Spain 2026: switching from temporary protection to arraigo (work and residence permit) — requirements, deadlines, documents

Who this concerns: Ukrainians in Spain with temporary protection (protección temporal) who want to obtain a separate residence and work permit through arraigo (rootedness). Temporary protection has been automatically extended until 4 March 2027 (Orden INT/96/2026), so there is no urgent need to switch — but arraigo provides a more stable basis for further long-term residence.

What changed in 2026

Disposición adicional decimonovena of the Aliens Regulation (Reglamento de Extranjería, RD 1155/2024), as amended by Real Decreto 316/2026 of 14 April 2026, allows persons with temporary protection under EU Decision 2022/382 to apply for residence and stay permits whose procedure can be started from within Spain — in particular arraigo (Article 125 of the Regulation) and permits under Ley 14/2013 (highly qualified professionals, EU Blue Card). RD 316/2026 was published in the BOE on 15 April 2026 (BOE-A-2026-8284) and entered into force on 16 April 2026 — this is the practical date from which you can apply from within Spain.

Important: this is not an automatic switch and not a replacement of the requirements. You must separately meet all the conditions of the chosen arraigo modality. Temporary protection is compatible with arraigo: unlike applicants for international protection (asylum), holders of temporary protection are not excluded from ordinary arraigo.

Three types of arraigo: in brief

• Arraigo social (Hoja 28) — for those who have means of support or family ties or a social integration report.
• Arraigo sociolaboral (Hoja 29) — for those who have an employment contract (or several).
• Arraigo socioformativo (Hoja 30) — for those who are studying or undertake to complete training required in the labour market.

Common to all three: at least 2 years of continuous residence in Spain, no criminal record, form EX-10, a 1-year permit with the right to work, a decision within 3 months.

Common requirements (for all types of arraigo)

• 2 years of continuous residence in Spain before submitting the application. Proof: empadronamiento, tenancy agreements, medical documents, administrative documents. Officially, only the time spent processing an application for international protection (asylum) is excluded from the calculation; whether time under temporary protection is counted is not directly defined by the official text, so clarify this at the Oficina de Extranjería before applying.
• No criminal record in Spain and in countries of residence over the last 5 years (for offences provided for by Spanish law).
• Not to pose a threat to public order, security or health.
• Form EX-10, signed by the applicant.
• Fee: model 790, code 052, section 2.3.1 — to be paid within 10 working days.
• Decision deadline: 3 months from registration of the application (silence = refusal).
• Permit term: 1 year, with the right to work, renewable.

Arraigo sociolaboral — contract requirements

• One or more employment contracts that guarantee at least the minimum wage (SMI) or the wage under the sectoral collective agreement.
• Total employment — at least 20 hours per week in the overall calculation. Several contracts are allowed (seasonal work or simultaneous part-time employment with different employers).
• The employer must have no debts to the tax authority and social security and must have sufficient economic, material or personnel resources for the project.
• A temporary residence and work permit is issued after the application is accepted for processing.

Arraigo social — means and integration report

• Continuous 2 years of residence, with absences from Spain of no more than 90 days.
• A social integration report (informe de arraigo social) if there are no family ties. Issued by the autonomous community or municipality within 1 month of the request.
• Proof of means of support: generally 200% of IPREM (100% for a resident relative + 100% for the applicant), with funds available in Spain.
• The permit includes the right to salaried employment and self-employment without restrictions by area or profession.

Arraigo socioformativo — training

• 2 years of continuous residence + enrolment in or a commitment to complete training: FP cycles, professional certificates, university, digital/language courses or employment programmes.
• A social integration report (informe de integración social), issued by the autonomous community or municipality, is required for all applicants of this modality — not only those who commit to complete training promoted by the public employment services.
• It allows combining study with work. After completing the training, you can switch to a residence and work permit.

Steps

1. Check that you have 2 years of continuous residence (empadronamiento dated about 2 years ago or earlier).
2. Choose a modality: have a contract → sociolaboral; have means/integration report → social; studying → socioformativo.
3. Gather the documents: passport (all pages), certificates of no criminal record from countries of residence over 5 years (with apostille and sworn translation), proof of residence, modality documents (contract / means + report / enrolment in training).
4. Fill in EX-10, pay the fee 790/052.
5. Submit the application (in person at the Oficina de Extranjería or online via the Mercurio platform).
6. Wait for the decision — up to 3 months. After approval, obtain the TIE.

Do not confuse: the one-off extraordinary regularisation of 2026 (arraigo extraordinario, DA 20/21, applications from 16 April to 30 June 2026) is not available to persons who had or have a residence permit under temporary protection from Ukraine. So for Ukrainians with temporary protection it is precisely ordinary arraigo (social / sociolaboral / socioformativo) that applies.