What Is An Arraigo In Spain?

In this article, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the five types of arraigo available in Spain, the requirements for each, and the step-by-step application process.

By the end of this article, you will have the knowledge necessary to legally live and work in Spain for an extended period of time.

We will cover the following:-

• What is an Arraigo in Spain?
• What are the different types of Arraigo?
• How do I get residency with an Arraigo?
• Can I work with an Arraigo?
• Can I obtain Spanish citizenship with an Arraigo?
• The requirements to apply
• The process to apply for an Arraigo

Let's take look!

What is an Arraigo?

In Spain, "arraigo" refers to a legal concept that allows undocumented immigrants who have lived in the country for a certain period of time to regularise their immigration status. Specifically, arraigo refers to a type of residence permit that can be granted to individuals who can prove that they have been living in Spain for a specific period of time, usually two years.

There are five types of arraigo, and which one fits depends on your circumstances. Arraigo social is for people with at least two years in Spain who have family ties to a foreign national who already holds a residence permit. That relative is a spouse or registered partner, or a first-degree relative in the direct line, such as a parent or a child. Together, you and that relative must show income or savings worth 200 per cent of the public income index, known in Spain as the IPREM. Without those family ties, a favourable social integration report from your region or your town hall is used instead. Arraigo sociolaboral is for people who have lived in Spain for two years and hold one or more employment contracts.

It's important to note that the arraigo is not a guaranteed pathway to legal residency or citizenship, and each case is evaluated on its own merits by the Spanish authorities.

What are different types of Arraigo in Spain?

Spain's immigration regulation, Royal Decree 1155/2024, has applied since 20 May 2025. It sets out five types of arraigo. They are arraigo social (social ties), arraigo familiar (family ties), arraigo sociolaboral (ties through a job), arraigo socioformativo (ties through training) and arraigo de segunda oportunidad (a second chance for former residents).

Arraigo Social

Arraigo Social is a permit that grants temporary residency and work authorisation to foreign nationals who have been living in Spain under irregular circumstances for at least two years. It is a relatively simple way for non-European Union citizens to legalise their status in the country without having to return to their country of origin. This can be accomplished by entering Spain as a tourist, living in the country for two years without proper documentation, and then applying for the permit.

Arraigo Social is governed by Spanish immigration law, Organic Law 4/2000 and its regulation, Royal Decree 1155/2024 (articles 124 to 127), in force since 20 May 2025. The process has undergone significant changes and improvements since the reform of the immigration regulations.

The permit is exclusively for third-country nationals who have lived in Spain without being registered as residents. It allows the applicant to apply for residency directly from Spain, without the need for a visa.

The requirements for a third-country national to apply for residency via Arraigo Social are:

• Being a third-country national (not a citizen of the EU, EEA, Switzerland, or family member of an EU national)
• Having no criminal record in Spain or in other countries where the applicant has previously lived
• Having lived in Spain for at least two years without proper documentation, with absences from Spain during this period not exceeding 90 days
• Having not been refused entry into Spain and not being considered undesirable by any other country with which Spain has a reciprocal agreement in this regard
• Family ties with foreign residents who hold a residence permit: a spouse or registered partner, or a first-degree relative in the direct line. Between you, you must show means worth 200 per cent of the public income index (IPREM), made up of 100 per cent for the relative and 100 per cent for you. Without family ties, a favourable social integration report from the region or town hall. The authorisation includes permission to work.

The main documents are the application form (EX-10), a full copy of your passport, proof of your two years in Spain and criminal record certificates. Records such as your empadronamiento (town hall registration), a hospital stay or a public health appointment can prove your stay. You also need proof of your family ties and financial means, or the social integration report. The permit lasts one year and lets you work, employed or self-employed, anywhere in Spain.

Arraigo Familiar

Arraigo Familiar is for foreign nationals who look after a family member from another European Union country, the European Economic Area or Switzerland. Unlike the other types, it needs no minimum period of stay in Spain. It can be granted in two situations:

1. Parent or guardian of a European child: You are the father, mother or guardian of a child who is a national of another European Union or European Economic Area country or Switzerland. You must live in Spain and either care for and live with the child, or be up to date with your parental obligations.

2. Carer of a European citizen with a disability: You are a relative who supports a person with a disability from another European Union or European Economic Area country or Switzerland in exercising their legal capacity. You must have that person in your care and live with them.

Parents of Spanish children, and spouses, partners and some other relatives of Spanish citizens, apply instead for the separate residence permit for family members of Spanish nationals.

The main documents are the application form (EX-10), your passport, criminal record certificates and the child's birth certificate or guardianship papers. Carers instead show proof of the disability, of the care and shared home, and the European citizen's identity document. The permit lasts five years and lets you work, employed or self-employed, anywhere in Spain.

