Spanish immigration procedure

Arraigo

You have been in Spain for a while without papers and don't know which route to take. There are five types of arraigo, each with its own requirements: we check which one fits you before charging you anything.

Fees

€398.99 incl. VAT

VAT and immigration fee included. Does not include apostilles or legalisations, sworn translations, consular fees, the card fee (TIE) or the immigration office appointment.

  • Before charging you, we check which of the five arraigos applies to you
  • We only ask for the documents for your route, not a generic list of everything
  • We file the application and follow the case through to the decision
Check whether my case fits

Is this your case?

  • You have been in Spain continuously for at least two years, without absences adding up to more than 90 days, and you have no residence permit or have lost it.
  • You fit one of the five routes: you have a job offer or contract, you are going to take an official training course, you live with a legally resident relative who can support you, you have your own financial means, or you held a residence permit in the last two years and could not renew it.
  • Or you are the father, mother or guardian of a minor who is a national of ANOTHER EU, EEA or Swiss country (or you care for a person with a disability from those countries): that route is the only one that does not require the two years. If the minor is a Spanish national, your procedure is residence as a family member of a Spanish citizen.

For these cases it is a different procedure

  • You want to set up your own business and register as self-employed: that route exists (social arraigo as self-employed), but it needs a business plan and proof of the investment, so we assess and quote it in a consultation instead of selling it here.
  • You have been in Spain for less than two years and you are not the parent or guardian of a minor from another EU country: the length-of-stay requirement is not met yet.
  • Your son or daughter has Spanish nationality: then the route is residence as a family member of a Spanish citizen, not family arraigo.

If you are not sure, take the test and we'll tell you which one applies to you.

How it works

  1. We check which one applies to you

    You answer the questionnaire on this page and, before charging you anything, we tell you which type of arraigo fits your situation, or whether it is better to see a lawyer first.

  2. We ask only for your documents

    Each type proves different things. You receive the list for your specific route, not a generic list with everything that might be needed.

  3. We file and follow your application

    We prepare the application, file it and keep you informed at every step until the decision.

Check whether your case fits

Before charging you anything. It is a few questions and we tell you whether we can handle it or whether it is better to review it in a consultation.

Enter the code we emailed you and go straight to your details, without answering anything.

Which documents you need

To process your arraigo we need these documents:

  1. Complete copy of your valid passport, registration certificate, travel document or registration card, recognised as valid in Spain.
  2. Documents proving your continuous stay in Spain for at least two years, ideally month by month. They must contain your identification details and preferably have been issued and/or registered by a Spanish public administration. By way of example, documents relating to municipal registration, a hospital stay, a public health appointment, and any municipal, regional or national document proving your presence in Spain will be taken into account.
  3. Criminal record certificate issued by the authorities of the country or countries where you lived during the five years before entering Spain.

On top of these come the documents specific to your type of arraigo (contract, training, financial means or family tie, as the case may be). The questionnaire on this page tells you which applies to you.

You don't need to have everything today: when you hire us we send you this list and review it with you.

Frequently asked questions

Five: for work (sociolaboral, if you have an employment contract), for training (socioformativo, if you are going to take an official course), social (with your own means or those of a relative you live with), second chance (if you held residence and could not renew it) and family (if you are the parent or guardian of a minor from another EU country, or support a person with a disability from those countries). They don't ask for the same things or the same documents, which is why the first step is knowing which one applies to you.

Two continuous years, and your trips out of the country in that period cannot add up to more than 90 days in total. The only exception is family arraigo, which does not require that period.

With documents bearing your details that, preferably, were issued or registered by a Spanish public administration: municipal registration, a hospital stay, a public health appointment or any municipal, regional or national document proving you were here. It is advisable to gather evidence month by month.

Arraigo requires having no criminal or police record in Spain or in the countries where you have lived in the last five years. If you have one, we first need to study whether it can be cancelled or appealed: tell us in the questionnaire and we'll assess it in a consultation.

Having applied for international protection doesn't stop you from applying for arraigo, but that period is deducted from the two-year count, so the calculation has to be redone with your case in hand: that is why we refer it to a consultation. The exception is family arraigo, which does not require those two years, so nothing changes there.

The application goes on the official EX-10 form, for residence permits on exceptional grounds, and the fee is the 052. The price on this page includes our fees and that government fee; the apostille and sworn translation of your foreign documents, such as the criminal record certificate from your country, are not included.

Applicable legislation