In a move welcomed by employers struggling with persistent skills shortages, the Spanish government has cut the continuous-residence requirement for the Arraigo Social and Arraigo Sociolaboral permits from three years to just two. The change, published on 19 November 2025, gives thousands of long-term undocumented foreign residents a faster path to legal work and residence.
Background: the Arraigo system has long served as Spain’s main humanitarian regularization channel, allowing foreign nationals who can prove deep social or labour ties to obtain a one-year residence-and-work permit (renewable for two). Until now, applicants had to show at least 36 months’ continuous stay, a hurdle that left many de-facto integrated workers in limbo. By reducing the wait to 24 months, the government hopes to accelerate labour-market integration and curb informal employment.
![Spain Shortens Arraigo Social Regularization Period to 2 Years]()
Practical implications for companies are significant. HR teams can now regularize talent one year earlier, retaining employees who were previously stuck between temporary gigs and non-compliance. Employers may support an applicant with a standard employment contract (minimum 30 hours per week, or 20 hours for certain categories) and must prove business solvency and compliance with Spanish labour standards.
Experts advise businesses to audit their current workforces quickly: any foreign employee who entered Spain before November 2023 could already be eligible. Because Arraigo applications are processed provincially, lead times vary; Madrid and Barcelona currently average six to eight weeks, while Valencia and Bilbao report under 30 days when files are complete. Digital immigration platforms such as Jobbatical have begun offering automated Arraigo screening tools to help multinationals identify qualifying staff and prepare documentation at scale.
Looking ahead, the reform aligns Spain with a broader European shift toward inclusive labour-migration policies—Italy cut its own “emersione” requirement earlier this year, and Portugal is debating a similar bill. For Spain-based corporates, the message is clear: regularization just became faster, but proactive case-management remains essential to avoid bottlenecks in notoriously busy extranjería offices.
Background: the Arraigo system has long served as Spain’s main humanitarian regularization channel, allowing foreign nationals who can prove deep social or labour ties to obtain a one-year residence-and-work permit (renewable for two). Until now, applicants had to show at least 36 months’ continuous stay, a hurdle that left many de-facto integrated workers in limbo. By reducing the wait to 24 months, the government hopes to accelerate labour-market integration and curb informal employment.
Practical implications for companies are significant. HR teams can now regularize talent one year earlier, retaining employees who were previously stuck between temporary gigs and non-compliance. Employers may support an applicant with a standard employment contract (minimum 30 hours per week, or 20 hours for certain categories) and must prove business solvency and compliance with Spanish labour standards.
Experts advise businesses to audit their current workforces quickly: any foreign employee who entered Spain before November 2023 could already be eligible. Because Arraigo applications are processed provincially, lead times vary; Madrid and Barcelona currently average six to eight weeks, while Valencia and Bilbao report under 30 days when files are complete. Digital immigration platforms such as Jobbatical have begun offering automated Arraigo screening tools to help multinationals identify qualifying staff and prepare documentation at scale.
Looking ahead, the reform aligns Spain with a broader European shift toward inclusive labour-migration policies—Italy cut its own “emersione” requirement earlier this year, and Portugal is debating a similar bill. For Spain-based corporates, the message is clear: regularization just became faster, but proactive case-management remains essential to avoid bottlenecks in notoriously busy extranjería offices.
