Residency permits for 'integrated' irregular migrants in Spain soar
New figures have revealed that the number of arraigo permits, a type of residency permit given out to formerly undocumented immigrants in Spain, has increased by 500 percent in just a decade.
In 2013 there were just 43,858 foreigners with one of Spain's four types of arraigo (social, educational, labour and family) but by 2023 that figure had increased to 239,084, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
This was the headline figure highlighted by Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz, in the presentation of a report of the Strategic Framework for Citizenship and Inclusion against Racism and Xenophobia 2023-2027.
Spanish residency can be awarded to non-EU foreigners who have even arrived or lived illegally in the country for providing evidence of social integration and making roots in the country. This is known as permiso de residencia por arraigo in Spanish.
Furthermore, in the space of a year, processing times for the arraigo procedure were reduced by 35 percent. This follows further changes by the government to cut the time period necessary to receive an arraigo. The required time in Spain used to be three years, but the government recently reduced it to two years, a modification will come into force on May 20th 2025.
Spain is now home to seven million foreign residents, equal to 14 percent of the population.
However, despite the growing foreign population and streamlining of residency processes, many still live with social divides compared to native Spaniards. Though Saiz stated that the growth was positive, she also recognised that there are still several 'persistent challenges' for Spain's foreign population.
The difference in salary, for example, is €10,000 per year on average. There's also a 20 percent difference in school dropout rates and homelessness affects migrants 7.5 times more than Spaniards.
The arraigo is applicable to all those who have been living without the proper residency documents in Spain for two years or more. It is one of the easiest ways to legalise migration status without facing harsh consequences of overstaying or having to leave Spain and re-enter again on a different visa.
In order to get one, you must have a genuine connection to Spain. This could be either socially, economically or through familial ties. You must have proof of this such as a job contract, library card, membership to an organisation here, birth certificates of family members, and so on.
The main requirements are that you must have been in the country for a period of at least two years and can't have left the country for more than 120 days in that period.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Spain
13 hours ago
- Local Spain
What are Socimis and why are they at the heart of Spain's housing debate?
In recent years the Spanish government has been trying to solve the housing crisis in the country by passing various laws and reforms, including the Housing Law in 2023, which in turn created many more problems, according to some experts. In January 2025, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced 12 measures aimed at increasing the number of affordable homes, achieve better regulation and give more aid to those who need it. The most eye-catching measure is the proposed 100 percent tax on property buyers who don't reside in the EU, a levy which will double the price they pay for homes n Spain. In addition to building new social housing and cracking down on seasonal rents, among many other measures, the government is also now turning its attention to Socimis (known as Sociedades Anónimas Cotizadas de Inversión Inmobiliarias) to try and further help access to housing. As announced by Sánchez, the government wants to change the tax benefits regime for Socimis, which are essentially property investment vehicles, so that they only apply to companies that manage affordable rentals. Note that this measure will only be implanted on residential Socimis, so those that invest in offices, shopping centres or any other kind of property will not be affected. What are Socimis? According to Delanto Chambers, Anglo-Spanish legal and tax experts: "A Socimi (Sociedades Anónimas Cotizadas de Inversión Inmobiliaria) translates as Listed Corporations for Investing in the Real Estate Market and is similar to a Real Estate Investment Trust in the UK (abbreviated to REIT). Socimis are public limited investment companies, created to encourage long-term investment in the Spanish property market through investment in Spanish urban real estate for rent such as homes, hotels or commercial premises." This essentially means that Socimis are like limited companies listed on stock markets whose only trade in properties. Delanto Chambers, presumably before this latest government announcement, previously described Socimis as "attractive investment vehicles" due to the "substantial tax breaks on transaction costs and profits allowing shareholders to maximise their investment." Crucially, they added, "provided that the investment and dividend distribution requirements are met Socimis are Corporate Income Tax taxpayers, although subject to a tax rate of 0 percent." The government plan for Socimis Socimis' tax benefits could be set to change if the Socialists' draft bill receives parliamentary approval. When announcing the proposal in January, Sánchez said: 'We must finally put an end to the injustice of some investors using this instrument to pay less tax than ordinary citizens when buying the same property.' Back in November, the