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📋 ARRAIGO

Arraigo Social (Rooted Residence)

Temporary residence authorisation granted under exceptional circumstances via arraigo social (Spain's rooted residence permit based on social integration). For people who have lived continuously in Spain for at least 2 years.

⚠️ Reforma mayo 2025: Since May 2025, arraigo social no longer requires an employment contract. If you have an employment contract, your route is arraigo sociolaboral (a new category introduced by RD 1155/2024).

Permanencia mínima 2 continuous years in Spain
Ausencias máximas Max 90 days outside Spain during the 2-year period
Resolución legal 3 months (legal deadline)
Resolución real 5-8 months (Madrid often exceeds 5 months)
Duración autorización 1 year
Tasa 2026 38.28 EUR — Modelo 790 código 052
Formulario EX-10
Silencio administrativo NEGATIVE (if no reply within the legal timeframe, the application is deemed denied)

Requisitos generales

✅ 2 years of continuous stay in Spain Obligatorio

Prove at least 2 years of continuous residence in Spanish territory. Absences must not exceed 90 days during that period.

✅ No criminal record Obligatorio

No criminal record in Spain or in your country of origin. You must provide certificates from the Spanish Registro Central de Penados (Central Criminal Records Office) and from your country of origin, duly apostilled.

✅ No entry ban in Spain Obligatorio

You must not be subject to an active return order, expulsion order, or entry ban.

✅ Informe de arraigo (integration report) Obligatorio

Report issued by your local Ayuntamiento (town hall) or Comunidad Autónoma (regional government) certifying your social integration.

✅ Prove family ties, financial means, or self-employment activity Obligatorio

Since May 2025, an employment contract is no longer required. You must prove at least one of the three ties routes.

✅ Valid passport Obligatorio

Complete valid passport, or document proving your identity and nationality.

Vínculos requeridos

You must prove at least ONE of the following three options:

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Family ties

Having family ties with other legally resident foreigners or with Spanish nationals. Eligible relationships: spouse/partner, ascendants, and first-degree descendants in direct line.

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Own financial means

Prove sufficient means of support: savings, financial support from family, or demonstrable economic activity. Reference amount: equivalent to the monthly IPREM (Indicador Público de Renta de Efectos Múltiples, Spain's baseline income threshold — 600.53 EUR/month in 2026) for the duration of the authorisation.

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Self-employment project

Submit a viable self-employment project. Include business plan, required resources, and feasibility assessment.

Cómo acreditar la permanencia

Ways to prove 2 years of continuous stay in Spain:

📄 Empadronamiento (municipal registration): historical certificate of empadronamiento — the single most important piece of evidence

📄 Health card: record of use of the public health system

📄 Money transfers: receipts for remittances (Western Union, Ria, etc.)

📄 Receipts and bills: rent, utilities (electricity, water, gas, internet)

📄 NGO reports: attendance records from Cruz Roja (Spanish Red Cross), Cáritas, Accem, or other organisations

📄 Children's schooling: school enrolment certificates

📄 Any dated official document: police report, hospital care, etc.

Proceso paso a paso

1
Request the informe de arraigo
Go to the social services of the Ayuntamiento and request the informe de arraigo. Bring your empadronamiento certificate, passport, and documents proving your ties.
⏱️ 30 days
2
Gather documentation
Prepare: form EX-10, passport, historical empadronamiento certificate, criminal record certificates (Spain + apostilled from country of origin), informe de arraigo, proof of ties (family / means / self-employment), and passport-size photos.
⏱️ 2-4 weeks
3
Book an appointment at the Oficina de Extranjería
Book the appointment on sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es or on the website of the relevant Delegación/Subdelegación de Gobierno.
⏱️ Variable (weeks or months depending on the province)
4
Submit the application
Attend the appointment with all original documents and copies. Submit form EX-10 and pay the fee via Modelo 790 código 052 (38.28 EUR).
⏱️ 1 day
5
Wait for the decision
Legal deadline of 3 months. In practice, Madrid takes 5-8 months. Administrative silence is NEGATIVE. You can check the status on the Subdelegación de Gobierno website.
⏱️ 3-8 months
6
Approved: request your TIE
If approved, book an appointment for your Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE — Foreigner's Identity Card) on sede.policia.gob.es within 1 month. Pay the TIE fee (16.08 EUR, Modelo 790 código 012).
⏱️ 1 month

⚖️ Diferencia con arraigo sociolaboral

RD 1155/2024, in force since May 2025, created arraigo sociolaboral (rooted residence with employment) as a separate category.

Arraigo social Arraigo sociolaboral
Requisito 2 years of stay + ties (family, own means, or self-employment) 2 years of stay + employment contract
Contrato NO employment contract required YES, employment contract required (minimum 1 year, full-time or equivalent)
Duración 1 year 1 year

Before May 2025, arraigo social did require a contract. Now the contract determines which type of arraigo to apply for.

Errores que llevan a la denegación

⚠️ Having been outside Spain for more than 90 days over the 2-year period

Consecuencia: Denial for failure to prove continuous stay

Solución: Track your trips. If you exceed 90 days, you may need to wait longer to complete the 2 continuous years.

⚠️ Not being empadronado, or having gaps in your empadronamiento history

Consecuencia: Difficulty proving the 2 years of stay

Solución: Register (empadrónate) as soon as possible. If there are gaps, back them up with other evidence (bills, health card, NGO reports).

⚠️ Submitting a criminal record certificate older than 3 months

Consecuencia: Invalid document, triggering a subsanación (correction) request that delays the process

Solución: Obtain the certificate as close to the submission date as possible. Maximum validity: 3 months.

⚠️ Applying for arraigo social when you have an employment contract

Consecuencia: Your application will be denied because the category does not match your employment status

Solución: If you have an employment contract → arraigo sociolaboral. If you don't → arraigo social, proving ties/means.

⚠️ Not requesting the informe de arraigo from social services

Consecuencia: Incomplete documentation

Solución: Request the report at least 2 months in advance. If the Ayuntamiento fails to issue it within 30 days, you can file the application without it.

⚠️ Assuming that administrative silence is positive

Consecuencia: Thinking your application has been approved when in fact it has been denied

Solución: Administrative silence for arraigo social is NEGATIVE. If you receive no reply within 3 months, the application is deemed DENIED. You can file a recurso de alzada (administrative appeal).

Fuentes oficiales

🔗 Ley Orgánica 4/2000 de derechos y libertades de los extranjeros → 🔗 Reglamento LOEX - RD 557/2011 → 🔗 RD 1155/2024 (reforma arraigos) → 🔗 Formulario EX-10 → 🔗 Ministerio de Inclusión, SS y Migraciones → 🔗 Sede electrónica Policía Nacional - Cita TIE →

Última actualización: 2026-04-20

ℹ️ La información de esta web es orientativa y de carácter general. No constituye asesoramiento jurídico. Para tu caso concreto, consulta con un abogado especializado en extranjería o con la oficina oficial correspondiente. Emigra España nunca aconseja actuar fuera de la legalidad.