If you are living in Spain in an irregular situation — or at risk of becoming irregular — arraigo is the main way to regularize your status from within the country. The word means “roots,” and in Spanish immigration law it refers to a residence authorization for exceptional circumstances, granted to people who have built genuine ties to Spain. This page is the starting point: it explains what arraigo is, sets out the five current types, and helps you find the one that fits your situation — each with its own detailed page.
One thing to settle first, because most older guides get it wrong: arraigo was completely reorganised by the new Immigration Regulation, Real Decreto 1155/2024 (articles 124–127 and 130–132), in force since 20 May 2025. The reform reduced the general residence requirement, separated the work-based route into its own figure, redefined family arraigo, and created a new “second chance” route. The current picture is below.
What arraigo is
Arraigo is a residence authorization based on strong ties to Spain — time spent here, family links, integration, work history, or a training commitment, depending on the route. It is filed from within Spain, with no prior visa, under article 31.3 of the Immigration Law (LOEX) and the new regulation. It is not automatic and it is not just about time in the country: success depends on proving the specific conditions of the correct route, and — for most routes — your continuous residence and a clean criminal record. Importantly, under the new rules every arraigo authorization now allows you to work (employed or, in most routes, self-employed) and is renewable for successive periods while you keep meeting the conditions.
How long do you need to have lived in Spain? (the “2 vs 3 years” confusion)
This is the most common question, and the most common source of out-of-date advice. Under the old rules, arraigo social required three years. The 2025 reform reduced the general requirement to two years of continuous residence for the social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, and second-chance routes (absences must stay within 90 days). Arraigo familiar is the exception — it requires no minimum prior residence at all. So if you read “three years” anywhere, it is describing the old framework.
The five types of arraigo
The regulation now recognises five distinct routes. Each links to its own page with the full requirements, documents, and process:
- Arraigo social: for people with two years’ continuous residence who prove integration through a favourable social integration report, or qualifying family ties with a legal resident, plus sufficient means. No work contract is needed, and a self-employment basis is allowed.
- Arraigo sociolaboral: the work-based route (which replaced the old “arraigo laboral”), for people with two years’ residence who have a job offer — one or more contracts averaging at least 20 hours a week at the minimum wage. Employed work only.
- Arraigo socioformativo: the training route (which replaced “arraigo para la formación”), for people with two years’ residence who enrol in qualifying regulated training (vocational training, professional certificates — not university; at least 50% in person). It now lets you work up to 30 hours a week alongside the studies.
- Arraigo familiar: now limited to family of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — the parent of an EU minor, or the sole carer of an EU citizen with a disability. It gives a five-year card and needs no prior residence. (Family of Spanish citizens use a different route — see below.)
- Arraigo de segunda oportunidad: a new route for people who previously held a residence authorization (not one granted for exceptional circumstances) and lost it because they could not renew in time, with two years’ residence.
Comparison: which route fits you
| Route | Time in Spain | Key requirement | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arraigo social | 2 years | Integration report or family ties + means | Employed & self-employed |
| Arraigo sociolaboral | 2 years | Job offer ≥ 20h/week at SMI | Employed only |
| Arraigo socioformativo | 2 years | Enrolment in qualifying training | Employed, up to 30h/week |
| Arraigo familiar | None | Parent of EU minor / carer of EU citizen with disability | Employed & self-employed |
| Second chance | 2 years | Previously held a non-exceptional permit, lost on renewal | Employed & self-employed |
Choosing the right route is the first and most important decision — once you file under the wrong type, there is no quick administrative way to correct course, and a needless refusal can cost months. Two applicants with similar facts can belong on different routes depending on how their residence, work, and integration are documented.
If your family member is Spanish, arraigo is not your route
A frequent and costly mistake: people who are the parent of a Spanish child, or the spouse, partner, parent, or child of a Spanish national, look for “arraigo familiar.” Since May 2025 that route is reserved for family of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens. If your relative is Spanish, your route is the dedicated and more favourable residence authorization for family members of Spanish citizens (a five-year card). If your relative is an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen and you are their spouse or partner, the EU family member card is usually the route. We confirm the correct basis before anything is filed.
Requirements common to every route
Whatever the route, these baseline conditions apply before the route-specific proof begins:
- Non-EU national (not an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen or a family member covered by EU free-movement rules), present in Spain when you apply.
- No criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you have lived in the last five years.
