Immigration · Arraigo

How to prove 2 years in Spain for arraigo: the 2026 evidence checklist

By Atty. Ceren Özdoğan · Last updated 22 October 2026 · Sources checked against the BOE and Ministry guidance · Leer en español

Almost every type of arraigo asks for the same thing first: two years living in Spain without a break. Many applications fail on this point. The person has lived here for two years, but the file doesn't show it.

This guide explains, in plain language, what "two continuous years" means under the 2026 rules, which documents the immigration offices trust most, and how to fix gaps before you apply.

Key points

You need 2 years of continuous stay right before you apply (art. 126.b RD 1155/2024). Family arraigo has no minimum.
The Ministry's information sheet for social arraigo says absences from Spain in those 2 years cannot exceed 90 days. This is Ministry guidance rather than a rule written in the regulation, but plan for it.
There is no closed list of documents. The Ministry prefers documents issued or registered by a Spanish public body: the padrón, public health records and similar.
Time while an asylum claim is pending does not count. Your two years run from the final decision on that claim.
Since 16 April 2026 you cannot apply for arraigo while you hold another stay or residence permit, or have one pending (art. 126.h).

What "two continuous years" means

Article 126.b of the immigration regulation (Royal Decree 1155/2024) requires you to have stayed in Spain "continuously" for at least the two years before the date you file. This applies to second-chance, socio-labour, social and socio-training arraigo. Family arraigo (for parents and carers of EU, EEA or Swiss nationals) has no minimum stay.

Three practical rules follow from this:

Count back from your filing date. Two years that ended six months ago are not enough. The two years must run up to the day you apply.
Short trips are tolerated, long ones are not. The Ministry's information sheet for social arraigo states that absences from Spain during the period cannot exceed 90 days. Keep your trips short, and keep proof of when you left and came back.
Asylum time is excluded. If you applied for international protection, the time while that claim was being decided does not count towards the two years (art. 126.b).

Tip: don't file on the exact anniversary. If you arrived on 21 November 2024, file a few days after 21 November 2026, and make sure you have a document dated close to your arrival.

Which documents prove you were here?

The regulation does not list specific documents. The Ministry's information sheet asks for "documentation proving continuous stay", and says the documents should preferably be issued or registered by a Spanish public administration. The examples they give are municipal registration (empadronamiento), hospital records and public health-care visits.

In practice, think of your evidence in two groups:

Strong evidence (public bodies)	Supporting evidence (private)
Padrón history: ask the town hall for a certificado histórico de empadronamiento showing all your addresses and dates	Rental contracts and rent receipts
Public health card (tarjeta sanitaria), GP appointments, emergency or hospital reports	Bank statements and card payments in Spain
Your children's school enrolment and school reports	Money-transfer receipts sent from Spain
Certificates from public adult-education centres, public employment services or official courses	Phone contracts, utility bills, gym or transport cards in your name
Social-services reports from your town hall or region	Letters from NGOs, churches or associations you take part in
Any letter, fine, appointment or document from a Spanish authority with your name and a date	Medical receipts from private clinics or pharmacies

Private documents are not worthless, but on their own they carry less weight. Use them to fill the months between your public documents.

The padrón: register early and keep it alive

The padrón is usually the backbone of an arraigo file. Two things matter:

Register as soon as you have an address. Town halls must register everyone who lives in the municipality, whatever their immigration status. Registration is the town hall's record of where you live, not a residence permit.
Renew it every two years. Under article 16 of the Local Government Law (Ley 7/1985), non-EU nationals without permanent residence must renew their registration every two years. If you don't, the town hall can cancel it, and the gap will show in your history.

The padrón alone is not always enough. The immigration office looks at the whole file, so a padrón from two years ago plus one from last month, with nothing in between, is a weak file.

How to build a file without gaps in 4 steps

Make a timeline

Write down every month of the last two years, and next to each month the documents you have for it.

Find the gaps

Mark any month without a document. Long gaps, especially at the start, are where files get refused.

Fill them

Ask your health centre for a list of visits, your bank for old statements, and your town hall for the padrón history.

Check your trips

Add up the days you spent outside Spain. Keep it under 90 days in total, and keep tickets or passport stamps.

Special cases to check before you apply

You hold a student stay or another permit

Since Royal Decree 316/2026 (in force 16 April 2026), you cannot apply for arraigo if you hold a stay or residence authorisation, or have an application for one pending (art. 126.h). A student whose stay is still valid usually has a different route: switching from student to work or self-employment after finishing the studies (art. 190). Get advice before you let any permit expire on purpose.

You were an asylum seeker

The time while your asylum claim was pending does not count. Count your two years from the date of the final decision on that claim.

You lived in another country before Spain

Adults must provide a criminal-record certificate from every country where they lived in the five years before entering Spain, legalised or apostilled and translated by a sworn translator. You don't need it if you have lived in Spain continuously for the last five years, or if you already proved it in an application filed in the last five years and have not left Spain since (art. 130.2).

How the application works

Form: EX-10, filed by you personally (art. 130.1): at the immigration office (oficina de extranjería) of your province with an appointment, or online through the Ministry's Mercurio platform.
Fee: paid with form 790, code 052, within 10 working days of filing.
Missing documents: the office can give you up to 15 days to complete the file. If you don't, the application is treated as withdrawn.
Decision: within 3 months. If there is no answer, the application is treated as refused (negative silence), and you can appeal.

The two years are only one requirement. Each type of arraigo has its own conditions, such as a job contract for socio-labour arraigo or enrolment in training for socio-training arraigo. See our guide Arraigo in Spain in 2026: the five types explained.

Frequently asked questions

Is the padrón mandatory for arraigo?

The regulation does not list the padrón as a required document. It asks for proof of two years' continuous stay. In practice, the padrón history is the most common and most trusted proof, so register and keep it renewed.

Do private documents count?

Yes, as supporting evidence. The Ministry prefers documents issued or registered by a Spanish public body. Use private documents such as rent receipts or bank statements to fill the months between public ones.

Can I travel abroad during the two years?

Short trips are possible, but the Ministry's information sheet for social arraigo says absences must not exceed 90 days during the period. Keep proof of your dates.

My padrón expired for a few months. Is my application lost?

Not necessarily. Register again as soon as possible and cover the gap with other documents from public bodies, such as medical records. Have the file reviewed before you apply.

I have a student stay. Can I apply for arraigo?

Not while the student stay is valid or another application is pending. Since 16 April 2026 that blocks arraigo (art. 126.h RD 1155/2024). Check the student-to-work route first.

Not sure your evidence is enough?

Arraigo files are refused for small gaps that are easy to fix in advance. We review your timeline and documents and tell you clearly whether to file now or wait. We answer within 1 business day, in English, Spanish or Turkish, and focus on Spanish immigration and business law.

Sources

Related guides

This article is general information based on the rules in force on 22 October 2026. It is not legal advice for your specific case, and immigration practice can vary between offices.

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