Arraigo: Legalising in Spain Through Roots
Arraigo is the Spanish mechanism for legalising your status from inside the country, without leaving and without a visa. Under the current regulation the required period of stay has dropped to two years for most routes, and every arraigo card now comes with the right to work. If you are in Spain without papers, this page is your map.
Contents
What arraigo is
Arraigo (literally “rootedness”) is a temporary residence authorisation for exceptional circumstances under articles 124 to 132 of RD 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025. It exists for people who are already in Spain, usually without valid status, and who have built real ties here. The whole procedure runs inside Spain: you apply at the Oficina de Extranjería of your province or online, no consulate and no exit from the country. The card is issued for one year (five years for arraigo familiar) and is renewable, and after the first year most holders switch to an ordinary residence and work permit.
A separate note on 2026: the extraordinary regularisation window created by RD 316/2026 (the so-called arraigo extraordinario, with only five months of required stay) accepted applications from 16 April to 30 June 2026 and is now closed. The five ordinary arraigo routes below remain open with no deadline.
Arraigo types
- Arraigo social - for those with two years in Spain plus either close family members legally residing here or a social integration report from the region or town hall
- Arraigo sociolaboral - for those with two years in Spain and a job offer: a signed employment contract of at least 30 hours per week paying at least the minimum wage
- Arraigo familiar - for parents or guardians of minor citizens of other EU/EEA states or Switzerland, and for carers of EU citizens with disabilities; no minimum stay required
- Arraigo socioformativo - for those with two years in Spain who are enrolled in (or commit to) approved vocational or adult education; allows part-time work
- Arraigo de segunda oportunidad - a “second chance” for those who held a Spanish residence permit within the last two years and lost it because they could not renew
Requirements shared by all types
Whatever the route, the applicant must not be a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland (or a family member covered by the EU regime), must be physically in Spain at the time of application and must not be an asylum seeker with a pending application. The core requirements are:
- Continuous stay in Spain of at least two years before applying, with total absences under 90 days over that period (not required for arraigo familiar). Time spent as an asylum seeker does not count. Stay is proven with padrón registration, medical records, and other documents issued by Spanish public bodies, and each permit type has its own accepted mix of evidence
- No criminal record in Spain and in the countries of residence during the last five years, for offences existing under Spanish law. See: Criminal record certificate and apostille
- No entry ban, no pending non-return commitment after a voluntary return programme, and no threat to public order, security or public health
- Not holding any other stay or residence authorisation and not being party to a pending application for one - a new restriction added in 2026
- Payment of the arraigo processing fee (Modelo 790, code 052, heading 2.3.1; check the current fee schedule at the time of filing)
What the new regulation changed compared with the old RD 557/2011: the stay requirement fell from three years to two, every arraigo now carries work rights automatically, the old arraigo laboral was replaced by arraigo sociolaboral, a brand-new segunda oportunidad route appeared, and family members of Spanish citizens moved out of arraigo into their own, more favourable status of familiar de español.
The resolution deadline is three months; silence means refusal, so a well-assembled file matters. After approval you have one month to apply for your TIE card at the police station.
How to choose your type
Start from what you have. A signed job offer of 30 or more hours per week: arraigo sociolaboral, the fastest and most predictable route. No job offer but family members with Spanish residence permits, or a good integration story your town hall can confirm: arraigo social. A child who is a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, or a disabled EU-citizen relative in your care: arraigo familiar, with no waiting period at all. Ready to study a vocational programme: arraigo socioformativo, which lets you work part-time while you train. And if you used to hold a Spanish residence permit that expired within the last two years: arraigo de segunda oportunidad was designed exactly for you.
If none of these fits cleanly, or several do, that is precisely where case analysis pays off: the wrong choice of route costs months.
Frequently asked questions
What is arraigo in plain terms?
Arraigo is a residence permit granted for exceptional circumstances to people who are already in Spain and can prove real ties here - a job, family, studies or simply settled life. You apply from inside Spain, no visa or return to your home country is required. It is regulated by RD 1155/2024.
How many years must you live in Spain for arraigo?
Two years of continuous stay immediately before the application, for most types. Absences from Spain must not exceed 90 days in total over that period. The exception is arraigo familiar, which has no minimum stay requirement: what matters there is the family link, not the time spent in Spain.
Does arraigo give the right to work?
Yes. Every arraigo authorisation includes the right to work, both as an employee and as self-employed, anywhere in Spain and in any occupation. The only limited one is arraigo socioformativo: its holders may work as employees only, up to 30 hours per week, so that work remains compatible with study.
Does a criminal record block arraigo?
You must have no criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived during the last five years, for offences that exist under Spanish law. A criminal record certificate from those countries, legalised or apostilled and translated, is a mandatory part of the file. Spent or cancellable convictions should be assessed individually.