Arraigo (roots or settlement) is a route that allows foreign nationals who have been living in Spain for some time without a valid residence permit to obtain one, without leaving the country, on the strength of the ties they have built there. The new Immigration Regulation (RD 1155/2024), in force since 20 May 2025, reorganised the types of arraigo and reduced the required period from three years to two for all types except family arraigo.
Common requirements
- Being in Spain and having stayed in the country continuously for the two years before the application; no minimum period applies to family arraigo
- Not being an applicant for international protection (asylum); time spent while an asylum application is being processed does not count towards the two years
- No criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived in the five years before entering Spain
- Not holding a valid stay or residence permit and not having another permit application pending (a requirement added in April 2026)
- No objection on grounds of public order, security or public health
Types of arraigo
- Socio-labour arraigo: Requires one or more employment contracts paying at least the minimum wage or the collective agreement salary, adding up to at least 20 hours a week in total
- Social arraigo: Requires family ties with foreign nationals who hold a residence permit (spouse, registered partner or first-degree relative) and means of at least 100% of the IPREM, which is €600 per month as of 2025. Where there are no such family ties, integration efforts are shown through a favourable integration report issued by the regional government
- Socio-formative arraigo: Requires enrolment in training listed in the Regulation, such as vocational training, or a commitment to training promoted by the public employment services, plus an integration report; the permit allows you to work up to 30 hours a week
- Family arraigo: For parents or guardians of a minor who is a national of another EU country, and for people supporting a relative with a disability who is an EU national; the permit is valid for 5 years. Parents of a Spanish child fall instead under the separate permit for family members of Spanish citizens
- Second-chance arraigo: For people who held a residence permit, other than one granted for exceptional circumstances, in the last two years but could not renew it for reasons other than public order, security or health
Duration, extensions and next steps
- Apart from family arraigo, the permits are valid for 1 year and can be extended for periods of 1 year
- For socio-labour, social and second-chance arraigo, an extension requires you to be actively seeking work and registered with the public employment service
- For socio-formative arraigo, an extension depends on a report from the school showing that the training is continuing
- Once a socio-labour arraigo application has been accepted for processing, you may provisionally reside and work as an employee until a decision is issued
- After the permit is granted, you apply in person for the residence card (TIE) within one month
The extraordinary regularisation (regularización extraordinaria) opened for a limited period in 2026 followed separate rules. This page describes the ordinary arraigo route.
How we work with you
- We review with you the time you have spent in Spain and the documents that can prove it
- We identify the type of arraigo that best fits your situation
- We plan the apostille and translation of the criminal record certificate to be obtained from Türkiye
- We check whether documents such as the employment contract, enrolment or integration report meet the requirements
- As you file the application in person at the foreigners' office, we prepare a complete file for you and follow it up until a decision is issued
Frequently asked questions
How do I prove the two-year period?
The municipal register entry (empadronamiento) is the most commonly used document. It can be supported by documents such as medical records, a tenancy agreement, bank statements and school records. Long periods abroad may mean the stay is not treated as continuous; we check your entries and exits together.
I am in Spain on a student permit. Can I switch to arraigo?
Since the April 2026 amendment, people who hold a valid stay or residence permit, or who have a permit application pending, cannot apply for arraigo. Students have other routes, such as switching to a work permit after graduating.
Do I need a criminal record certificate from Türkiye?
Yes. A criminal record certificate is required from the countries where you lived in the five years before entering Spain. The certificate from Türkiye must be apostilled and translated into Spanish.
What happens when the arraigo permit ends?
As long as the requirements continue to be met, the permit can be extended for periods of 1 year; you can also move to another type of permit once you meet its requirements. Time spent on arraigo counts as legal residence.
Can I work while my application is being processed?
Once a socio-labour arraigo application has been accepted for processing, you may provisionally work as an employee until a decision is issued. For the other types, the right to work starts once the permit is granted.
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Requirements and amounts are updated every year. Your file is prepared under the rules in force on the day you apply.