Arraigo Sociolaboral

The old arraigo laboral is not one of the five types in the current regulation. Arraigo Sociolaboral is for people who have lived in Spain for at least two years and hold one or more employment contracts. The main requirements are:

• At least two years of continuous stay in Spain before you apply
• One or more signed employment contracts that pay at least the minimum wage, or the wage in the applicable collective agreement, in proportion to the hours worked
• Contracts that add up to at least 20 hours a week in total
• Employers who are up to date with tax and Social Security payments and have the means to meet the contract
• No criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived in the five years before coming to Spain

Several contracts are accepted for seasonal work, or for part-time work for more than one employer at the same time.

The main documents are the application form (EX-10), a full copy of your passport, proof of your two years in Spain, criminal record certificates and the signed contracts. You also give the employer's tax identification number and proof that the business is solvent, such as a tax return or its Social Security employment report.

Once your application is accepted for processing, you can live in Spain and work as an employee while you wait for the decision. If the permit is granted, you must be registered with Social Security within one month of being notified, or it does not take effect.

The permit lasts one year and lets you work, employed or self-employed, anywhere in Spain. When it ends, you can change to an ordinary residence and work permit or extend it one year at a time. To extend it, you must be registered with the public employment service and actively looking for work, unless illness, disability, retirement age or another justified reason stops you working.

Arraigo Socioformativo

Arraigo Socioformativo is for people who have lived in Spain for at least two years and are enrolled on, or already taking, an approved course. Absences from Spain during those two years cannot add up to more than 90 days. The courses that count are:

• Full-time post-compulsory secondary education at an authorised school, leading to a recognised qualification
• Vocational training (Formación Profesional) leading to a professional certificate at level 1, 2 or 3
• Compulsory education for adults, taken in person
• Training run by the public employment services for jobs that are hard to fill, if you commit to taking it

You also need a social integration report from your region or town hall. If the course has an official enrolment period, you apply in the two months before it opens. You must then show proof of enrolment within three months of being told the permit is granted, or it can be cancelled.

The main documents are the application form (EX-10), a full copy of your passport, proof of your two years in Spain, criminal record certificates and the integration report. You add your enrolment, admission or current study record, or your written commitment to the public employment service training.

The permit lasts one year. It lets you work as an employee for up to 30 hours a week, paid at least the minimum wage or the collective agreement wage for those hours. It can be extended one year at a time. On basic and intermediate vocational courses, your school must confirm that you have moved up to the second year. If you finish the training early, you show your qualification and that you are registered with the public employment service and looking for work.

Arraigo de Segunda Oportunidad

Arraigo de Segunda Oportunidad (second chance) is for people who held a residence permit in the two years before applying and whose permit was not renewed. That earlier permit must not have been granted for exceptional circumstances, as an arraigo is. You cannot use this route if the renewal failed for reasons of public order, security or public health. You can still apply if there is a court ruling in your favour, if the case was dismissed, or if you were acquitted.

You must also have lived in Spain continuously for at least two years before applying. The main documents are the application form (EX-10), a full copy of your passport, proof of your two years in Spain and criminal record certificates.

The permit lasts one year and lets you work, employed or self-employed, anywhere in Spain. When it ends, you can change to an ordinary residence and work permit, or extend it on the same job-seeking conditions as Arraigo Sociolaboral.

Can I get residency in Spain with an Arraigo?

An arraigo permit lets you live and work legally in Spain. Four of the five types last one year. Arraigo familiar is the exception, and it lasts five years.

When a one year permit is coming to an end you have two choices. You can change it to an ordinary residence and work permit under article 191 of the regulation, working for an employer or for yourself. If you have been resident for at least a year, and your arraigo already allowed you to work, that new permit runs for four years.

Your other choice is to extend the arraigo itself for another year, and to keep extending it year by year. Our guide to work visas in Spain explains the ordinary work routes in more detail.

To extend an arraigo social, sociolaboral or segunda oportunidad permit, you must be registered with the public employment service and actively looking for work. That condition is dropped if illness, disability, retirement age or another justified reason stops you working. To extend an arraigo socioformativo permit, your school confirms that you have moved up to the second year. If you finished the course early, you show the qualification instead, and that you are looking for work.

Ask for the extension in the two months before your permit expires. A request made in that window keeps your current permit valid until the decision arrives. A late request is still accepted within three months of expiry, although it can bring a penalty procedure.

Can you work with an Arraigo?

Every arraigo permit carries the right to work in Spain while the permit is valid, anywhere in the country and in any occupation. Four of the five types let you work either for an employer or for yourself, as an autónomo (self-employed worker).

Arraigo socioformativo is the exception. It allows work for an employer only, up to thirty hours a week in total. The pay must be at least the minimum wage, or the wage set by the collective agreement that applies, in proportion to the hours you work.

