Residence through social ties (arraigo social) after the 2025 reform

Key rules

• Time in Spain: You need 2 years of continuous stay, counted back from the day you file.
• Permit: The permit lasts 3 years and allows work anywhere in Spain, in any sector.
• Work contract: A contract must be for at least 20 hours a week at no less than the minimum wage, pro rata.
• Clean record: You need a certificate of good conduct covering the past five years in every country where you lived.

Do you qualify?

You can apply if you have lived continuously in Spain for 2 years, counted back from the day you file. You also need an integration report, proof that you can support yourself or a work contract, and a clean criminal record. If you qualify, you get a permit that lets you work.

Short trips abroad are tolerated, but the rules set a limit on absences. Keep proof of your stay that covers the whole period, including any trips, and check the absence limit with a lawyer or the immigration office before you file.

The integration report

The integration report (informe de arraigo) says how well you are settled where you live. It looks at how long you have lived in the area, your means of support, your family ties and your efforts to integrate, such as language or training courses.

It is issued by your autonomous community, usually through your town hall (ayuntamiento). Which body handles it differs by region, so ask your town hall who issues it and how to request it. You can ask for the report or attach one you already have.

Reports are only valid for a limited period, often around 3 months, and this differs by region. Check that yours is still valid on the day you file.

Showing you can support yourself

You need one of two things:

• A work contract. It must be for at least 20 hours a week at no less than the minimum wage, pro rata. It does not need to be full-time. Several part-time jobs can be combined to reach that level.
• Enough money of your own or from your family. Ask the immigration office what amount and documents it accepts, because the threshold depends on the yearly minimum wage.

Clean record

You must have no criminal record in Spain or in any country where you lived in the past five years. You prove this with a certificate of good conduct from your country of origin and each other country where you lived. It must be apostilled or legalised, and translated if it is not in Spanish.

Pending proceedings or sentences are grounds for refusal, and so is a ban on entering Spain. Minor offences or cancelled records are judged case by case by the immigration office (Oficina de Extranjería).

What you get

The permit lasts 3 years. It lets you work as an employee or self-employed anywhere in Spain, in any sector. You can renew it later under the general rules.

How to prepare

Follow the timeline, documents and checklist below. The planner helps you work out your dates.

Timeline and deadlines

• Reach 2 years of continuous stay in Spain, counted back from the day you file: before you file

• Request the integration report from the town hall or competent body: before you file, so it is still valid on the filing day

• File your application with the report attached: within about 3 months of the report being issued, the typical validity period

Arraigo timeline planner

Your earliest filing date is the day your 2 years of continuous stay are complete, as long as your documents cover every part of those 2 years. Social, socio-formative and sociolaboral arraigo all use the same time requirement. They differ only in the extra paper each one needs. Work through the steps below with your own dates.

Step 1: Find your start date

Use the earliest date you can prove you were in Spain. That is usually the entry stamp in your passport. If there is no stamp, use the oldest dated document you hold, such as a town hall registration (empadronamiento) certificate, a medical record or a rental contract.

Step 2: Add 2 years

The date 2 years after your start date is your earliest possible filing day. The time is counted back from the day you file, so every day of the 2 years must already have passed when you submit.

Step 3: Subtract your absences

List every trip outside Spain during the period and add up the days. Absences of up to 90 days in total do not break your continuous stay. If your total goes over 90 days, your stay is treated as broken and the count restarts, so plan trips before you travel.

Step 4: Check your documents cover the whole period

Take a calendar and mark at least one dated document in every few months of the 2 years. Useful documents:

• passport entry stamp
• empadronamiento certificates
• medical records
• school enrolment
• bank records and money transfers
• rental contracts and utility bills
• tickets and receipts

If a stretch has nothing, find a document for it before you file. The administration decides which documents are enough, so more dated evidence is safer. If you have a large gap, your real filing date may be later than Step 2 shows.

Step 5: Add what your route needs

• Social arraigo: you need the integration report, which is requested from your region or town council once the 2 years are complete and attached to your application. Ask the office that issues it how early you can request it, because this point is not settled.
• Socio-formative arraigo: you need a commitment to take training.
• Sociolaboral arraigo: you need proof of at least six months of irregular work, shown by a labour inspection report or a court ruling.

Your earliest filing date for a route is the later of two dates: the Step 2 date (adjusted for any gap in Step 4), and the day you hold every document that route needs.

After you file

The legal deadline for a decision is three months from registration, but many provinces take longer. Ask your local Oficina de Extranjería about current times.

Documents you need

• Integration report (informe de arraigo), issued by the autonomous community, usually through the town hall where you live. It assesses how long you have lived there, your means of support, family ties and integration efforts such as language and training courses. You can also attach it if you already have it.

• Proof of means of support or an employment contract: a contract for at least 20 hours a week at no less than the minimum wage, pro rata, or proof of enough own or family means.

• Certificate of good conduct from your country of origin and any country where you lived in the past five years, apostilled or legalised, and translated if not in Spanish.

Checklist

• Confirm you have 2 years of continuous stay in Spain, counted back from the day you file

• Gather proof of your stay that covers the whole period, including any short absences

• Show your means of support: a contract of at least 20 hours a week at no less than the minimum wage, pro rata, or enough own or family means

Frequently asked questions

Can part-time jobs count as the work element for arraigo social?

Yes, part-time work counts if it reaches at least 20 hours a week at no less than the minimum wage, pro rata. You can combine several contracts to reach that level. The contract does not need to be full-time.

Can I show my own or family money instead of a contract?

Yes, you can show enough means of your own or from your family instead of an employment contract. This is an alternative to the contract, so you only need one of the two.

How long does the integration report stay valid?

The integration report is typically valid for 3 months, but this differs by region. Ask the town hall that issues it, and time the request so it is still valid when you file.