Your 2026 Regularisation Was Approved: The 7 Next Steps (and Your Path to Citizenship)
The 2026 extraordinary regularization deadline was 30 June 2026. If you did not manage to apply, it is not the end of the road: check the alternative routes such as arraigo social and the different visa options to regularize your status in Spain.
Your arraigo authorisation from Spain's 2026 regularisation process (RD 316/2026) has been granted. Congratulations: the paperwork doesn't end here, your life as a legal resident begins. This guide walks you through the immediate steps (TIE, Social Security, work, family) and the long road: how today's permit leads, over the years, to long-term residence and Spanish citizenship.
The 7 steps after your approval
- Receive the grant. Your initial permit lasts 1 year and lets you work as an employee and as self-employed anywhere in Spain, in any sector.
- Apply for your TIE within 1 month. You must request the Foreigner ID card (TIE), with fingerprinting at the National Police, in the month after the grant.
- Register with Social Security when you start working (or regularise your registration if you already work). Your permit already allows it.
- Work legally. You need no other permit: the arraigo authorisation already includes work, employed and self-employed.
- Reunify your family. You can bring your spouse and children once you renew your first permit; your parents, once you reach long-term residence. Family reunification guide.
- Exchange your driving licence within the first 6 months if your country has an agreement with Spain.
- Renew on time. Before the year expires, apply for the extension or the modification to an ordinary authorisation (art. 191 of the Regulation). Don't let it lapse.
Your calendar to citizenship
Your arraigo permit is the first step. All the time you reside legally adds up, even if you change permit type.
The milestones:
- Year 1 — initial arraigo permit: you work and apply for your TIE.
- Modification / renewal — moving to an ordinary residence-and-work authorisation (art. 191), which is valid for 4 years and has renewal effect.
- Year 5 — you can apply for long-term residence: a stable residence, with a card renewed every 5 years.
- Spanish citizenship — depending on your origin (see table).
| Your origin | Years of legal residence to apply for citizenship |
|---|---|
| Ibero-America, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, Sephardic Jews (nationality of origin) | 2 years |
| Born in Spain; 1 year married to a Spaniard; widow/er of a Spaniard | 1 year |
| Rest of the world | 10 years |
The exams (Instituto Cervantes). For citizenship by residence you must pass the CCSE (constitutional and sociocultural knowledge of Spain) and the DELE A2 (Spanish). If you are a national of origin of a Spanish-speaking country, you are exempt from the DELE A2 (but not the CCSE). Note: Andorra, the Philippines and Portugal are not Spanish-speaking, so their nationals do take the DELE even with the 2-year period.
The application. Filed with the Ministry of Justice with the fee (form 790, code 026, approximately €104; confirm the current amount when you pay on the official form). The legal deadline is 1 year, but in practice it usually takes 12 to 24 months (estimate from specialist firms, not an official Ministry figure).
Continue your journey with our guides: the CCSE and DELE A2 exams and dual nationality with Spain.
Frequently asked questions
My regularisation was approved, can I work now? Yes. The arraigo authorisation lets you work as an employee and self-employed from day one, in any sector.
How long do I have to apply for the TIE? One month from the grant of the authorisation.
Do the years on my arraigo permit count toward citizenship? Yes. The authorisation on grounds of exceptional circumstances counts as legal residence, and the clock starts on the grant date. Years in an irregular situation do not count.
If I change permits, do I lose the years accumulated? No. Changing cards does not break continuity: the period keeps counting from the first grant.
When will I be able to apply for citizenship? If you are a national of origin of an Ibero-American country (or others under art. 22 of the Civil Code), after 2 years of legal residence. Otherwise, after 10 years; married to a Spaniard, after 1 year.
Can I bring my family now? Your spouse and children, once you renew your first permit. Your parents, once you reach long-term residence (at 5 years).