Arraigo sociolaboral has a rule of its own. Once your application is accepted for processing, you may live in Spain and work for an employer while you wait for the decision. If the permit is then granted, it only takes effect once you are registered with Social Security, and that must happen within one month of the notification.

Whichever type you hold, you must apply in person for your foreigner identity card within one month of being told that the permit is granted. You do that at the police station, or the police service, for the place where you live.

It's worth noting, however, that minors under the age of 16 are not permitted to work, regardless of their arraigo status. Additionally, those between 16 and 18 years old will need explicit authorisation from their parents or legal guardians to work.

Can I obtain Spanish citizenship by Arraigo?

Spanish nationality can be acquired through various means, one of which is continuous residency in the country. This means that foreigners who have lived in Spain legally for a certain period of time can be granted Spanish citizenship.

Once you obtain your arraigo, which is proof of continuous residency, you have taken the first step towards obtaining Spanish nationality.

Typically, any foreigner who has lived in Spain with a valid residence permit for ten consecutive years can apply for Spanish citizenship by residency. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. For instance, if you are married to a Spanish citizen, you only need to live in Spain for one year to qualify. Citizens of Portugal, the Philippines, Andorra, or any Latin American country, as well as Equatorial Guinea, only need to reside in Spain for two years. If you are a refugee, it takes five years to qualify.

In other words, the time required to live legally in Spain to obtain nationality depends on which of the three categories you fall under. However, the important thing to note is that obtaining Spanish nationality through any of these routes is indeed possible.

Do you need to contract private health insurance when applying for an Arraigo?

Health insurance is not on the document list for an arraigo.

Some other residence permits do ask for it. A non-lucrative residence permit, for example, requires public or private health insurance with an insurer authorised to operate in Spain.

If you would like private cover while you settle in, compare our private health insurance plans. If you plan to move to a permit that needs cover, see our health insurance for Spanish residency and health insurance for a Spanish visa pages.

At Health Plan, we can provide you with a private health insurance policy.

What documents do I need to apply for an Arraigo?

Whether you qualify for Arraigo Social, Arraigo Familiar, Arraigo Sociolaboral, Arraigo Socioformativo or Arraigo de Segunda Oportunidad, it is crucial to be familiar with the required documents and application process.

To apply for an Arraigo, you will need to gather the following documents:

1. Official application form: You must complete the designated application form for residence under exceptional circumstances, which is usually form EX-10.

2. Passport: A full copy of your passport, registration certificate or travel document, valid and recognised in Spain. As a rule you hand in copies and show the originals when you file.

3. Proof of payment: Proof that you have paid the application fee (Model 790, code 052, section 2.3.1). The fee falls due when you file, and you have ten working days to pay it. The payment form can be downloaded from the Ministry page for your type of arraigo.

4. Proof that you have been in Spain: Documents that carry your name and were issued or registered by a Spanish public body. Your empadronamiento (town hall registration) is the usual one, and a hospital stay or a public health appointment also counts.

5. Criminal record certificate: A certificate from the country or countries where you lived in the five years before you came to Spain. Papers from abroad must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator, and legalised or carry an apostille. The Immigration Office checks the Spanish criminal record itself.

6. Specific documents: Depending on the type of Arraigo you are applying for, additional documents are required, such as employment contracts, a social integration report or proof of enrolment on a course.

Once you have gathered all the necessary documents, follow these steps to apply for an Arraigo:

1. File your application: You apply in person at the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería) for the province where you live. For every type except arraigo socioformativo you can instead apply online through Mercurio, the electronic office of the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory.

2. Pay the fee: Pay Model 790, code 052 within ten working days of filing. Keep the proof of payment.

3. Answer any request for more papers: If something is missing, the office will ask you to put it right within a period it sets, which cannot be longer than fifteen days. Miss that period and your file is closed.

4. Wait for the decision: The office has three months, counted from the day after your application reaches it. If that passes with no answer, the application is treated as refused by administrative silence.

5. Collect your card: Within one month of being told that the permit is granted, apply in person for your foreigner identity card at the police station for the place where you live.

Please note that the specific requirements and procedures for applying for an Arraigo may vary depending on your region and individual circumstances. It is recommended to consult the official website of the Spanish immigration authorities or seek professional legal advice for the most accurate and up-to-date information related to your specific situation.

By following the prescribed documentation and application process, you can initiate your Arraigo application and take an important step towards obtaining a residence permit in Spain.

Moving on from your arraigo? An arraigo does not ask for private health cover, but other residence routes do, such as the non-lucrative residence permit. Our plans give you full cover in Spain with no co-payments and no deductibles. See our health insurance for Spanish residency and health insurance for a Spanish visa pages.