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Free legal aid and advice

You will know whether you can get a lawyer paid by the state, how to apply and where to get free first advice.

Legal aid in Spain is a separate system from paid lawyers. It has its own rules on who qualifies, who decides and how fast you must act. This topic is for anyone planning or carrying out a move to Spain who may need legal help and has limited means.

6 articlesAbout 39 min of readingLegal help and dispute resolution

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Do you qualify for free legal aid (justicia gratuita) as a foreigner?
Explains how to tell whether you can get free legal aid in Spain as a foreigner: which residence status counts, how household income is measured, which groups skip the income test, and which cases are covered.
5 min read
How to apply for free legal aid and what happens next
Where to file a free legal aid application in Spain, who decides it, how long the decision takes, and how applying affects court deadlines that are already running. For anyone who needs a lawyer but cannot afford one.
8 min read
What the duty lawyer (abogado de oficio) does for you
Explains what a free duty lawyer does if your legal aid is granted: who assigns the lawyer, what the service covers, how little choice you have, and what to expect. For anyone in Spain who may need legal aid.
6 min read
Free legal aid if you are not resident or live abroad
Explains who can get free legal aid in Spain without living there: residents of other EU countries through the cross-border route, and the narrower options for non-EU citizens who live abroad.
4 min read
What to do if legal aid is refused or must be repaid
If your free legal aid application is refused, you can challenge it before a judge, but only within a short deadline. This page also explains when you may have to repay the costs. It is for applicants refused aid and for anyone already receiving it.
5 min read
Where to get free first legal advice in Spain
Shows where to get a free first legal opinion in Spain and how to find the local office: the provincial bar association's orientation service, migrant NGOs, town hall advice offices and university clinics. For anyone in Spain, with or without papers.
6 min read

About this topic

After reading, you will know whether you can get a lawyer paid by the state, how to apply, and where to get free first advice. It also covers the duty lawyer (abogado de oficio), legal aid for people who are not resident or live abroad, and what to do if your request is refused or you have to repay.

Start with "Do you qualify for free legal aid (justicia gratuita) as a foreigner?". It helps you judge your chances by income, household, residence status and type of case. From there, move on to how to apply, or go straight to the page on free first legal advice if you only need a first opinion.

This topic does not cover what a private lawyer charges, or general crisis help from NGOs.

Key rules

Income limit: You generally qualify if your household's yearly income is no more than twice the IPREM (annual, 14 payments), or 2.5 times for families of four or more.

Decision time: The commission has 30 days to decide, and if it stays silent the aid is treated as granted.

Repayment period: If your finances improve within three years of the end of the case, you may have to repay the costs.

Challenging a refusal: You have 5 working days from being notified of a refusal to challenge it before the judge.

No income test: Victims of gender violence and human trafficking get aid whatever their income or residence status, for proceedings linked to their situation.

Where to file: File at the Colegio's Servicio de Orientación Jurídica or at the court handling your case.