Arraigo socioformativo in Spain: residence through training, handled online

01What it is and who it is for

Arraigo socioformativo is a residence permit on exceptional grounds for people living in Spain without papers who commit to training here. It is set out in article 127.d of Royal Decree 1155/2024, Spain's new Immigration Regulation (Reglamento de Extranjería), in force since 20 May 2025. It replaces the old arraigo para la formación, with one major change: you now need two years of prior residence.

Its purpose distinguishes it from the other arraigo permits. Arraigo social relies on family ties or integration plus funds; arraigo sociolaboral relies on a job contract. Arraigo socioformativo relies on enrolment in, or a commitment to, a specific course, together with a social integration report. The aim is for you to gain a qualification that leads to a job and later a standard residence and work permit.

Not every course qualifies. The Regulation and the instructions of the State Secretariat for Migration set out a closed list, and the course must be taught in person or at least 50% in person. University degrees and higher vocational training (grado superior) are not on the list; those are covered by the student stay permit, normally applied for from abroad.

For readers new to the Spanish system: vocational training (formación profesional, FP) runs at basic, intermediate and higher levels, and professional certificates (certificados profesionales) are job specific qualifications at levels 1 to 3.

02Requirements

• You must not be a national of the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, nor a family member covered by EU free movement rules.
• You must be in Spain and must not have a pending asylum (international protection) claim when you apply or during processing.
• Two years of continuous residence in Spain before applying, with absences of no more than 90 days in total. Time as an asylum seeker does not count.
• No criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived for the five years before entering Spain, for offences that also exist under Spanish law.
• You must not pose a threat to public order, security or public health, must not be flagged for refusal of entry in the Schengen area and must not be bound by a commitment not to return.
• You must not hold another stay or residence permit or have another immigration application in progress.
• Enrolment in, attendance at or an application for admission to an approved course: upper secondary (bachillerato); intermediate vocational training or a vocational specialisation course; intermediate arts or sports education; professional certificates at levels 1, 2 or 3; basic vocational training; or compulsory adult education taught in person.
• Alternatively, a commitment to a public employment service course aimed at occupations on the shortage list.
• A favourable social integration report from your regional government or local council.
• Payment of the government fee (form 790, code 052, section 2.3.1).

Tick what you already have. Your ticks stay on this device only; nothing is sent to us.

03Documents

• Official application form EX-10, signed, including your commitment to complete the training.
• Full copy of your valid passport, travel document or registration certificate.
• Proof of two years' continuous presence: municipal registration (empadronamiento), public health service records or other documents from Spanish authorities.
• Criminal record certificate from the countries where you lived in the five years before arriving, legalised or apostilled with a sworn translation, unless you have lived in Spain continuously for five years.
• Social integration report from your region or council.
• Enrolment, admission or application for admission, or a certificate showing you are attending the course.
• For public employment service courses, a written commitment to take the course.
• Receipt for the fee.

Tick what you already have. Your ticks stay on this device only; nothing is sent to us.

04How we handle it online

1. Case assessment

   We check your two years of residence, trips abroad and criminal record position, and whether this permit or arraigo social or sociolaboral suits you better.

2. Choosing the course and the timing

   We confirm the course is on the approved list and meets the in person requirement. If enrolment has an official window, we work out the two month period before it in which you must apply.

3. Integration report

   We explain how to request the report from your region or council and what to bring. If it is not issued within one month, we prepare other evidence of your integration.

4. Filing

   We file the EX-10 and supporting documents electronically as your representatives, so you do not need an appointment at the immigration office.

5. Follow-up

   We answer any request for further documents within the deadline and tell you as soon as there is a decision.

6. Enrolment and TIE card

   Once granted, you have three months to prove enrolment to the immigration office and one month to apply for your foreigner identity card (TIE). We submit the proof of enrolment for you.

05Timescales and validity

If the course has an official enrolment period, you must apply in the two months before that period opens. The immigration office has three months to decide; if nothing is notified in that time, the application is treated as refused by administrative silence.

Once granted, you have three months from notification to prove enrolment. If you do not, or you do not take the public employment service course, the permit is cancelled.

The permit and each extension last one year. To extend during a basic or intermediate vocational course you need a report from the school confirming you have passed into the second year. If you finish before the year ends, the extension requires the qualification and registration as an active jobseeker. Once training is complete, the usual next step is a residence and work permit (article 191 of the Regulation).

06Do I need to attend anything in person?

07Common mistakes and reasons for refusal

• Choosing a course that is not on the list: higher vocational training, university, private courses without a professional certificate or fully online courses.
• Applying outside the two month window before the official enrolment period.
• Failing to prove enrolment within three months of the grant, which leads to cancellation.
• Forgetting the social integration report, which is mandatory here.
• Gaps in proof of the two years, or trips abroad over 90 days in total.
• Working more than 30 hours a week, the cap for this permit.
• Not passing into the second year, which blocks the extension for basic or intermediate vocational courses.

08Frequently asked questions

09Legal basis

• Organic Law 4/2000, article 31.3
• Royal Decree 1155/2024, articles 124 to 127 (arraigo socioformativo in article 127.d) and article 52.1
• Royal Decree 1155/2024, articles 130, 131.b (30 hour cap) and 132.2.b (extension)
• Royal Decree 316/2026, amending articles 126 and 127.c of the Regulation
• Instructions SEM 1/2025, fifth and sixth instructions and Annex II

Information reviewed on 03.10.2026 against the law in force. This page is for general information and is not a substitute for advice on your own case.