Arraigo social in Spain
Arraigo social is the most flexible arraigo route: no employment contract and no enrolment required, just 2 years of residence in Spain plus proven integration - either through a regional integration report or through family ties with legal residents. Since May 2025 the qualifying period was cut from 3 years to 2.
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What it is in plain terms
Arraigo social is a temporary residence authorization for exceptional circumstances, for people who have actually lived in Spain for at least 2 years and can prove real integration into society (articles 126 and 127 c) of the Regulation approved by RD 1155/2024). Unlike arraigo sociolaboral, no employment contract is required: the basis is either a regional integration report or family ties with legal residents. The first card is issued for 1 year and carries full work rights.
Who it fits
It fits people who have actually lived in Spain for 2 years in a row and can document that - regardless of whether they held a residence permit during that period. That covers people who never had legal status at all, and people who did have a permit that later expired or was annulled: arraigo social does not look at your legal-status history, only at the fact of residence itself. Beyond that, you either need to go through a social worker’s integration assessment or have close relatives with legal status in Spain. It works well when there is no steady job or job offer yet, but there are savings, family support or another source of income.
It does not fit: people who already have an employment contract that meets the sociolaboral requirements - that route is usually faster and more predictable for them; asylum seekers; and people who cannot document 2 years of continuous residence.
Requirements 2026
- 2 years of continuous, actual residence in Spain immediately before filing, documented through empadronamiento, medical records, banking activity, children’s school records and other dated, named paperwork. A padrón entry of a foreign national without long-term residence is renewed every two years, otherwise the town hall removes it and the registration history shows a gap (empadronamiento).
- One of two integration bases:
- Integration report from the Autonomous Community (or town hall, where delegated) plus income of at least 100% of the IPREM for the applicant.
- Family ties with a legally resident relative in Spain plus combined income of at least 200% of the IPREM (100% for the resident relative and 100% for the applicant).
- Criminal record certificate and apostille: no convictions in Spain or in countries of residence over the last 5 years.
- Not a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, and not an asylum seeker with a pending application.
- Application fee paid (modelo 790, código 052); the amount is periodically indexed, so check the current figure when filing.
For how the income thresholds are calculated, see income requirement and IPREM.
Right to work
Full right to work, both employed and self-employed, with no restriction on profession, region or a specific employer, from the moment the permit is approved. A sociolaboral permit takes effect on Social Security registration under the declared contract within a month of notification. In the first three months the employer can change only for reasons beyond the worker’s control, notified to the immigration office within two months, and after three months with no notice (Criterio de gestión DGGM 2/2025).
How the process works
The application is filed from inside Spain: in person at the Oficina de Extranjería in your province of residence, or online through the Mercurio platform with a digital certificate.
Step-by-step process
- Request the integration report from your Autonomous Community (or prepare documents proving family ties) - start this early, since the report itself takes time to process.
- Gather the 24-month residence file, criminal record certificates with apostille and sworn translation, and proof of means.
- Complete form EX-10 and file in person or via Mercurio. The fee must be paid within 10 working days of filing.
- The immigration authorities review the application.
- On approval, book a TIE appointment at the police station in your place of residence (fingerprints, photo, card issued).
Timeline and cost
Processing takes up to 3 months from the day after the application is registered; if no decision is issued within that time, the application is deemed rejected by administrative silence (silencio negativo). The fee under modelo 790 (código 052) is set officially and periodically indexed - check the current amount on the administration’s website when filing. The TIE card is issued for a separate fee (modelo 790, código 012). The main extra costs are sworn translations and apostille of the criminal record certificate.
Renewal and the path to permanent residence and citizenship
The first card is valid for 1 year. After that you have two options. The first, and the more reliable one in practice: switch to an ordinary residence permit (employed, self-employed or another basis) under article 191 of the Regulation, if you have work or activity by the renewal date. The second: an annual prórroga of the arraigo itself, but that depends on actively looking for work and registering as a jobseeker (demandante de empleo) with your autonomous community’s employment service (Trabaja Asturias in Asturias, Servei d’Ocupació de Catalunya in Catalonia, Lanbide in the Basque Country, a different name in each region; in Ceuta and Melilla it is the SEPE itself), not on re-proving integration, means or family ties; without that, renewal is only possible for a valid reason such as illness, disability or reaching retirement age. Years of legal residence count toward the 5-year threshold for long-term residence, and toward citizenship - generally 10 years of continuous residence, or 2 years for nationals of most Latin American countries, the Philippines and a few others. More on the mechanics: residency renewal.
Common mistakes
- Requesting the integration report too late and losing time while it is being prepared.
- Poorly documenting the 2 years of residence: scattered papers without a continuous timeline.
- Confusing arraigo social with sociolaboral and filing under the wrong basis, when an existing employment contract would have offered a simpler, more predictable route.
- Overlooking the income requirement on the family-ties route: combined income is needed for both the applicant and the resident relative.