ES EN DE
📋 ARRAIGO

Arraigo Segunda Oportunidad (Residency Recovery)

Temporary residence authorisation via arraigo segunda oportunidad (Spain's rooted residence permit for people previously expulsed from Spain who have served their full entry ban and maintained ties to the country). A second chance to regularise your status once the entry ban has fully expired.

Minimum residence Two years. "Having remained in national territory continuously for at least the two years preceding the filing of the application" (art. 126.b). If you applied for international protection, the time it was being processed until the final decision does NOT count.
Maximum time abroad The rule in force sets no figure — it requires a "continuous" stay and leaves it there (art. 126.b). The 90 days that circulate come from the previous regulation, RD 557/2011, which is REPEALED; they are still used as a practical reference, but they are not a written limit today.
Legal decision period 3 months (legal deadline)
Actual decision period 4-8 months
Permit duration 1 year
2026 fee 38.28 EUR — Modelo 790 código 052
Form EX-10
If they do not reply NEGATIVE (if no reply within the legal timeframe, the application is deemed denied)

General requirements

✅ Having held a residence permit and lost it Obligatorio

This route is not the one for people who were expelled — it is for those who WERE IN ORDER and fell out of it. Art. 127.a) RD 1155/2024 asks for "having held a residence permit, not granted on exceptional grounds, in the two years immediately preceding the date the application is filed". Two things live in that sentence: the permit you lost cannot have been another exceptional-circumstances one (another arraigo is no basis), and the window is two years back from the day you apply.

✅ Why it was not renewed — and the door almost nobody sees Obligatorio

The same art. 127.a) requires that the renewal "did not take place for reasons other than public order, security and public health". And it adds a way out worth reading twice: "It shall nevertheless be possible to apply where there is a dismissing judgment, a stay of proceedings or an acquittal". In other words: being refused renewal on public-order grounds does not close the door if the criminal matter ended in acquittal, dismissal or a judgment rejecting the charge.

✅ 2 years of continuous stay in Spain Obligatorio

Prove at least 2 years of continuous residence in Spain after the entry ban has been served. Absences must not exceed 90 days during that period.

✅ No criminal record Obligatorio

No criminal record in Spain or in your country of origin. Particularly important given the previous record.

✅ Prove ties to Spain Obligatorio

Demonstrate family, social, or employment ties that justify your continued presence in Spain. An informe de arraigo (integration report — a social services document certifying your social ties to Spain) is required.

✅ Valid passport Obligatorio

Complete valid passport.

Step-by-step process

1
Verify that the entry ban has expired
Check the duration of the entry ban (3-10 years) in the expulsion decision. Verify that it has fully elapsed.
⏱️ 1 day
2
Request the informe de arraigo
Go to the social services of the Ayuntamiento (town hall) and request the informe de arraigo certifying your social integration.
⏱️ 30 days
3
Gather documentation
Prepare: form EX-10, passport, historical empadronamiento (municipal registration), criminal record certificates, informe de arraigo, documentation of your ties (family, work, training).
⏱️ 2-4 weeks
4
Submit the application at the Oficina de Extranjería
Book an appointment and submit the application. Pay the 38.28 EUR fee (Modelo 790 código 052).
⏱️ 1 day
5
Wait for the decision
Legal deadline of 3 months. Administrative silence is NEGATIVE. These cases typically take longer because of the complexity of the file.
⏱️ 4-8 months
6
Approved: request your TIE
Request your Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE — Foreigner's Identity Card). TIE fee: 16.08 EUR (Modelo 790 código 012).
⏱️ 1 month

Mistakes that get applications refused

⚠️ Believing this route is for people who were expelled from Spain

What happens: Wasting your time at the wrong counter and, worse, writing off a route that is in fact yours. The arraigo de segunda oportunidad never mentions expulsions: art. 127.a) reserves it for those who held a residence permit in the previous two years and did not renew it.

What to do: Look at what actually happened to you. If you had a card and lost it — it expired, you did not renew in time, or renewal was refused for something other than public order, security or public health — this is your route. If yours was an expulsion with an entry ban, that is another story and another procedure.

⚠️ Having new criminal records

What happens: Denial

What to do: It is essential not to have any new criminal record after the expulsion. Any new offence can make the application significantly harder.

⚠️ Unable to prove real ties to Spain

What happens: Denial due to lack of demonstrable ties

What to do: Prove family ties (children in school, partner, family), social ties (community involvement, NGOs) and employment ties (contracts, training).

Official sources

🔗 Ley Orgánica 4/2000 de derechos y libertades de los extranjeros → 🔗 RD 1155/2024 (reforma arraigos) → 🔗 Reglamento LOEX - RD 1155/2024 → 🔗 Formulario EX-10 → 🔗 Sede electrónica Policía Nacional - Cita TIE →

Última actualización: 2026-09-02

ℹ️ The information on this website is general guidance. It is not legal advice. For your specific case, consult a lawyer specializing in immigration or the relevant official office. Emigra España never advises acting outside the law.