Arraigo Social in Spain

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What is social integration in Spain?

Well, it’s the regularization process by which a non-Spanish citizen who has lived continuously in Spanish territory for 3 years can obtain residency.

With this residency through social integration, you can live and work in the country completely legally for 1 year.

Social integration requirements

The requirements to obtain social integration in Spain are:

  1. Not being a European citizen or having European family.
  2. Not being prohibited from entering Spanish territory or any country with which Spain has treaties.
  3. Not having a criminal record for offenses listed in the Spanish Penal Code.
  4. Having resided in Spanish territory for at least 3 years continuously.
  5. Not having reached the non-return period to Spain.
  6. Having family ties either through direct ancestors or descendants, or spouse or registered partner with other resident foreigners or with Spaniards. If you don’t have family ties, you can submit a social integration report issued by the Autonomous Community where you reside.
  7. Having a work contract for social integration with a minimum duration of one year. The company must demonstrate that it is a functional company and can afford to hire workers.

Social integration without a work contract

If you don’t have a job, you can apply for social integration without a work contract, and for this, you have two alternatives:

  1. Self-Employed Social Integration: Social integration can also be achieved by starting your own business and working as a freelancer in Spain.

To do this, you will need to demonstrate a business plan and the financial means you have both to reside in Spain and to establish the business.

  1. Social Integration with Own Resources: You can also demonstrate that you have economic resources, either your own or from a family member, sufficient to live without working, so you would be granted residence for social integration but without authorization to work.

In both cases, it is necessary to provide a social integration report recommending that you be granted social integration residency.

Documents for social integration

These are the documents needed for social integration.

What do you need for social integration?

Documents for social integration

What do you need for social integration?

  1. A complete copy of your passport, travel permit, or registration certificate valid for at least four months.
  2. Application form for residence authorization for social integration and work due to exceptional circumstances (EX–10).
  3. Documentation proving that you have resided in Spain for a minimum period of three years. The documentation provided should contain the petitioner’s identification details, preferably issued by the public administration. For example, a visit to a medical center.
  4. Certificate of criminal records both in Spain and in any countries where you have resided in the last 5 years.
  5. The social integration report issued by the Autonomous Community or documentation proving the required family ties.
  6. Documents for social integration: a job offer, self-employment activity, or own financial resources.

Social Integration with Job Offer

In addition to the above, if you have a job offer, you need to submit the following:

  1. Employment contract.
  2. Copy of the N.I.F. (tax identification number) and the company’s deeds.
  3. Copy of the training and professional qualifications legally required for the profession.
  4. Proof that the company guarantees the necessary solvency for the social integration application.

Social Integration without a Job Offer

You only need the social integration file demonstrating that either the applicant or a family member has sufficient financial resources for their maintenance.

Social Integration by Establishing a Business

Documents proving that your company has economic capacity and is truly functional for the social integration application must be submitted.

What is the difference between social and labor integration?

These two types of exceptional authorizations are often confused, yet they are quite different from each other.

The main difference is that to apply for social integration, 3 years of continuous residence in Spain under social integration are required, while for the residence permit based on labor integration, 2 years of residence and proof of having worked for at least 6 months are needed.

Many foreigners apply for social integration when they have the opportunity to obtain a job contract and, having met the residency period, do not have the corresponding permit.

Indeed, the offer of a job contract of at least one year’s duration is one of the requirements for obtaining the social integration report.

However, the labor integration permit entails denouncing the irregular employment contract, and this is a very difficult situation to face, both for the worker and for the employer who must bear the economic costs of the fine.

For this reason, it is more common to apply for social integration than for labor integration.

social integration

When to apply for social integration?

One of the fundamental pillars you must prove if you want to obtain the social integration report is to thoroughly demonstrate your stay in Spain for at least the three years prior to the application for this residency permit based on social integration.

The regulations only speak of «stay,» so the Immigration Office cannot demand that this requirement be proven exclusively through municipal registration, as it is not required to be registered for three years, but to have spent three years in our country.

Therefore, you will start counting the three years from your arrival in Spain or from the moment you can prove that you were within Spanish territory. To prove this circumstance, you can submit any document accepted in law that shows your name and the date. This way, you can prove that you were already in Spain at that time.

It is very common to provide both historical registration and any document that shows your life in Spain, such as invoices or medical reports, for example. In short, we can submit both public and private documents.

What are the benefits of social integration in Spain?

  1. You can work and live legally in Spain.
  2. You can apply for residence authorization for your family members.
  3. You can travel to your home country.
  4. You will not be deported for lacking documents.
  5. You will have Social Security benefits.
  6. After some years, you can apply for Spanish nationality.
  7. You can travel outside of Spain.
  8. You can renew the residence card within a year.
  9. You are not dependent on your employer for one year.
  10. You can apply for residence authorization based on social integration with multiple job contracts.
  11. You can apply for residence based on social integration without leaving Spain.

Questions and answers about the Arraigo Social

Granting social integration

If social integration is finally granted, we have one month (provided that we have social integration with work permit) to register with Social Security.

Renewing social integration

If you want the team at immigration lawyer to help you renew your social integration permit, fill out this contact form and we will get in touch with you.

When is the social ties fee paid?

During the family ties application.

How long does the social integration report take?

The resolution of social integration, once the file has been resolved favorably, may take up to 30 days or one month for you to receive a letter at home. If you do not receive it within the specified month, you can request a duplicate of said resolution by scheduling an appointment.

What is the social integration report?

It is a document issued either by the city council or by the community exclusively intended for the processing of social integration.

What to do once my application has been accepted?

Register with Social Security and apply for the physical card.