government green lighted the abolition of the existing Socimi tax regime, which, as noted above, essentially made them exempt if they distributed at least 80 percent of dividends to shareholders. Now, the government is instead proposing they be taxed at the general corporate tax rate of 25 percent. However, they have suggested tax breaks for Socimis that help with Spain's housing crisis: 50 percent if more than 60 percent of the asset portfolio is allocated to affordable rentals, and 100 percent if the profit is additionally reinvested in this type of housing over the following three years. Sánchez's administration will consider properties affordable if their rent does not exceed the index established by the Housing Ministry, if the property is classified as protected, if the rent does not exceed 30 percent of the tenant's income, or if the cost is below €26,400 per year. All the above measures have been suggested because the Spanish government feels Socimis have so far failed to improve the supply of affordable housing in Spain. Experts seem to think the fiscal clampdown will disproportionately affect foreigners, rather than Spaniards. According to market estimates, the measure could in theory impact more than half of total property investment in Spain. Specifically, foreign investment accounts for an average of 61 percent of the total volume in the Spanish real estate sector since 2014, according to data from the consultancy firm Savills. In 2023, 70 percent of Socimis' capital was held by international investors, unsurprising given their generous shareholder remuneration.
Local Spain
15 hours ago
- Local Spain
EXCLUSIVE: Spain clarifies two key rules of the Non-Lucrative Visa
Spain's new Immigration Law, which seeks to make immigration procedures easier for foreigners wanting to live in the country, entered into force on May 20th. As well as addressing the legal uncertainty facing asylum seekers, and reorganising visa categories, it also aimed to improve resolution times and introduce changes to residency rights and procedures. Along with all these changes, the government has set out to clarify several points regarding the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV), which had previously been points of confusion or discussion. The NLV is now the main visa option for many non-EU nationals who want to live in Spain together with the Digital Nomad Visa. NLV Residency Requirement for Renewal The new Royal Decree 1155/2024, effective from May 2025, now clearly says you need to have lived more than 183 days in Spain during the previous year to be able to renew your Non-Lucrative Visa. María del Castro, CEO of Spanish law firm CostaLuz Lawyers told The Local Spain that 'before this wasn't stated so clearly - people just assumed you needed to actually live in Spain'. But now Article 64 point f) of the Official State Gazette (BOE) states that you can only renew your NLV if you 'have actually and effectively resided in Spain for more than 183 days during the calendar year', thus establishing a "minimum physical presence" according to the Andalusia-based lawyer. Del Castro explained that in 2023 the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that since this 183-day rule wasn't in the main Organic Law, the government couldn't officially make it a strict requirement. In other words, judges declared "null the prior regulatory rule that allowed for the automatic cancellation of non-lucrative residence permits for absences longer than six months", Del Castro stated. 'So, there has been a bit of a legal tug-of-war between what the old rules said and what the Court has decided'. Now there's no room for interpretation. If you want to renew your Non-Lucrative Visa after the first year, then after two years and once again after two years, you have to have lived in Spain for more than 183 days a year. In essence, you have to be a tax resident if you want to renew your NLV and continue living in Spain, that's 100 percent clear now. According to Del Castro, the Immigration Law "explicitly establishes the requirement, thus overriding any prior interpretations or case law, including the Supreme Court's judgment, which was based on the previous framework". The 183-day rule exists because the Spanish government want NLV holders to be residents for fiscal purposes and pay their taxes in Spain. Depending on your personal circumstances, if you live here less than 183 days, you aren't considered to be a tax resident. In fact, the new regulation also states that at the time of renewal, compliance with tax and Social Security obligations during the permit's validity will be taken into account. NLV work prohibition clarified The Spanish government has also made it crystal clear in the legal text of its new Immigration Law that you can't work while on the NLV. You have to prove you have sufficient economic means through passive income such as rent from a property abroad, savings or a pension. It's always been the case that you can't work in Spain while on the NLV, but there have been many discussions online about this over the years, with many believing it simply meant that you just couldn't work in Spain. So now, there's no room for confusion. 'It's important to note that the prohibition to work is not just in Spain but worldwide', explains del Castro. This means that you can't work for a company or clients abroad while on the NLV either. If you want to be able to do that, you will need to apply for the Digital Nomad Visa or DNV instead. The NLV will not be applicable to you and you'd be breaking the rules.
