Arraigo social in Spain 2026: residency through settlement step by step

What the 2025 reform changed

On 20 May 2025 the new regulation of the immigration law came into force - Real Decreto 1155/2024. For people without status this is the most important reform in years: Spain deliberately simplified legalisation for those already living and working in the country.

The key changes on settlement:

• The residence requirement was cut to 2 years for the basic types of arraigo (previously 3 years were required).
• The arraigo family was restructured: it now distinguishes social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar and the new modality segunda oportunidad - for those who held a permit but lost it.
• Settlement permits now generally include the right to work - both salaried and as an autónomo.
• The evidence of residence and the integration requirements were clarified.

The exact wording is set out in the text of the regulation (BOE) and in the information sheets on the Extranjería portal - links at the end of the article. The conditions are periodically refined by instructions, so check the current version before filing.

Arraigo social conditions in 2026

To qualify for arraigo social in 2026 you need to meet several conditions at the same time. The benchmark under the new regulation looks like this:

• 2 years of continuous residence in Spain. What counts is actual presence (permanencia), even if you had no legal status. Total absences over the period - benchmark: no more than 90 days.
• A padrón covering the whole period. Registration at your place of residence is the main document by which the administration measures continuity. The historical certificate (volante historico de empadronamiento) must cover the full 2 years without gaps.
• No criminal record in Spain and in your countries of residence in recent years. The certificate from your country of citizenship is filed with an apostille and a sworn translation.
• Means of subsistence or an employment contract. Sufficiency of funds is assessed against IPREM-linked benchmarks; a job offer can stand in for funds. If contracts are the core of your case, you are usually looking at the neighbouring type - arraigo sociolaboral.
• Social ties. Either close relatives with legal residence in Spain, or an informe de arraigo - an integration report from the autonomous community or the municipality: language, courses, participation in local life.

An important nuance: the applicant must not be in an international protection procedure - time spent as an asylum seeker does not count towards the 2 years of settlement.

Documents for filing

The basic arraigo social dossier looks like this (the list is approximate; the exact set depends on the province and your situation):

• the application on the prescribed form (the EX family of forms) and a copy of every page of your passport;
• volante historico de empadronamiento - an unbroken padrón covering 2 years;
• a criminal record certificate from your country of citizenship with an apostille and a sworn translation (recent - benchmark: no older than 3 months);
• evidence of continuous residence: bank statements, your medical card, travel passes, children's school documents, denuncias, receipts;
• an employment contract or proof of funds (your own or your family members');
• an informe de arraigo or documents proving kinship with a resident;
• the receipt for the state fee (modelo 790, benchmark: tens of euros).

Every document not in Spanish is translated by a sworn translator (traductor jurado). An ordinary translation, even a notarised one, is not accepted by Extranjería.

The step-by-step process: from padrón to the TIE card

1. Diagnosis. We check when your 2 years actually started, whether there are gaps in the padrón and which type of arraigo fits your case. A mistake at this step costs months.
2. Collecting proof of residence. The padrón is the skeleton of the dossier, but the administration likes evidence of everyday life: banking, healthcare, transport, studies.
3. Ordering certificates and translations. The criminal record certificate with an apostille, sworn translations, the informe de arraigo (in some regions the interview queue runs to weeks).
4. Filing. Online through a representative or in person at the Oficina de Extranjería by appointment (cita previa). The tasa is paid.
5. The decision. The formal period is roughly 3 months; in practice it takes longer. The case status is tracked online.
6. Fingerprints and the TIE. After approval: a huella appointment at the police and collection of the plastic resident card about a month later.

The first settlement permit is issued for roughly 1 year. Then come renewals and, after 5 years of legal residence, the right to permanent residency larga duracion.

Other types of arraigo: a quick comparison

If you do not qualify for arraigo social, a neighbouring modality may fit:

Under the new regulation every type grants the right to work. Choosing the modality is a strategic decision: you file where your dossier is objectively strongest.

Frequent mistakes and refusal reasons

• Gaps in the padrón. You moved and forgot to re-register - for the administration that is a break in residence. It can be cured with extra evidence, but better not to let it happen.
• Trips longer than allowed. Long visits home break continuity: the benchmark is no more than 90 days in total over the 2 years.
• An expired or incorrectly issued criminal record certificate. Without an apostille and a sworn translation the document does not work.
• Filing too early. An application filed before the full 2 years are up is rejected automatically.
• A weak informe de arraigo. A report without language courses and confirmed integration lowers your chances.
• The wrong modality. A sociolaboral dossier filed as social (or the other way round) is a typical reason for refusal.

Almost all of this is preventable at the preparation stage: a strong dossier takes weeks to build, while fixing a refusal takes months.

How Krepko supports your arraigo application

Arraigo is a marathon of certificates, appointments and deadlines. We take that routine off your hands:

• we check your padrón history, count the periods and tell you honestly when and under which modality to file;
• we assemble the dossier: proof of residence, certificates, apostilles, informe de arraigo appointments;
• we arrange sworn translations and the cita previa booking without waiting months for a free slot;
• we monitor the case status until you receive the TIE card and remind you about renewal deadlines.

Legally significant steps are performed by licensed specialists - lawyers, gestores, sworn translators. Read more on the Residency in Spain service page, and the easiest way to start is a free conversation.

Sources

• BOE: Real Decreto 1155/2024 - the new immigration law regulation
• Portal de Inmigracion - official information sheets on arraigo
• Sede electronica de Administraciones Publicas - filing and case status