Types of arraigo in Spain: five options and how to choose yours

Types of arraigo in Spain: five options in one table

Arraigo (Spanish for “rootedness”) is a temporary residence permit on exceptional grounds for people who are already in Spain and have economic, social, family, employment or study ties to the country. Article 125 of the Reglamento de Extranjería (Real Decreto 1155/2024) lists five permits, and articles 126 and 127 set the conditions [1]. We explain what arraigo is in general in the article arraigo in plain words.

A child with Spanish citizenship does not mean arraigo familiar: parents of a Spanish citizen fall under a separate regime for family members of Spanish citizens. Details on familiar: arraigo familiar step by step.

Which conditions apply to all types of arraigo

Article 126 requires all the conditions to be met at once [1]. You are in Spain and are not an applicant for international protection, either when you apply or while the case is being decided. Before applying you have lived here for at least two years without interruption (there is no minimum period for familiar). You have no criminal record for offences recognised in Spanish law, either in Spain or in the countries where you lived for the last five years before entering. You pose no threat to public order, security or health, and the fee has been paid.

From 16 April 2026 a point h was added: you may not hold a stay or residence permit or be involved in a procedure to grant, renew or modify such a permit [1][2]. In practice this closes the route for someone whose study stay renewal is in progress. What counts as a “continuous” stay is explained in the article how many years you need to live in Spain for arraigo. The authority tolerates absences of up to 90 days over two years, but this figure is not in the text of the Reglamento: it comes from instruction SEM 1/2025 and the ministry’s information sheet [4][7].

How to choose the type of arraigo: questions in order

Start from the evidence you already have, not from the name of the type. We suggest going through the questions in this order.

1. Have you held a residence permit in the last two years? If so, and it was not renewed for reasons other than public order and security, look at segunda oportunidad. Under the text of article 127, a study stay (estancia) is not a residence permit, and we could not find how the ministry treats it. More: arraigo de segunda oportunidad.
2. Do you have one or more contracts for 20 hours a week or more, paying at least the SMI pro rata? The employer must be up to date with tax and Seguridad Social and have the means to fulfil the contract. This is sociolaboral: conditions and contracts.
3. Does a resident family member live in Spain: a spouse or registered partner, a parent, a child? Then for social you and your relative need funds of at least 100% of IPREM (the ministry reads this as 200% in total). If you have no resident family member, you need an informe de integración. See arraigo social.
4. Do you want to study on a programme from the list? Post-compulsory secondary education, ciclo de grado medio, adult education, vocational training certificates, employment service programmes. You need an informe de integración. See arraigo socioformativo.
5. Is your child or dependant a citizen of another EU or EEA country or Switzerland? This is familiar.

In Catalonia the informe de integración is issued by the Generalitat; the procedure is described in the article informe de integración in Catalonia. If two types fit, choose the one with the stronger evidence, and make this decision with a lawyer before applying.

How to apply and how long to wait

The procedure is the same for all types. The application on form EX-10 is filed without a visa at the oficina de extranjería for your place of residence; the information sheets also mention the Mercurio electronic channel [1][4].

Under article 130.1 the foreign national files the application in person; filing through a representative is possible under article 197.4 (a notarised power of attorney or apud acta in the electronic register, or through parties to a convenio or the Registro de Colaboradores); whether you need this in your case is for a lawyer to decide [1]. The file includes your passport, evidence of the two years, a criminal record certificate from the countries where you lived in the five years before entering (with an apostille and a sworn translation) and documents for the specific condition [1][4][9]. If you have lived in Spain continuously for the last five years, certificates from other countries are not needed [1].

The fee is paid with modelo 790, código 052, item 2.3.1 (€38.28 under the annex to Orden PJC/617/2025; check the amount on the form): at the time of filing if you apply electronically, or no later than ten working days after filing if you apply in person (article 2 of the Orden) [11]. The Reglamento does not set a decision period; the ministry’s information sheets give three months and treat silence as a refusal [4].

