Ways to regularise in Spain and which route fits you

Terms used

• Arraigo — Arraigo is a type of residence permit based on your roots in Spain, such as time lived, work, training or family.
• Oficina de Extranjería — The Oficina de Extranjería is the provincial immigration office that decides residence applications.
• Cl@ve — Cl@ve is the government's online ID system, used to file applications electronically.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is a prior appointment you must book before visiting a public office.

Key rules

• Five arraigo routes: Sociolaboral, socioformativo, social, familiar and segunda oportunidad are the current arraigo types.
• One route only: If you qualify for arraigo and the 2026 extraordinary measure, choose one, not both.
• Be in Spain: You must be in Spain on the day you file.
• Refusal deadlines: After a refusal you have one month for an optional appeal or two months for a court appeal, counted from notification.

The short answer

If you are in Spain without legal residence, you have three families of routes: the five arraigo routes, the exceptional-circumstances routes, and the 2026 extraordinary measure. Most people start with arraigo. These routes are for non-EU citizens. EU citizens do not need them.

The five arraigo routes

Arraigo means residence based on your roots in Spain. Since 20 May 2025 there are five types:

• Arraigo sociolaboral: for people with 2 years in Spain and work experience of at least 6 months. It replaces the old labour route.
• Arraigo socioformativo: for people with 2 years in Spain who commit to training.
• Arraigo social: for people with 2 years in Spain and a social-integration report.
• Arraigo familiar: for close relatives of Spanish citizens or of Spaniards of origin.
• Arraigo para la segunda oportunidad: for people whose previous residence permit lapsed.

The decision tool and the side-by-side table below help you pick between them.

Exceptional circumstances

Separate routes exist for special situations. They include humanitarian reasons, collaboration with the authorities, gender violence, trafficking and the protection of minors. If one of these describes you, look here before arraigo and get legal advice early.

The 2026 extraordinary measure

The Government approved a one-off extraordinary regularisation in early 2026. It is separate from the permanent arraigo routes. If you qualify for both, choose one route, not both. If you already have an arraigo application pending, ask the immigration office or a lawyer whether you can keep it or switch before you do anything.

Who handles your application

The Oficina de Extranjería, the immigration office, for the province where you live decides arraigo applications. In Catalonia and some other regions, the regional government handles part of the procedure.

Most people file online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, and many use a lawyer or representative to do it. You can also file through the general public-administration registry. Where in-person filing exists, it usually needs a cita previa (prior appointment). Rules and appointments vary by province, so check with your local office. You must be in Spain on the day you file.

Which rules apply to you

The current regulation applies to applications filed from 20 May 2025. Applications filed before that date stay under the old rules. You can ask to switch to the new ones.

If you are refused

After a refusal you have one month for an optional appeal to the same office or two months for a court appeal, counted from notification. You can also apply again once you fix the missing requirement, such as a document. Get legal advice quickly, because the clock starts on notification.

Choosing between options

Which route to look at first

Which regularisation route fits your situation?

• Arraigo sociolaboral: You have 2 years in Spain and work experience of at least 6 months. This route replaces the old laboral route.

• The 2026 extraordinary measure: You are in Spain without papers and meet its conditions. It is a one-off measure, separate from the permanent arraigo routes.

Start with the route whose situation matches yours. The Oficina de Extranjería of your province handles arraigo and exceptional-circumstances applications, and the same offices handle the extraordinary measure. If you qualify for both an arraigo route and the extraordinary measure, choose one, not both.

Arraigo types side by side

Which arraigo route asks for what

Arraigo social, socio-formative and sociolaboral each need 2 years of continuous stay in Spain, counted back from the day you file. Only the sociolaboral route has a set work requirement. Only arraigo social asks for the integration report.

What the table does not show

• Sociolaboral contract. It can be one contract or several, even with different employers, as long as together they reach the minimum hours. The contract takes effect once the permit is granted.
• Sociolaboral past work. Proof can be a court judgment or a labour inspection resolution. Payslips, social-security records and contracts are also accepted. Check with the Oficina de Extranjería which documents it currently accepts.
• Social report. It comes from your region, usually through the town hall where you live. It looks at how long you have lived there, your means of support, your family ties and your efforts to integrate, such as language and training courses. Reports are often valid for about 3 months, but the rules differ by region, so ask your local office.
• Training course. It must be regulated and lead to work. Short leisure courses do not count. The Oficina de Extranjería decides which courses qualify.
• Family documents. Foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation, plus a sworn translation. Parents and children can use a birth certificate or the Spanish libro de familia. Spouses and partners need a marriage or registered partnership certificate.
• Segunda oportunidad. The time limit for the lapse is not settled here. Confirm it with the Ministry of Inclusion or the Oficina de Extranjería before you file.

Timeline and deadlines

Key dates and deadlines

• Applications filed under the old rules continue to be processed under those rules. You can ask to switch to the new rules.: if you filed before 20 May 2025

• Your application follows the new rules.: if you file from 20 May 2025

• Make an optional appeal to the same office that refused you.: within one month of notification of the refusal

• Appeal to the court instead.: within two months of notification of the refusal

Documents you need

What you need to file

• A certificate of good conduct showing no criminal record in Spain or in any country where you lived in the past five years.

• A digital certificate or Cl@ve (the government's online ID system) to file online through the Ministry of Inclusion's Mercurio platform. A lawyer or representative can file for you.

Checklist

Before you choose a route

• Compare the five arraigo routes (sociolaboral, socioformativo, social, familiar and segunda oportunidad) and the exceptional-circumstances routes, and pick the one that matches your situation.

• Check whether your province lets you file in person with a prior appointment (cita previa) or only online.

• Get a digital certificate or Cl@ve, or arrange for a lawyer or representative to file for you.

• Make sure you are in Spain on the day you file.

• Check your filing date: applications filed before 20 May 2025 stay under the old rules, and later ones follow the new rules.

• If you also qualify for the 2026 extraordinary measure, choose one route rather than filing under both.

What to watch out for

What to watch out for

• Appeal deadlines are short: If your application is refused, you lose the chance to appeal if you wait. The deadlines count from the day you are notified, not the day you read the notice. Act quickly: you have one month for an optional appeal to the same office or two months for a court appeal. Get legal advice straight away.

• A refusal for missing requirements: A refusal can be about something you can still fix, such as missing documents. Fix the missing requirement and submit a new application, or ask a lawyer whether an appeal is the better option.

Quick answers on arraigo eligibility

Do I need to have entered Spain legally to apply for arraigo?

No, arraigo does not require legal entry, as long as you can show the required continuous stay in Spain. The padrón (town hall residence register) is a common way to show it. The family route instead depends on proving your family link.

Can I use arraigo if I entered as a tourist and overstayed?

Yes, entering as a tourist and overstaying is the typical situation arraigo is made for. An expulsion or return order, or an entry ban still in force, can block you. Overstaying itself is normally only a fine.

Do I need a clean criminal record for arraigo?

Yes, every arraigo route requires no criminal record in Spain and none in any country where you lived in the past five years. Bring a certificate of good conduct, apostilled or legalised and translated if needed. Minor offences or cancelled records are judged case by case.

Does time on a student permit count towards arraigo?

No, time spent in Spain on a student permit does not count towards the stay you need, and you generally cannot apply while the permit is valid. The socioformativo route may count it in limited cases. Time in irregular status after the permit expires does count.