Arraigo social step by step: documents, requirements and timeline

If you’re British and arrived in Mallorca after 31 December 2020, or American, Canadian or from any other non-EU country, and you’re already living here without status, arraigo social is usually the most accessible of the five arraigo routes covered in our overview guide. This is the practical follow-up: what to gather, in what order, so the file is complete the first time you submit it.

Before anything: two years of continuous residence

Arraigo social requires two years of continuous residence in Spain, with absences not exceeding 90 days in total across that period (Instrucción SEM 1/2025). Everything else depends on this being properly evidenced, so it’s the first step, not the last.

Step 1 — Padrón registration

The certificado de empadronamiento histórico is the main proof of continuous residence. Get it from the town hall (ayuntamiento) of the municipality where you live. If there are gaps in your registration, cover them with other evidence: medical records, school enrolment for children, bank statements, dated tenancy agreements.

Step 2 — Prove the family link or request the integration report

There are two paths, and you only need one:

• Family link with a spouse, registered partner, or a parent or child (Spanish national or legal resident).
• Social integration report (informe de integración social), issued in the Balearics by the regional administration. It assesses time in Spain, language, housing and local ties. Request it early — it takes time, and without it you cannot file without a family link.

Step 3 — Financial means

Under Instrucción SEM 1/2025: 200% of IPREM via the family-link route (100% from the family member, 100% from the applicant), and 100% where an integration report is provided. With IPREM frozen at €600/month in 2026, 100% works out at €7,200 a year over twelve payments.

Step 4 — Criminal record, apostille and translation

You need a Spanish criminal record certificate and, normally, one from your country of origin. The foreign certificate usually requires an apostille (or consular legalisation if the country hasn’t signed the Hague Convention) and a sworn translation into Spanish. This is the document that takes longest when requested from abroad — start it in parallel with the earlier steps, not at the end.

Step 5 — File the application and pay the fee

The application is submitted at the Oficina de Extranjería in Palma (C/ Felicià Fuster, 7), either in person with an appointment or electronically with a digital certificate. Before filing, you must pay the fee — form 790, code 052, under the heading for temporary residence authorisation by exceptional circumstances: €38.28. Without proof of payment, the application can be rejected outright.

At a glance

Step	Where	The critical point
Padrón registration	Town hall of your municipality	Cover any gaps with alternative evidence
Family link or integration report	Civil registry / regional administration	The report takes time — request it early
Financial means	Part of the case file	200% IPREM (family link) or 100% IPREM (report)
Criminal record	Spain + country of origin	Apostille and sworn translation for the foreign certificate
Filing and fee	Oficina de Extranjería, Palma	Fee 790-052: €38.28, paid before filing

How long it takes

The legal deadline is three months from registration, and administrative silence counts as a refusal: once that period passes with no response, the application is treated as rejected for appeal purposes, not approved. In practice, resolution in the Balearics can take longer, especially if documentation needs correcting. We haven’t found an official statistic for real processing times in Illes Balears — treat this as something to check on a case-by-case basis, not a fixed number.

FAQ

Do I need the integration report if I have a family link? No. With a documented family link, the report isn’t required.

How long does the integration report take in the Balearics? There is no published official timeframe. Request it as early as possible.

What if the criminal record certificate from my country is slow to arrive? It can delay the whole application. Start requesting it as soon as you decide to apply for arraigo, not at the end.

Does administrative silence work in my favour? No. It’s a negative silence: once the deadline passes without a formal decision, it’s treated as refused for appeal purposes.

Sources

• Instrucción SEM 1/2025 of 13 May, Secretaría de Estado de Migraciones
• Royal Decree 1155/2024, Immigration Regulation (BOE)
• Orden PJC/617/2025, immigration fees (BOE)
• IPREM 2026

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Getting the paperwork right the first time saves months. Tell us about your situation and we’ll review what’s missing before you file anything. You may also want our sworn translation and apostille service and our arraigo service.