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Immigration lawyer reviewing an arraigo residence permit file in Barcelona

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Arraigo residence permit lawyers in Barcelona

Under the current Spanish Immigration Regulations, arraigo requires two years in Spain —it used to be three— and there are five different routes. We tell you which one fits your situation before anything is submitted.

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What has changed

Arraigo under the 2025 regulations

Person preparing the documents for an arraigo application on a laptop

Arraigo is the residence permit for people who have put down roots in Spain. Since 20 May 2025 the new Immigration Regulations (Royal Decree 1155/2024) have been in force, amended in April 2026 by Royal Decree 316/2026. Arraigo is still the main route for people living in Spain without a residence permit, but its requirements have changed considerably compared with the previous regulations. As immigration lawyers in Barcelona, we guide you through it in English.

Information up to date as of September 2026.

2 yearsof continuous stay for almost every route (previously 3).
90 daysmaximum total absences during those two years.
1 yearis the length of the initial permit (5 years for arraigo familiar).
3 monthsfor a decision. If there is no reply, the application is deemed refused.

The five routes

Which type of arraigo applies to you

Each type of arraigo has its own logic. Choosing the right route from the start is what saves the most time.

Arraigo social

Through family ties or integration

For people who have been in Spain for two years and have family with legal residence or a favourable integration report.

  • Two years of continuous stay
  • Ties with legal residents: spouse or registered partner, or first-degree relatives
  • Or a favourable integration report from the regional government or the local council
  • No job contract required
  • Allows employed and self-employed work from the moment it is granted

Arraigo sociolaboral

With a job offer

For people who have been in Spain for two years and have one or more contracts meeting the minimum conditions (arraigo sociolaboral: roots through employment).

  • Two years of continuous stay
  • Contract or contracts adding up to at least 20 hours a week
  • Salary equal to or above the national minimum wage or the one set by the collective agreement
  • Employer up to date with the Tax Agency and Social Security
  • Since April 2026, provisional permission to work from the moment the application is admitted for processing

Arraigo socioformativo

Studying an officially recognised course

It replaces the former arraigo for training (arraigo socioformativo: roots through training). It lets you live in Spain while you study and combine it with a job, with a limit on hours.

  • Two years of continuous stay
  • Enrolment in post-compulsory secondary education, professional certificates, adult education or training for hard-to-fill occupations
  • Training must be at least partly in person
  • Enrolment must be proven within three months of the permit being granted

Arraigo familiar

European children in your care

For the father or mother of a child who is a citizen of the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, or for someone supporting a person with a disability of those nationalities.

  • No minimum time in Spain required
  • The child must be in your care and live with you, or you must be up to date with your parental obligations
  • Five-year permit
  • If the family member is Spanish, the route is different: residence as a family member of a Spanish citizen

Second chance

If you lost your permit

A new route (arraigo de segunda oportunidad) for people who already had papers and could not renew them.

  • Two years of continuous stay
  • Having held, within the previous two years, a residence permit that was not renewed
  • That permit must not have been based on exceptional circumstances, nor lost on grounds of public order, security or public health
  • Allows employed and self-employed work from the moment it is granted

Which one is yours?

Not sure? We'll tell you

In the consultation we review your years in Spain, your family and your employment situation, and tell you which arraigo fits or whether there is a better route.

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Common requirements

What is required in every case

  • No criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you have lived in the last five years.
  • Not being listed as someone to be refused entry in the Schengen area, and not being bound by a current no-return commitment.
  • No pending application for international protection.
  • Passport and evidence of your stay in Spain.

The application is submitted to the Oficina de Extranjería (Immigration Office) in Barcelona, in person or online. Once granted, you must apply for the TIE —the physical foreigner identity card— within the following month.

After one year, the renewal. To renew, you must be working or actively looking for work. Since April 2026 there are exceptions for illness, disability or retirement age.

How we work

Your arraigo, step by step

  1. Feasibility consultationWe look at your real situation and tell you which arraigo fits, or whether there is a better route.
  2. Evidence and documentsWe review how to prove your stay and gather everything needed, with no more and no fewer papers than necessary.
  3. Submission and follow-upWe file the application and answer any request for information within the deadline.
  4. TIE and renewalWe support you through the fingerprinting appointment and plan the renewal, or the move to another permit, from day one.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about arraigo

How long do I need to have lived in Spain to apply for arraigo?

Two years of continuous stay for almost every route —arraigo social, sociolaboral, socioformativo and de segunda oportunidad—, with absences adding up to no more than 90 days. Arraigo familiar has no minimum period. Under the previous regulations it was three years.

Do I need a job contract for arraigo social?

No. Under the current regulations, arraigo social is based on having family ties with legal residents or a favourable integration report. The contract is the requirement for arraigo sociolaboral.

Can I work while my arraigo application is being processed?

With arraigo sociolaboral, yes: since April 2026, once the application is admitted for processing you receive a provisional authorisation to work. With the other routes you can work from the moment the permit is granted.

What happens if the Oficina de Extranjería does not reply within three months?

Silence means refusal: the application is deemed rejected, which opens the door to an appeal. Even so, the authorities are still obliged to issue a decision, and depending on the case it may be better to wait, appeal or apply again. We assess this with you.

Does the time I spent as an asylum seeker count?

No. Time spent as an applicant for international protection does not count towards arraigo, and you cannot apply while an asylum application is pending. The Spanish Supreme Court confirmed this in July 2026.

My partner or my child is Spanish. Should I apply for arraigo familiar?

Not since May 2025. Family members of Spanish citizens have their own permit, separate from arraigo. We explain it in family members of Spanish citizens and the EU residence card.

Speak to our team

Shall we talk about your case?

Book a consultation and we will look at your situation calmly: which route fits, what documents you need and what deadlines are ahead.

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Other services

Spanish citizenship Family members and EU residence card Extraordinary regularisation 2026 All services

The information on this page is for guidance only and is up to date as of September 2026. Spanish immigration law changes often and every case is different: before submitting any application it is worth having your situation reviewed individually. We work in English and Spanish.

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