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This article forms part of the CostaLuz Lawyers blog and is published for general informational and educational purposes only. It was prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools and, before publication, was substantively reviewed and editorially approved by Maria de Castro, a Spanish-qualified lawyer registered with the Cádiz Bar Association under number 2745, founder of CostaLuz Lawyers and the person responsible for the editorial review of the published content.
This article does not constitute legal, tax, immigration, employment, estate-planning or investment advice and does not replace an individual assessment and the professional work of the appropriate CostaLuz Lawyers specialist. No action or omission should be based solely on this information.
Arraigo is the Spanish exceptional immigration pathway that allows foreign nationals already in Spain — including those who arrived undocumented or whose residency lapsed — to regularise their status without leaving the country.
Since 20 May 2025 the governing text is the Immigration Regulation approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024, in force since 20 May 2025, which replaced the 2011 regulation and sets out five modalities: arraigo social (social ties), arraigo sociolaboral (employment — the route that replaced the former arraigo laboral), arraigo familiar (family), arraigo socioformativo (training) and arraigo de segunda oportunidad. The qualifying period is now two years for every modality except arraigo familiar, which has none. What separates them is no longer the clock but the evidence. Choosing the wrong modality is the most common reason these files are rejected. For a step-by-step walkthrough of every route, see our complete guide to arraigo in Spain.
Arraigo Social — Two Years, Means and Integration
Arraigo social requires two years of demonstrated continuous residence in Spain (not necessarily legal — undocumented years count provided you can prove physical presence), with absences over that period not exceeding 90 days in total. Since Royal Decree 1155/2024 it no longer requires an employment contract. What must be shown instead is sufficient economic means, set by reference to the IPREM in force and rising where you have dependants, together with either qualifying family ties in Spain or a social-integration report from the local town hall (informe de arraigo). Filing is at the Oficina de Extranjería of your province.
Arraigo Sociolaboral — Two Years and a Live Contract (formerly Arraigo Laboral)
Arraigo laboral no longer exists as a separate modality. Royal Decree 1155/2024 replaced it with arraigo sociolaboral, which also requires two years of continuous residence — but can rest on a job you are taking up rather than only on work you have already done. The applicant provides one or more employment contracts totalling at least twenty hours a week and paying at or above the applicable minimum wage or collective-agreement rate. Where arraigo social needs an integration report in the absence of family ties, this route does not. Work already finished can still count: a past employment relationship accredited by a labour inspection report, a conciliation record or a court judgment is admissible evidence for this route. What changed in May 2025 is that proving irregular past work is no longer required — a forward-looking contract now suffices on its own.
Arraigo Familiar, Socioformativo and Segunda Oportunidad
Arraigo familiar is the one modality with no minimum residence period — the family relationship is itself the qualifying factor, principally where the applicant is the parent or guardian of a Spanish or EU minor, or supports a dependent EU national. Arraigo socioformativo (the training route) requires two years of residence plus enrolment in a regulated training programme, converting to a full work permit on completion. Royal Decree 1155/2024 also created arraigo de segunda oportunidad, for people who previously held a residence authorisation and fell out of legal status — a route that did not exist under the old regulation.
Choosing the Right Modality
Choosing the right modality before filing is the strategic step, and it changed in May 2025. Arraigo familiar remains fastest and lowest-evidence-burden where the family relationship qualifies. Arraigo social is the broadest, and is now the route for someone with means and ties but no job offer. Arraigo sociolaboral is the route where an employer is ready to contract you; socioformativo suits younger applicants willing to train; segunda oportunidad exists for those who held status before and lost it. A specialist immigration lawyer assesses your file against all five and selects the strongest, since multiple weak applications damage a case more than one strong one.
For British nationals the choice between these modalities is shaped by a further factor: the Withdrawal Agreement route they did not, or could not, use at the time. how arraigo works for post-Brexit Britons
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the application take?
Once filed, processing typically runs 3 to 6 months. The grant comes as a one-year residence and work permit, renewable. After meeting the standard renewal criteria, holders move to longer permits and eventually to permanent residency on the standard timeline.
Can I leave Spain during the qualifying period?
Limited absences are allowed, but the cap applies to the whole qualifying period, not to each year: absences may not exceed 90 days in total across the two years. Longer absences break continuity and reset the clock.
What evidence proves the years of presence if I was undocumented?
Empadronamiento certificates from town halls, medical records, school enrolment for children, rental contracts, utility bills, money-transfer records, and witness statements all build the evidence base. The more contemporaneous the documentation, the stronger the case.
Reviewed by: Maria Luisa de Castro, Expert in Off-plan Property Investment, CostaLuz Lawyers. Last updated: August 2026 — requirements verified against the Immigration Regulation approved by Royal Decree 1155/2024 (BOE), in force since 20 May 2025.