If the file is incomplete, the oficina sends a requerimiento with a deadline of up to 15 days; otherwise the application is treated as withdrawn [1]. An approved permit is confirmed with a TIE card, which you must request in person within a month [1]. Details for each type are covered in the separate articles listed above.

What changed in 2026

Real Decreto 316/2026 of 14 April came into force on 16 April. Four changes matter for the types of arraigo [2]. Condition h of article 126 was added, as described above. Article 127.c was amended: it describes the informe de integración, its content and who issues it (the regional authority, and the local authority only if the region has so decided and notified the ministry). For sociolaboral, article 130.5 now temporarily allows you to live and work as an employee once the application has been admitted for processing. To renew segunda oportunidad, sociolaboral and social you must prove an active job search and registration with the employment service, unless there are recognised reasons such as illness, disability or retirement age [1][2].

Separately, two temporary procedures applied in 2026: one for international protection applicants and arraigo extraordinario for people who were in Spain before 1 January 2026. Applications were accepted until 30 June 2026, and we found no extension of the deadline in the BOE [2]. This is not a permanent type of arraigo, and no new application can be filed under it after the deadline.

Judgments of the Tribunal Supremo of 8 July 2026 (sentencia 868/2026) and 29 July 2026 struck down article 197.2 on compulsory electronic filing for a number of procedures, and the first also struck down certain provisions on family, minors and automatic refusal on criminal record grounds. Articles 125-127 and 130-132, on which all the types of arraigo rest, are not among the annulled provisions [8][10]. The judgment of 8 July was published in the BOE on 22 September 2026 together with the auto de rectificación of 1 September.

What happens after the first year

The permit is issued for a year, after which there are two routes. A renewal is filed from two months before expiry or within three months after it, and filing keeps the old permit valid until the decision (article 132.3) [1]. What you need to prove depends on the type. For segunda oportunidad, sociolaboral and social you need an active job search and registration with the employment service.

For socioformativo you need a certificate from the school confirming progression to the second year, or a diploma together with a job search [1][2]. The second route is a change of status to a residence and work permit under article 191, which the ministry explicitly mentions for sociolaboral and segunda oportunidad [3][5]. Which is better depends on your employer, income and family, and that is a question for a lawyer.

We have not checked whether years on arraigo count towards the five years for larga duración (article 183).

Common mistakes when choosing the type

• Choosing the type by a name seen in an advert. What you need is the article of the Reglamento and evidence that meets it [1].
• Paying for a course before checking. Not every programme qualifies for socioformativo, only those on the list in articles 52.1.b, 52.1.e.5 and adult education; an online course with a certificate usually does not qualify [7].
• Applying while a procedure for another permit is open. From 16 April 2026 this is a bar (point h) [2].
• Counting from the first padrón. The two years run from your actual presence in Spain; registration is just one piece of evidence [4].
• Relying on outdated texts. Descriptions written before April 2026 do not mention point h or the permission to work under sociolaboral from the moment the application is admitted [2].
• Mixing up ordinary arraigo with the 2026 procedure. The deadline for the temporary procedures expired on 30 June 2026 [2].

When you need an individual review

Above all when more than one type fits, when there are gaps in your registration and absences of more than 90 days, when you had an application for international protection, when you previously held a permit that was not renewed, or when expulsion proceedings are under way. Here the decision depends not on a table but on your documents and the practice of the specific oficina. Applications must be filed with accurate dates and documents: false information can lead to a refusal and further consequences.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona matches your history against articles 125-127, helps you choose the type and put together a timeline of your stay. The first 15 minutes of a consultation are free, a full 45-minute consultation costs €121; case handling is priced on a quote, and fees and translations are paid separately. We are not responsible for how long the authorities take to respond. You can book through the consultation form. The overall steps: arraigo route card, the arraigo section and the page residence permit in Barcelona.

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.