This replaces the former arraigo laboral. It regularises the situation of people who have been in Spain for 2 years and hold a job offer or employment contract meeting minimum thresholds on working hours and pay.
Unlike arraigo social, it does not require an integration report, but it does require a contract and proof that the employer is solvent.
- Non-EU foreign nationals with 2 years of continuous stay in Spain who hold an employment contract.
- Continuous stay in Spain of at least 2 years.
- An employment contract (or contracts) lasting at least one year, with at least 20 working hours a week and pay meeting the minimum wage (SMI) or the applicable collective agreement.
- The employer must be up to date with tax and social security obligations and prove they can sustain the position.
- No criminal record in Spain or in the countries of residence over the last 5 years.
- No entry ban and no alert in the Schengen area.
Official form EX-31, completed and signedIn duplicate (original and copy) if you file it on paper. Always download it from the Ministry website so you use the current version.Official link Full passport, validA copy of every written page (including blank ones if the office asks for them) plus the original for checking. Many procedures require at least 4 months of validity. Proof of payment of fee form 790 code 052It is generated and filled in on the official fee website, paid at a bank or online, and submitted as the stamped copy.Official link Municipal registration certificateRequested at the town hall of the municipality where you live. Arraigo procedures usually require the historical or joint certificate. Evidence of 2 years of stay in SpainHistorical municipal registration, health card, medical reports, enrolments, contracts, bills, certificates from social organisations. Signed employment contractLasting at least one year, with at least 20 working hours a week and pay in line with the collective agreement or the minimum wage. Employer documentsIf a company: tax ID, articles of incorporation, power of attorney of the signatory, social security registration, certificates of being up to date with the tax office (AEAT) and social security (TGSS). If an individual: DNI/NIE and proof of means (tax return, payslips). Criminal record certificateFrom the countries where you have lived in the last 5 years, issued by the authorities of that country, legalised or apostilled and translated into Spanish.
Application for a residence authorisation on exceptional grounds (arraigo)
Always download the form from the Ministry website: the templates are updated and offices reject outdated versions.
| Form | What it covers | Who pays | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 790 código 052 | Temporary residence authorisation on exceptional grounds | The applicant | Generate fee form |
Amounts are updated periodically: the one shown when you generate form 790 is the one in force.
Immigration Office of the province where you live
By appointment or filed online.
Online filing (Mercurio)
With your own digital certificate or that of a representative.
- Decision: 3 months (silence means refusal).
- TIE: 1 month from notification of the decision.
- Duration: 1 year, extendable or convertible into a residence and work authorisation.
The contract must still be in force when the decision is taken: if the company backs out, the application fails.
The employer's solvency is checked closely; a company with social security debts usually leads to refusal.