Arraigo permits: social, employment, family and training regularisation
Arraigo is an exceptional-grounds regularisation route under Articles 51 and 52 of Spanish Organic Law 4/2000, allowing foreign nationals to obtain a residence permit by evidencing continuous ties in Spain without prior authorisation. Four routes exist: social arraigo (2 years residence + social integration), employment-based arraigo (6 months employment relationship), family arraigo (documented family bond), and training-based arraigo (student status).
The statutory resolution period is 3 months from complete filing with the Immigration Office, though actual decisions typically take 6–12 months due to administrative requests. Approval rates for well-documented cases range 65–75%.
At Eon Legal, we assess case-by-case which arraigo route is most viable for your situation, gather supporting evidence (padron records, employment contracts, criminal clearance, social reports), file online through the competent Immigration Office, and represent you through administrative requests, appeals or judicial proceedings if necessary.
Cases we handle
Each file is reviewed individually to choose the most appropriate legal route for the specific case.
- Social arraigo: 2 years continuous residence + autonomous community social integration report
- Employment-based arraigo: 6 months proven employment (court judgment, Labour Inspectorate report, or administrative resolution)
- Family arraigo: documented family bond + community mediation or official certifying report
- Training-based arraigo: enrolled student with 2+ years cumulative residence in Spain
What we need to get started
The list is indicative; in the initial consultation we confirm the exact documents required by the applicable legal route.
- Valid passport or travel document; copy of NIE if already held
- Padron (local registration) certificates covering the entire claimed period (2 years, 6 months or 1 year depending on route)
- Criminal record certificate from Spain (National Police) and country of origin, apostilled
- For social arraigo: autonomous community social integration report or equivalent evidence; signed employment contract (minimum 1 year)
- For employment-based arraigo: court judgment, Labour Inspectorate report, or administrative resolution proving 6+ months employment
- For family arraigo: marriage certificate or registered partnership deed, birth certificate; documentation of Spanish resident or citizen relative
- For training-based arraigo: enrolment certificate and proof of student status throughout residence
- Statutory declarations from 3–4 witnesses with knowledge dating 2+ years back (if no social arraigo report available)
- For appeals: proof of rejection filed with the Electronic Registry (REUE) within 1 month of decision
Questions about this service
- What is the difference between social arraigo and employment-based arraigo?
- Social arraigo requires evidencing 2 years of continuous residence in Spain plus a social integration report issued by the autonomous community, together with a minimum 1-year employment contract. Employment-based arraigo requires proving at least 6 months of an employment relationship through a court judgment, Labour Inspectorate report or administrative resolution. The required documentation and processing timelines differ substantially between the two routes.
- What options do I have if I cannot obtain the social integration report?
- In some cases, sworn statements from 3–4 witnesses with documented knowledge of the applicant's situation, supported by sufficient corroborating evidence (rental contracts, invoices, padron records), can supplement or strengthen the file when the official social integration report is unavailable or negative. Eon Legal assesses the real viability of the file before filing to avoid unfavourable decisions.
- Does arraigo authorise me to work in Spain?
- Yes — social arraigo and employment-based arraigo both include work authorisation from the date of grant. Training-based arraigo does not automatically include work rights; the permit holder must apply separately for a modification to add work authorisation once the training is completed or the eligibility requirements are met.
- How many times can I apply for arraigo?
- There is no legal limit on the number of arraigo applications. However, each refusal creates an administrative record and may complicate subsequent applications if substantially improved documentation or new grounds are not presented. Eon Legal recommends building a solid file from the first application to maximise the chances of success.
You may also be interested in
- 01 — ResidenceSpanish residence permits: employee, self-employed and family reunificationResidence and work permits for employees, self-employed workers, family reunification and long-term residency under Spanish Organic Law 4/2000.→ View service
- 07 — Regularisation 2026Spain's 2026 extraordinary regularisation: Mercurio filing & UTEX processingExtraordinary regularisation process by Royal Decree open until 30 June 2026 for migrants residing in Spain to obtain one-year residence and work permit with Social Security and public health coverage.→ View service
Does your case fit this service? Let's talk.
We review viability, timelines and the required documents in a first, no-obligation consultation. In person in A Coruña and online across Spain.