In this article, you will discover the different paths and options to get your papers in Spain, (updated with the latest news), including requirements in each case and other tips that will allow you to do it in the shortest possible time and avoid legal hassle.
Let’s get started.
Getting your papers is nothing more than the process by which the foreigner regularizes her situation and obtains a residence and work permit in Spain.
Obtaining a regular residence permit can be complicated on many occasions, especially if we consider all those ways that require an application process from the country of origin (at the Spanish consulate) in order to enter Spain legally afterwards.
That is why a large part of the foreign community decides to resort to the residence permit for exceptional circumstances. That is to say, the arraigo, granted to those who are already in Spain in an irregular situation.
Thus, this has become one of the most common and used paths to obtain papers in Spain.
In that sense, what exactly do you have to do to achieve it?
Later in this post we will see the different options available in detail including all their requirements, but here are the 6 keys that you must follow to get your papers successfully:
- Register in your city (and get “empadronamiento”). We recommend you complete this step as soon as possible, as it will be proof of how long you have been living in Spain, as well as end up being really useful for many other legal procedures in the country.
- To spend in the country the minimum time required, continuously. This means that during the time you must live in the country to be able to obtain the papers, you can’t leave the country.
- Keep tickets, receipts, invoices and any other means of proof of your stay in Spanish territory.
- Avoid criminal records. This will be a key point in your application that will be carefully reviewed, therefore avoid any police and/or criminal event.
- Integrate with the region where you live. This ranges from speaking the local language (e.g. Catalan in Catalonia), to using public services or participating in a local association.
The main paths to obtain papers as a foreigner
There are several ways to get papers in Spanish territory. Most of them require that you are in a regular situation (during your 90 days as a tourist), or that you have applied for a residence permit at the Spanish consulate before traveling to Spain.
But what about the rest of the cases? How to get your papers while you are in an irregular situation?
Below we explore the 5 main ways that any foreigner has to regularize their situation and get her desired papers.
Social arraigo
The first (and most common) way to obtain your papers is the residence permit through social arraigo.
This permit is granted to all those foreigners who have been in Spain for at least 2 years in an illegal status.
As we have commented in the previous section, these 2 years must have been continuous (i.e., without leaving the country); if you have left the country, it has to be for less than 90 days in total.
And you will be able to demonstrate that you have effectively remained this time in Spanish territory through the empadronamiento and/or any other valid means of proof.
That is why it is so important to register at your city hall as soon as you arrive in Spain in order to be able to complete the arraigo procedure successfully.
You must prove that you have sufficient financial means. This is done by demonstrating that your income is equal to or greater than 100% of the IPREM (€7,200 per year) or, if you have a relative residing in Spain, 200% of the IPREM (€14,400 per year, which is 100% of the IPREM per person)
If you do not have any family members legally residing in Spain who can prove your connection to the country, you must pass a social integration assessment.
Sociolabor arraigo
Another of the available paths to obtain papers in Spain is through the sociolabor arraigo.
This residency requires having been in Spain for at least 2 years in an irregular status (1 year less than in the case of social arraigo), and also having been working for at least 6 months (but legally).
In addition, one or more employment contracts are required that guarantee at least the minimum wage (currently €17,094 per year) or the wage established in the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
Moreover, the contract(s) must guarantee a total weekly work schedule of no less than twenty hours. This means that, for example, if you work 30 hours in some weeks and 15 hours in others, it is sufficient for the average to exceed 20 hours.
You may submit more than one employment contract if you meet the following additional requirements:
- If you perform seasonal work related to seasonal activities
- If you work part-time and simultaneously for more than one employer
Basically, arraigo sociolaboral (the old arraigo laboral), following Royal Decree 1155/2024 and instructions SEM 1/2025, SEM 2/2025, serves to demonstrate your connection to Spain through work.
Family arraigo
Parents of a minor from the EU, the EEA, or Switzerland, or the legal guardian of a person with a disability who is dependent on that guardian and resides in the territory of the EU, the EEA, or Switzerland, may claim papers through family arraigo.
This regularization figure allows obtaining a residence and work permit for 5 years.
One of its great advantages is that it does not require a minimum time of permanence in Spain. Thus, as opposed to the 2 years for the rest of arraigos, you can get your papers directly after arriving in Spain (as long as you are in an irregular situation) through this type of residency.
Who exactly can apply for it?
- The parents or legal guardians of a person with a disability from the European Union (except Spain), the European Economic Area, or Switzerland who is dependent on them.
- The parents or legal guardians of a minor from any country (except Spain) in the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland.
You can find here the complete list of family members who can benefit from the labor arraigo.
Arraigo for studies
There is another type of arraigo known as arraigo socioformativo or arraigo for studies, which allows a foreigner in an illegal situation to obtain a permit for 12 months to study in Spain and take a regulated training course that will allow her to obtain a qualification and, consequently, to exercise a specific job position.
This permit requires 2 years in the country in an illegal situation, and for the application, the mere commitment to start the course is enough (you do not have to have started it before).
Second-chance arraigo
This arraigo, introduced by the Immigration Regulations (RD 1155/2024), is designed for those who held a residence permit in the last two years and were unable to renew it for reasons other than public order, security or public health.
Its main advantage is that it does not require proof of financial means, a job offer or a report on social integration. It is sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant previously held such authorisation and that the failure to renew it was not due to any of these three reasons.
The second-chance arraigo (arraigo de segunda oportunidad), introduced by the Immigration Regulations (RD 1155/2024), is designed for those who held a residence permit in the last two years and were unable to renew it for reasons other than public order, security or public health.
Family member of an EU citizen card
Finally, we find another very advantageous option used by many non-EU citizens.
In the case of being a family member of a European Union citizen (German, French, Italian, or from any other EU country), you can get a residence card for 5 years that also authorizes you to work.
It is a way to regularize your situation and get the papers since you can carry out this process in an irregular way without having to return to your country of origin (including the registration of the marriage or civil union).
And you will not be required to demonstrate any minimum period of time spent in Spain prior to your application.
Is the extraordinary regularisation process still open?
No. The deadline for submitting applications was 30 June 2026, and the scheme has not been reopened.
If you did not manage to submit your application, your route to regularisation remains the ordinary route (based on social, socio-occupational, family or socio-educational ties), as explained in this article.
How long should you be in Spain to obtain papers?
As we have seen, the years required to obtain your papers will vary depending on your particular situation and the residency you are applying for, but in general, the time under an illegal (and continuous) situation without leaving the country for more than 90 days in these 2 years.
However, as we have mentioned, being a family member of a Spanish or EU citizen has great advantages in this regard.
The time needed to obtain the papers is greatly reduced, to the point that both the family arraigo and the EU family member card do NOT require any period of previous stay in Spanish territory in order to be processed.
Remember that if you have any doubts or you would like our expert immigration lawyers to assist you personally, do not hesitate to contact us in order to schedule a personalized consultation:
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