Arraigo familiar (family roots residence)

Description

This is a temporary residence authorization granted on exceptional grounds based on roots in Spain (arraigo), under the family roots category (arraigo familiar). It is intended for foreign nationals who are in Spain and who are the parents or guardians of minors, or the relatives who provide support (in the exercise of legal capacity) to persons with disabilities, where those minors or persons with disabilities are nationals of another EU Member State, the EEA or Switzerland, and who meet the conditions set out in the Regulation. It does not cover parents of minors of Spanish nationality, who fall under a separate, specific regime.

Advantages

• 5-year term. Arraigo familiar is valid for five years.
• No visa. No visa is required, and the application is filed in Spain.
• Right to work. The authorization comes with permission to work as an employee or as a self-employed person, with no geographic or occupational restrictions (other than the legal minimum working age).
• No prior period of presence. No minimum period of presence in Spain is required for this category.

Who can apply? (including family members)

• Main applicant: A foreign national in Spain who is the father, mother or guardian of a minor who is a national of another EU/EEA Member State or Switzerland and resides in Spain, where the applicant has the minor in their care and lives with them, or is up to date on their parental obligations; or a foreign national who is a relative providing support to a person with a disability who is a national of another EU/EEA Member State or Switzerland, where the applicant has that person in their care and lives with them.
• Family members accompanying the applicant from the start: The Regulation does not provide for dependent family members to be included in this arraigo familiar application. (Separately, authorizations for foreign minors may be processed at the same time where appropriate.)

Requirements

• Scope: The application is filed in Spain, with no visa required.
• Prior status: You must not be seeking international protection at the time you apply for arraigo (or while it is being processed).
• Time spent in Spain: As a general rule, 2 years of continuous presence is required, but arraigo familiar is exempt from any minimum period of presence.
• Public order and criminal record: You must not pose a threat to public order, public security or public health; have no criminal record in Spain or in the countries where you lived during the 5 years before entering Spain; not be listed as inadmissible in countries with which Spain has an agreement to that effect; and not be within the period of a commitment not to return to Spain.
• Fees: Pay the processing fee.

Required documents

Application process

1. 1

   Filing in Spain (no visa)

   The foreign national files the application in person with the competent authority. If the applicant is a minor or a person with a disability who needs support, the application may be filed by their legal representative or by the person providing support.

2. 2

   Submitting the documents

   Attach your passport, the documents proving your arraigo familiar situation and, as a rule, the criminal record certificate covering the 5 years before you entered Spain, subject to the exemptions provided.

3. 3

   Review and decision

   The authorities may ask you to correct or complete your application. They obtain the report from Spain's Central Criminal Records Registry (Registro Central de Penados) on their own initiative and assess whether you pose any threat to public order, security or health. The authorization comes with permission to work as an employee or as a self-employed person.

4. 4

   Applying for the TIE

   Within one month of being notified that the authorization has been granted, you must apply for the foreigner identity card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, TIE).

Duration and renewal

• Initial term: 5 years.
• Renewal / extension: The Regulation does not set specific extension requirements for this category; the general extension rule in that chapter does not require any minimum period of presence for arraigo familiar.

FAQ

Applicable law

1. Ley Orgánica 4/2000, de 11 de enero, sobre derechos y libertades de los extranjeros en España y su integración social.
2. Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, de 11 de enero, sobre derechos y libertades de los extranjeros en España y su integración social (in force since May 20, 2025).