Updated: 4 October 2026
Arraigo social is a temporary residence authorisation for eligible foreign nationals who have established ties or demonstrated integration in Spain and can prove sufficient financial means.
This guide covers the ordinary arraigo social route: eligibility, supporting documents, the application process and what happens after approval. To compare it with other residence options, see our general guide to arraigo in Spain.
Who can apply for arraigo social?
You must meet the general conditions and the specific requirements for this route. These include:
- Being in Spain and falling outside the EU, EEA or Swiss free-movement regime.
- Demonstrating at least two years of continuous presence in Spain before applying, with total absences not exceeding 90 days.
- Not being an applicant for international protection when applying or during processing. Time spent awaiting a final asylum decision does not count towards the qualifying period.
- Not holding a stay or residence authorisation or having a pending procedure for its grant, extension, renewal or modification.
- Meeting the criminal-record and public-order, security and health conditions.
- Meeting the applicable entry-restriction and non-return conditions.
- Establishing qualifying family ties or integration, together with sufficient financial means.
Completing two years in Spain does not establish eligibility by itself. Your immigration history and supporting evidence also matter.
Family ties or social integration: which applies?
There are two application bases:
| Application basis | Evidence required |
|---|---|
| Qualifying family ties | Documents proving the relationship with a foreign national holding a Spanish residence authorisation, together with financial evidence |
| Without qualifying family ties | A favourable social integration report, together with financial evidence, subject to the rules on delayed reports |
Qualifying relatives are a spouse, registered partner, parent or child. Where you rely on a qualifying relative’s resources, document their residence status and the required cohabitation.
For the family-ties pathway, the integration report is not a general requirement.
What financial means are required?
The financial reference is the IPREM.
For the qualifying family-ties pathway, the Ministry’s guidance requires 100% of the IPREM for the resident relative plus 100% for the applicant, totalling 200%.
Without qualifying family ties, Instructions SEM 1/2025 refer to at least 100% of the IPREM for the applicant. Resources must be available in Spain and maintained throughout the authorisation’s validity.
A qualifying self-employed activity may provide financial means where the requirements of Article 84 are met. See our guide to arraigo social without a work contract for the financial evidence and self-employment requirements.
When do you need the integration report?
The report is required when you cannot establish the qualifying family ties.
It is issued by the competent autonomous community or an authorised town hall. The issuance deadline is one month, and the report is valid for six months from its issue date.
If it is not issued within the deadline, alternative evidence may be used after proving the delay. Our social integration report guide explains the request procedure and supporting documents.
What documents should you prepare?
Your dossier normally includes:
- The completed and signed EX-10 application form.
- A complete copy of your valid passport or accepted travel document.
- Dated evidence of your qualifying presence in Spain.
- Foreign criminal-record certificates, where required, covering the relevant countries of residence during the five years before entering Spain.
- Documents proving qualifying family ties or the integration report.
- Financial evidence and any additional documents for a self-employed project.
- Evidence of payment of the applicable application fee.
For your presence timeline, gather historical municipal registration certificates and other relevant records, preferably from Spanish public authorities.
Foreign public documents generally require legalisation or an apostille unless an exemption applies. Documents in another language require the appropriate sworn translation into Spanish or the applicable co-official language.
Our immigration forms guide explains the relevant forms.
How to apply for arraigo social
- Check your eligibility. Review your presence timeline, immigration status, application basis and financial evidence.
- Prepare the dossier. Obtain the necessary documents, translations and legalisation before submission.
- Submit the application. Apply through the Immigration Office for your province of residence using the accepted channel. Online submission is available through Mercurio.
- Pay the application fee. The relevant form is Modelo 790, code 052, section 2.3.1. The fee becomes due on submission and must be paid within ten working days.
- Monitor notifications. Keep your submission receipt and respond to requests for further documents within the stated deadline.
The published decision period is three months, counted from the day after the application reaches the competent authority’s register. Check the applicable deadline for your file.
If that period expires without notification, the ordinary procedure provides for negative administrative silence. Obtain advice on the appropriate next steps.
What happens after approval?
The initial arraigo social authorisation lasts one year and includes permission to work as an employee or self-employed person, subject to the applicable conditions.
Follow the resolution’s effective-date conditions and request your TIE within one month of notification of the grant. The TIE documents your authorised status; it is a separate procedure from the residence application.
Check the police appointment instructions and prepare the required form, passport, photograph, fee receipt and any other applicable documents.
Before the authorisation expires, assess whether an extension or modification is appropriate for your circumstances.
A practical example
Hypothetical example: Samira has lived in Spain for 26 months, with 12 days of absence. She lives with her husband, a foreign national holding a Spanish residence authorisation, and relies on his documented financial resources.
Her dossier would include evidence of her presence, their marriage, his residence status, their cohabitation and sufficient available means.
She would also need to satisfy the remaining eligibility conditions. Her qualifying family relationship means the integration report is not a general requirement for this pathway.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an employment contract?
An employer’s work contract is not a general requirement for arraigo social. The employment-contract route is arraigo sociolaboral, which has different conditions.
Must I have been registered at the same address for two years?
No. The requirement concerns qualifying presence in Spain. If you moved, gather records from the different municipalities and other dated evidence supporting your timeline.
Can I work while the application is pending?
Submitting an ordinary arraigo social application does not itself authorise work. Follow the terms and effective date of any authorisation granted.
If you need help assessing eligibility or preparing your dossier, you can book a free immigration consultation with Nodisea.
Legal review: Francisco Javier Theuer Carmona, immigration lawyer and member of the Granada Bar Association (ICAGR 7984).
Last reviewed: 4 October 2026
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