Arraigo social in Spain: requirements, integration report, steps

Social settlement (arraigo social) is the residence permit for people who have lived in Spain for at least two continuous years and can show their life is here: relatives who hold a residence permit, or a favourable integration report, plus financial means. No job contract is needed, and once granted it lets you work as an employee or self-employed.

It is governed by articles 124 to 132 of the Immigration Regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024), as amended in April 2026. If you read a guide written before that date, check it against what follows.

Who can apply

Some requirements are common to every type of arraigo (article 126) and others are specific to arraigo social (article 127.c).

Common requirements:

• You are in Spain and have stayed here continuously for the two years before applying.
• You are not an applicant for international protection when you apply or while the application is processed. Time spent in Spain as an asylum seeker does not count towards the two years.
• No criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived during the five years before entering Spain.
• No entry ban, and you are not listed as inadmissible in countries with which Spain has an agreement.
• You do not hold another stay or residence permit and have no other immigration procedure pending (grant, extension, renewal or modification). This requirement is new since 2026.
• You have paid the processing fee.

Specific requirements:

• Family ties with foreign nationals who hold a residence permit: spouse or registered partner and first-degree relatives in the direct line (parents or children). Without such ties, your integration effort is assessed through a report.
• Financial means of at least 100% of the IPREM (Spain's public income index). They must be available in Spain and may come from those relatives. If you meet the self-employment requirements, you can also argue that your means will come from your own business.

The social integration report

This is the document that raises most questions. It is issued by the regional government (comunidad autónoma) where you live or, where the region has so decided, by your town hall. It records how long you have lived at your address, what means you have and what you have done to integrate: language courses, training, social, employment or cultural programmes.

Three things to know:

1. The authority has one month to issue it from your request.
2. The region or town hall sends it electronically to the Immigration Office (Oficina de Extranjería), but always keep your copy and the proof that you requested it.
3. If the month passes without a report, the Regulation lets you prove integration by any other means of evidence. You must show you asked in time, so the receipt of your request is essential.

Each region has its own procedure and criteria. The immigration page for your province points you to your office.

Documents you will need

• Full, valid passport (every page).
• Historical padrón (municipal registration) certificate and other evidence of your two years in Spain.
• Criminal record certificate from the country or countries where you lived in the five years before entering Spain, legalised or apostilled and with a sworn translation if not in Spanish.
• Proof of financial means: yours or your resident relative's, with proof of the family relationship.
• Social integration report, or documents proving the family tie with residents.
• Signed official form EX-10 and proof of payment of the fee.

You do not provide the Spanish criminal record yourself: the Immigration Office requests it directly from the central registry, together with a police report.

The arraigo social page has the full list and the current fee.

How to apply, step by step

1. Gather your evidence of stay and request the criminal record from your home country as early as possible: it takes the longest. See criminal records, apostille and legalisation.
2. Request the integration report from your region or town hall if you have no resident relatives.
3. Fill in form EX-10 and pay the fee.
4. File the application at the Immigration Office of your province, in person by appointment or online if you have a digital certificate. For arraigo, the applicant files personally.
5. Wait for the decision. The maximum period is three months; with no answer, the application is deemed refused and can be appealed.
6. Apply for the card (TIE) within one month of being notified of the grant.

How long it lasts and how to extend it

The permit lasts one year. To extend it you must show you are actively seeking work and registered with the public employment service, unless illness, disability or reaching retirement age prevents it. Apply in the two months before expiry; the three months after are also accepted, at the risk of a fine.

If you find a job or start a business during that year, the usual path is to move to a residence and work permit rather than extend the arraigo.

Common mistakes

• Miscounting the two years. They must immediately precede the application, with no long unexplained gaps.
• Applying while another procedure is open, such as an asylum claim without a final decision.
• Expired or non-apostilled criminal records. A certificate without legalisation or with a non-sworn translation triggers a request for documents.
• Means that are not in Spain, or that come from someone other than the relatives the rule accepts.
• Not keeping the receipt of your request for the integration report.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a job contract for arraigo social?

No. It rests on family ties or the integration report, plus financial means. If what you have is a job offer, the right route is arraigo sociolaboral.

Can I work with arraigo social?

Yes. Once granted, the permit includes authorisation to work as an employee or self-employed anywhere in Spain while it is valid.

What if the regional government does not issue the report?

If a month passes with no report and you can prove you requested it, you may show your integration with other evidence: courses, certificates from social organisations, your children's schooling or any document showing your roots here.

Do the months I spent as an asylum seeker count?

No. Time spent while an international protection claim was being processed is not counted towards the two years.

Do I have to leave Spain to apply?

No. Arraigo is applied for from inside Spain and needs no visa.

Your next step

Not sure whether your case is arraigo social, sociolaboral or another route? The free test tells you in a few minutes based on your details. And for a specific question, ask Resi, our assistant, at any time.