Arraigo in Spain: Types, Requirements and Applications in 2026

By Nodisea Legal Team·November 18, 2025·6 min read

Updated: 3 October 2026

Arraigo is a group of Spanish residence authorisations based on exceptional circumstances for eligible foreign nationals already in Spain. The appropriate route depends on your time in the country, immigration history and family, employment or training circumstances.

Living in Spain for a particular period does not automatically establish eligibility. You must meet both the general conditions and the requirements of the specific route.

What are the five types of arraigo in Spain?

The current regulations distinguish five ordinary arraigo routes:

Residence route	Main basis for the application	Minimum continuous presence	Initial authorisation
Arraigo de segunda oportunidad	A qualifying previous residence authorisation that was not renewed or extended	Two years	One year
Arraigo sociolaboral	Qualifying employment contracts totalling at least 20 hours per week	Two years	One year
Arraigo social	Qualifying family ties or social integration, together with the applicable financial-means requirements	Two years	One year
Arraigo socioformativo	Qualifying education or training, or a permitted training commitment, plus a social integration report	Two years	One year
Arraigo familiar	Specific parental or family-support relationships involving nationals of another EU state, the EEA or Switzerland	No minimum period	Five years

This table summarises the ordinary routes. Each application requires a separate assessment of the applicant’s circumstances and supporting evidence.

For arraigo de segunda oportunidad, the previous residence authorisation must have been held within the two years immediately before applying and must not have been granted on exceptional grounds. The reason it was not renewed or extended must also qualify.

For arraigo socioformativo, not every course is eligible. The type of training, enrolment deadlines and any permitted commitment to undertake training must be checked before applying.

Which general requirements must you check?

Under the ordinary rules, applicants must check:

Their nationality and whether a different EU, EEA or Swiss residence regime applies.
That they are in Spain and are not applicants for international protection when applying or during processing.
That they do not already hold a stay or residence authorisation or have a pending procedure to obtain, extend, renew or modify one.
The criminal-record, public-order and entry-restriction conditions, including any applicable commitment not to return to Spain.
The specific requirements of the chosen route and payment of the application fee.

For the four routes requiring two years of continuous presence, total absences must not exceed 90 calendar days during that period. Time spent in Spain while an international-protection application was pending does not count towards the required period.

Keep dated evidence of your presence in Spain. Municipal registration records, public healthcare records and other identifiable documents can help establish the timeline.

How do arraigo social and arraigo sociolaboral differ?

Arraigo social involves qualifying family ties with foreign nationals holding residence authorisations or, where those ties are absent, evidence of integration through a favourable social integration report. The qualifying family relationships include a spouse, registered partner and first-degree relatives in the direct line.

Financial means must also be assessed and must be available in Spain. Income from a proposed self-employed activity may be considered where the applicable conditions are met. An employment contract is not a general requirement for this route.

Arraigo sociolaboral requires one or more signed employment contracts totalling at least 20 hours per week, with the applicable minimum wage or collective-agreement salary in proportion to the hours worked. The employer must meet the relevant tax, Social Security and financial-capacity requirements.

Read our arraigo sociolaboral requirements and application guide for more detail.

Does arraigo familiar cover relatives of Spanish citizens?

The current arraigo familiar route covers specific circumstances involving nationals of another EU member state, the EEA or Switzerland. These include qualifying parents or guardians of a minor and certain relatives providing support to a person with a disability.

Family members of Spanish citizens must be assessed under the separate rules for relatives of Spanish nationals or, where applicable, EU residence rules. Do not assume that having a Spanish relative means you should apply for arraigo familiar.

Which documents and application procedure apply?

The application normally requires:

A completed and signed EX-10 form.
A full copy of a valid passport or other accepted identity document.
Evidence of continuous presence, where required.
Criminal-record certificates, where applicable.
Evidence supporting the chosen route: previous residence documents, employment contracts, family relationships, financial means, integration reports or qualifying training documents.

Foreign public documents may require an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation, subject to applicable exemptions.

Our guide to Spanish immigration forms explains EX-10 and links to the official form.

Applications are generally handled by the Immigration Office for the applicant’s province of residence, using the applicable in-person or electronic procedure. The application fee uses Modelo 790, code 052.

The ordinary decision period is three months from the day after the application reaches the competent authority’s register. Without notification within the applicable period, the application may be treated as refused for administrative-silence purposes. Keep the filing receipt and monitor official notifications.

Can you work with an arraigo authorisation?

Granted arraigo authorisations generally include permission to work as an employee or as a self-employed person, subject to the applicable conditions and working-age requirements.

Arraigo socioformativo has a specific limit: it permits employed work for up to 30 hours per week in total.

For arraigo sociolaboral, admission of the application for processing provides provisional permission to reside and work as an employee until the procedure is resolved. The official communication starting processing must state that provisional permission. Check that document before relying on it.

If sociolaboral residence is granted, its effectiveness depends on Social Security registration within one month of notification. Following approval of an arraigo authorisation, the applicant must also request the foreigner identity card, or TIE, within one month of notification.

Review the applicable modification or extension requirements before the authorisation expires.