Arraigo in Spain: a route card from proof of residence to application

Arraigo in Spain: an 11-step scheme

1. Check the general requirements

   The general requirements are the same for every type except familiar: you are in Spain, have lived here continuously for two years and are not a threat to public order.

   • I am in Spain and I am not an international protection applicant
   • Have lived here for at least two years in a row (no minimum for familiar)
   • No valid stay or residence permit and no open procedure for one
   • No criminal record in Spain or in my countries of residence over the five years before entry

   Where: Reglamento, Article 126 as amended by Real Decreto 316/2026Timing: before gathering evidenceCost: free

   When to get help: there is any open procedure or a previous permit: another case is not dropped without a legal assessment.

2. Choose the type of arraigo

   The evidence decides the type, not what you would prefer: each has its own requirements, duration and renewal.

   • Compared my situation with the table above and chose one type
   • Found a document for each requirement of the type
   • Read up on the chosen type: social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, segunda oportunidad

   Where: Reglamento, Articles 125-127Timing: before preparing the applicationCost: free

   When to get help: several types fit at once or the documents are incomplete: you need a review before applying.

3. Build a two-year timeline

   The Reglamento requires continuous presence in Spain and does not define how long absences may be. Time spent waiting for a final decision on an international protection application does not count towards the two years.

   • Wrote down dates of entry, departures and addresses month by month
   • Listed past procedures and their outcome
   • Checked the dates against documents, not memory

   Where: your documents and your stamped passportTiming: done once, before applyingCost: free

   When to get help: the timeline has long absences or gaps: show them to a lawyer before applying. See which periods count.

4. Gather proof of residence

   The law has no closed list. What works is the overall picture: the more independent proof for each month, the better.

   • Historical certificate of registered address (volante histórico)
   • Medical records, doctor’s appointments, school and course documents
   • Bank statements, tenancy contracts, utility bills
   • Tickets, passport stamps, correspondence with the authorities

   Where: Ajuntament de Barcelona, bank, clinics, schoolsTiming: order certificates well in advanceCost: see the Ajuntament page

   When to get help: documents contradict each other or there is no registration at an address. More: how to gather evidence and volante in Barcelona.

5. Order criminal record certificates

   You need certificates from the countries where you lived in the five years before entering Spain. If you have lived in Spain continuously for all of those five years, no certificate from a third country is needed. The authority runs the Spanish check itself.

   • Identified the countries and years for the five years before entry
   • Ordered the certificates, had them apostilled and got a sworn translation
   • Checked that the request meets Spanish requirements: criminal record certificate for a residence permit

   Where: authorities of the issuing country, sworn translatorTiming: validity and issue times depend on the countryCost: apostille and translation are paid separately

   When to get help: the certificate shows a record, or you have lived in several countries.

6. Get the informe de integración if you need one

   The report is mandatory for socioformativo, and for social without qualifying family ties. In Catalonia it is issued by the Generalitat; the application is usually filed with the ajuntament where you are registered.

   • Applied in advance: it takes up to 30 working days, one month under the regulations
   • Attached proof of attending the values course and of knowing Catalan and Spanish (there are exemptions, for example an ESO diploma or an intermediate vocational qualification)
   • If the report was not issued on time, kept proof of that

   Where: the ajuntament where you are registered, the Generalitat (procedure in Catalonia)Time: up to 30 working days, according to the GeneralitatCost: free, according to the Generalitat page

   When to get help: the report is unfavourable or was not issued on time: it cannot be challenged on its own, only together with the final decision.

7. Gather the documents for your type and pay the fee

   The fee is the same for all types of arraigo. Check the modelo 790 and the code in the ministry’s information sheet.

   • Sociolaboral: a contract, and an employer who meets article 74, with no labour market test
   • Socioformativo: proof of enrolment, needed within three months of the decision
   • Paid the fee and kept the receipt

   Where: Ministry of Inclusion sede, information sheetTime: before applyingCost: €38.28 under order PJC/617/2025

   When to get help: the employer is unsure about the article 74 requirements, the contract is under 20 hours, or enrolment is not yet completed.

8. Submit the application

   The application is filed in person (article 130.1 of the Reglamento); the article allows a representative only for minors and for people who need support to carry out legal acts. The general rules on representation (poder notarial, apud acta, article 197.4) are checked before filing. The Tribunal Supremo struck down mandatory electronic filing under article 197.2 in rulings of 8 and 29 July 2026, so check the filing method on the day you apply.

   • Chose the filing method and the Oficina de Extranjería
   • Filed the application and kept the resguardo and a copy of the full set
   • With sociolaboral, you can work once the application is admitted for processing

   Where: Oficina de Extranjería in Barcelona, sedeTime: incomplete documents are returned for correction within up to 15 daysCost: the fee from step 7

   When to get help: the filing method is unclear, your history is complicated, or it overlaps with other procedures.

9. Watch for notifications and answer any requerimiento

   The Reglamento sets no decision deadline for arraigo. The ministry’s information sheet (Hoja 28, arraigo social) gives three months and allows refusal by silence (silencio negativo); check this on the day you apply.

   • I open electronic notifications: one left unread for 10 calendar days counts as rejected
   • I answer a requerimiento within the deadline stated in the notification
   • If the case is closed for incomplete documents, I understand the consequences: desistimiento and caducidad

   Where: sede, Carpeta CiudadanaTime: see the authority’s pageCost: free

   When to get help: any requerimiento on the substance of the case, and any refusal.

10. Apply for the TIE and start working

    After a favourable decision, the TIE is requested in person within a month. With sociolaboral, the permit takes effect once you are registered with Social Security within a month of notification.

    • Filed the EX-17 and the 790-012 receipt for the TIE
    • With sociolaboral, checked the alta in the Seguridad Social: it is needed within a month of notification (social security number)
    • Chose how I work: employed or self-employed; socioformativo up to 30 hours a week

    Where: Policía Nacional, Seguridad SocialTime: TIE: one monthCost: TIE €16.08

    When to get help: the month for the TIE has almost run out, or there is a mistake on the card.

11. Renew the permit and plan ahead

    The renewal is filed within two months before expiry or three months after. For segunda oportunidad, sociolaboral and social you need registration as a jobseeker; for socioformativo, a certificate of moving on to the second year.

    • Put the renewal window in the calendar
    • Prepared proof of job seeking or study (exceptions: illness, disability, retirement age)
    • Checked whether it is time to change the basis: changing the basis of a residence permit

    Where: Oficina de ExtranjeríaTime: 2 months before or 3 months after expiryCost: €16.40, and €19.30 for the TIE on renewal

    When to get help: the renewal was refused, or you want to switch to another basis.