Getting the integration report (informe de integración) for arraigo

Key rules

• Who needs it: Only arraigo social applicants need the integration report.
• Validity: The report is typically valid for three months from issue, so file your application within that time.
• Issuer: The office that issues it depends on your region, and sometimes on your town.
• Timing: Request it early, because a slow office is the main thing that stalls an application.

Ask for the report early

The integration report (informe de integración) is the document that supports an arraigo social application. Request it as soon as you know you will apply. A slow office is the most common reason a file stalls, and you cannot file without the report.

You need it only for arraigo social. The other arraigo routes (sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar and second chance) do not ask for it. The training route asks for proof of enrolment instead. In some cases the report can be replaced by other criteria, so check your route's current requirements before you apply.

Who issues it

The body that issues it depends on your region. It is usually one of these:

• the regional social services or immigration department
• the town hall (ayuntamiento) where you are registered
• the Government Delegation or Subdelegation, in regions with no rules of their own

Phone or visit your town hall first. They can tell you which office handles it where you live. Sometimes the answer differs from town to town within a region.

What you must bring and what happens next

You file a request with the right office. The documents are listed below. The office then assesses your housing, your means of support, your knowledge of the language and how far you are part of the local community.

Some regions also ask for an interview or a Spanish-language certificate or course. Ask the office for its exact requirements when you ask for your appointment.

How long it takes

Expect anything from a few weeks to a month or two, depending on the office. The administration generally has about one month to respond. Ask the office for its current processing time when you apply.

How long it lasts

The report is typically valid for three months from the day it is issued. File your arraigo application within that time. Do not request it too early, or it may expire before you are ready. Gather your other papers first, then ask for the report.

If the office is slow or says no

Send a written reminder to the office, and keep a copy with proof of delivery. If that gets no answer, you can complain to the regional ombudsman or the Defensor del Pueblo. Silence from the administration is usually treated as a refusal, and that opens the way to an administrative appeal and then a court appeal. A refusal can be challenged the same way. Get advice from a lawyer or a migrant support service before you appeal.

The timeline, documents, checklist and warnings below walk you through each step.

Timeline and deadlines

• Request the integration report from the regional or town hall office: as early as you can, before you prepare the rest of the arraigo file

• Send a written reminder if the office has not answered: after about one month, the usual limit for the administration to respond

• File your arraigo application with the report: within three months of the report being issued

Check current processing times with the office that issues your report.

Documents you need

• Passport, to prove your identity when you file the request with the regional or town hall office.

• Padrón certificate (certificado de empadronamiento), the town hall record showing where you are registered as living.

• Proof of how long you have lived in Spain and of your family ties.

• Spanish-language certificate or course proof, only in regions that ask for it.

Checklist

• Confirm that your route is arraigo social, the only route that needs the integration report.

• Find out whether your region's social services or immigration department, or your town hall, issues the report.

• Ask that office for its requirements and processing time before you apply.

• Submit your request early, so a slow office does not stall your file.

• Send a written reminder to the office if the report is late.

• Check the issue date on the report and file your application within three months of it.

What to watch out for

• The office delays or never answers: A late report can stall your whole file, and silence from the office usually counts as a refusal. Send a written reminder to the issuing office, and complain to the regional ombudsman or the Defensor del Pueblo if it does not reply.

• The report is refused: A refusal can leave you without the evidence your route needs. Challenge it with an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada or reposición) and, if that fails, a court appeal. Ask whether other evidence can replace the report for your route.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an integration report for every arraigo route?

No, you need the integration report only for arraigo social. The sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar and second-chance routes do not ask for it, though the training route needs proof of enrolment in a course.

What can I do if the office delays my integration report?

Send the issuing office a written reminder, and if that fails, file a complaint with the regional ombudsman or the Defensor del Pueblo. Silence from the office usually counts as a refusal, which lets you file an administrative appeal and then a court appeal.

Can I apply for arraigo social without the integration report?

In some cases yes, because the reform lets other criteria replace the report for arraigo social. Ask the immigration office handling your file which evidence it will accept in your region.

Does the integration report involve an interview or a language test?

Some regions do require an interview, and some ask for a Spanish-language certificate or course. Ask the issuing office before you apply, so you can prepare in advance.