most important requirement is that you have an employment contract that will allow you to settle in Spain once your residency permit is granted.
In this case, the contract will be valid if:
- It guarantees at least the minimum wage (currently €17,094 per year; SMI 2026) or the wage established in the applicable collective bargaining agreement
- It establishes a weekly work schedule of no less than twenty hours in total. This means that, for example, if you work 30 hours in some weeks and 15 hours in others, it is sufficient for the average to exceed 20 hours
You can include more than one employment contract if you meet the following additional requirements:
- If you perform seasonal work related to seasonal activities
- If you work part-time and simultaneously for more than one employer
Furthermore, if the employment contract is only for a specific period of time, it must be longer than 90 days.
Internships, however, would not be included here and are not valid for this authorization.
How to apply for labor arraigo in Spain?
One of the main advantages of the arraigo sociolaboral is that, unlike the old system, it no longer requires you to file a complaint against your employer or provide proof of past months of employment: all you need to do is submit a valid employment contract along with the rest of the documentation.
You have two different options to apply for this authorization:
- The recommended one, which is by submitting all the documents online (you will need a digital certificate); a much faster and more convenient option (as the resolution is granted in a record time).
- If you do not have a digital certificate, you can always make an appointment and go to the nearest immigration office.
Once you send all the documents, the immigration office has 3 months to issue a resolution. If after this period you do not receive any type of response, your application will be considered rejected by negative administrative silence.
Once you have your positive resolution, you must bring it to the closest immigration office to apply for your TIE (the physical residence card containing your NIE and type of residence).
Required documents
What documents must you include in your application to get your labor arraigo in Spain? Basically, the following ones:
- Form EX-10, which you can download here
- Complete passport and copy
- Criminal records certificate (legally translated and apostilled)
- Payment of the corresponding fee, which is the 790-052
- Documentation proving continuous residence in Spain for a minimum period of two years
- Employment contract meeting the required criteria
- Copy of the company’s NIF
- Proof that the company guarantees the necessary financial solvency
- Copy of documentation certifying the professional qualifications legally required to practise the profession
Given that both options are suitable for foreigners who have been living in Spain for a certain amount of time, many people have doubts about the differences between social and labor arraigo.
And the truth is that they are completely different residence authorizations.
One requirement that differentiates the two options is that the arraigo social requires demonstrating integration with Spanish society, either through a direct family relationship with a legal resident of Spain or through a favourable social integration report.
As we have seen, this is not something that the labor arraigo requires.
Finally, social arraigo does not require an employment contract, although it does allow people to work either as self-employed individuals or as employees.
If you still have doubts and would like our team of expert immigration lawyers to guide you step by step in order to successfully apply for your residency, do not hesitate to contact us!
Choose the date that suits you best for a consultation with our lawyers, and let us guide you step by step.
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.