Local Spain
2 days ago
- Local Spain
IN PICTURES: Tens of thousands join anti-government protest in Madrid
Protesters, many waving red and yellow Spanish flags, massed in the Plaza de Espana, a large square in the centre of the Spanish capital, and chanted "Pedro Sanchez, resign!". "The expiry date on this government passed a long time ago. It's getting tiring," Blanca Requejo, a 46-year-old store manager who wore a Spanish flag draped over her back, told AFP at the demonstration. The Popular Party (PP) called the rally after leaked audio recordings allegedly documented a member of the Socialist party, Leire Diez, waging a smear campaign against a police unit that investigated graft allegations against Sanchez's wife, brother and his former right-hand man. Diez has denied the allegations, telling reporters on Wednesday that she was conducting research for a book and was not working on behalf of the party or Sanchez. She also resigned from Sanchez's Socialist party. PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo has accused the government of "mafia practices" over the affair, and said Sanchez is "at the centre" of multiple corruption scandals. "This government has stained everything -- politics, state institutions, the separation of powers," he told the rally, going on to urge Sanchez to call early elections. The PP estimated that more than 100,000 people attended the rally, held under the slogan "Mafia or Democracy." The central government's representative in Madrid put the turnout between 45,000 and 50,000. 'Go away' The government's spokeswoman, Pilar Alegria, mocked the turnout, writing on X that veteran Spanish rock duo Estopa drew a larger crowd to their recent concert at Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano stadium than "the apocalyptic Feijoo at the Plaza de Espana." Demonstrators hold a sign reading '(Spain's Prime Minister) Pedro Sanchez, give us back the democracy'. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) Sanchez has dismissed the probes against members of his inner circle as part of a "smear campaign" carried out by the right wing to undermine his government. He came to power in June 2018 after ousting his PP predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, in a no-confidence vote over a corruption scandal involving the conservative party. PP's President Alberto Nunez Feijoo (L) talks with Spain's former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar during the demonstration. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) Rafael Redondo, a 73-year-old real estate agent, said the corruption cases that have affected the PP were "completely different". "The corruption that may have existed in the PP involved individuals acting on their own. But the Socialist Party is a criminal organisation which has committed crimes from A to Z," he told AFP at the rally. Maria del Mar Tome, a 59-year-old businesswoman, said she had turned up because "we want Pedro Sanchez to go away once and for all, because this man is corrupt, he's a liar." Poll lead This is the sixth protest which the PP has organised against the government since Feijoo took the helm of the party in April 2022 The demonstration comes as the PP is gearing up for an extraordinary party congress set for July. Demonstrators hold Spain's flags during the demonstration. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) Originally set for 2026, Feijoo moved the event forward, citing the need for the party to "be prepared" in case of early national elections in what was seen as an effort to consolidate his power. Rajoy and another former PP prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, attended Sunday's rally, along with several heads of regional governments. Recent polls show the PP holding only a slim lead over the Socialists. although Sanchez remains the most highly rated party leader among voters. One in four voters, 24.6 percent, said Sanchez is their favourite party leader to lead the country, ahead of the leader of far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, who was picked by 17.1 percent, according to a poll published Monday in daily newspaper El Pais. Feijoo was the third most popular option, with 16.6 percent. The next general election is expected in 2027.