- No entry ban and no active non-return commitment from a previous voluntary return.
- The route’s specific condition met — continuous residence (two years, except family arraigo), and the integration, work, training, or family element of your chosen route.
- Fee paid (model 790, code 052).
Proving continuous residence
For every route except family arraigo, the hardest part is usually proving your continuous time in Spain. It is rarely done with a single document — the strongest files build a timeline across multiple objective records that cover the period without major gaps:
- Padrón (municipal registration), especially a continuous historical certificate.
- Healthcare records, bank activity, school or training records, official administrative or tax communications, and rental and utility evidence.
What matters is coverage, continuity, and consistency — the evidence should line up with your identity documents and your declared address history. Strengthening the weak periods is usually where a lawyer-led strategy adds the most value.
How the application works
The process is broadly the same across routes:
- Route selection and proof plan: confirm the right arraigo type and design the evidence strategy.
- Prepare the file: the EX-10 form, passport, residence timeline, criminal record (apostilled or legalised and sworn-translated), and route-specific documents.
- File it at the Immigration Office for your province, or online through the Mercurio platform with a digital certificate or representative, and pay the 790-052 fee.
- Respond to any requerimiento — a request for more documents — with a focused, complete answer. This is often the decisive moment.
- Decision and next steps: the usual resolution time is three months. After a favourable decision, register with Social Security where the route requires it, and book a police appointment for fingerprints and the TIE card.
If you are refused, you can generally appeal within one month (administrative) or two months (judicial), or rebuild and re-file — the right move depends on the refusal ground and the deadlines.
After the first year: renewal or modification
Arraigo permits last one year (five for family arraigo). After that, you generally have two options: renew the arraigo for a further year, or modify it into an ordinary residence-and-work authorization (commonly two years), which is usually the better path because it consolidates a more stable status and moves you toward long-term residence. Planning this before the card expires is what avoids falling back into irregularity.
Common reasons for refusal
Most refusals are practical, not a sign that you can never qualify. The recurring triggers: insufficient or inconsistent proof of continuous residence; a non-compliant employer or contract on the sociolaboral route; criminal-record certificates that are expired, from the wrong authority, or missing legalisation and translation; and — the big one — applying under the wrong type of arraigo when another route fits the facts. A clean, coherent file built around the correct route is the best protection.
How we help
Arraigo is not one-size-fits-all, and the single biggest value of legal support is route selection — confirming, before you file, which of the five routes (or the family-of-Spaniards or EU family-card route) genuinely fits your facts. From there, Lexmovea builds the continuous-residence evidence pack and strengthens weak periods, prepares the form and documents with the translation and legalisation handled correctly, files online or in person, responds to any requerimiento, and guides the post-approval Social Security and TIE steps. We work in English throughout.
To regularize your situation in Spain through arraigo, contact Lexmovea for a consultation in English. We’ll confirm your best route, explain exactly what evidence you need, and guide you from preparation through to approval.
Frequently asked questions
What is arraigo in Spain?
Arraigo is a residence authorization for exceptional circumstances that lets certain non-EU nationals already in Spain regularize their status based on strong ties — time in Spain, integration, work history, a training commitment, or family links — depending on the route. There are five routes under the 2025 regulation.
How long do I need to have lived in Spain?
Two years of continuous residence for the social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, and second-chance routes (reduced from three under the old rules). Arraigo familiar requires no minimum prior residence. Absences should stay within 90 days.
Which type of arraigo is right for me?
It depends on your facts: integration or family ties point to arraigo social; a job offer to sociolaboral; enrolment in training to socioformativo; being the parent of an EU minor or carer of an EU citizen with a disability to familiar; and having lost a previous permit on renewal to second chance. If your relative is Spanish, you use the family-of-Spaniards route instead. We confirm the fit before filing.
Can I work with an arraigo permit?
Yes. Under the new regulation every arraigo authorization allows you to work from the moment it is granted — employed and self-employed in most routes, employed-only for sociolaboral and socioformativo (the latter up to 30 hours a week alongside study).
What documents do I need?
The EX-10 form, passport, proof of continuous residence, a criminal record certificate, and route-specific evidence (integration report, job contract, training enrolment, or family link). Foreign documents usually need apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation.
How long does arraigo take to be approved?
The usual resolution time is around three months, though it varies by province and workload and depends heavily on the quality of your file and whether a requerimiento is issued. A complete, consistent application is the best way to reduce delay.