Ask Guiri

Immigration guide

Which courses count for arraigo socioformativo?

A training provider's words "valid for arraigo" are not proof. The exact course, level, delivery mode, authorised centre and enrolment timing must fit the official route. Use this guide to check those facts before paying; use the Ministry's current sheet for the full eligibility and filing rules.

Last updated

How to check a course before you rely on it

  1. Check that socioformativo is the route you mean

    This page classifies training; a course alone does not establish eligibility.

    The standard route is for a qualifying third-country national in Spain who is outside the EU free-movement regime, has at least two years of continuous presence with no more than 90 days of absence, is not an international-protection applicant while the case is pending, and does not already hold or have another pending application for a stay or residence authorisation.

    Criminal-record, public-order, return-commitment and fee rules also apply. Read the current official sheet before choosing a course.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/web/migraciones/w/30.-autorizacion-residencia-temporal-por-circunstancias-excepcionales.-arraigo-socioformativo →

  2. Match the exact training to the official list

    Annex II lists Bachillerato vocational, arts and sports studies at grado medio professional music and dance studies the FP Especialista qualification complete Grade C professional certificates at levels 1, 2 or 3 specified in-person adult education, including initial education, ESPA and basic vocational cycles

    and training promoted by a Spanish public employment service for occupations in the shortage-occupation catalogue. The relevant secondary and Grade C routes must be in person or blended with at least 50% delivered in person.

    A standalone module, microcredential, language course, private certificate, university or master's course, FP Grado Superior or fully online offer is not enough merely because a seller calls it "approved" or "valid for arraigo".

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/410169/6828741/GU%C3%8DA%2BARRAIGO.pdf/a1fd4dbf-2ace-666f-7294-b455b973b294?t=1751357107449 →

  3. Verify both the centre and the exact course

    Search the official FP centre register and the education or employment authority for your autonomous community. Record the centre's official name and code, the exact title or certificate, Grade C level where relevant, delivery mode, in-person percentage, course or action authorisation, and official enrolment period.

    A registered centre does not prove that every programme it advertises fits this route. Ask the competent authority for written confirmation when the exact offer remains unclear; do not rely on a sales message or course directory.

    https://www.todofp.es/como-cuando-y-donde-estudiar/donde-estudiar/como-buscar-tu-centro.html →

  4. Start the integration report and collect the evidence

    Arraigo socioformativo requires a social-integration report from the competent autonomous-community body or, where delegated, the council. The current instructions say it should be issued within one month, is free and is normally valid for six months.

    Also gather the current EX-10, a complete valid passport or accepted travel document, proof of two years' continuous presence, the required foreign criminal-record certificate, and your admission, enrolment, current-study evidence or written public-employment-training commitment.

    Foreign public documents may need sworn translation and legalisation or apostille.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/migraciones/report_250709-instrucciones-informe-arraigo-v-10-tras-clti.pdf →

  5. Use the filing rule that fits your enrolment situation

    The Ministry distinguishes three cases: you are already enrolled or studying; the course has an upcoming official enrolment window, in which case the application goes in the two months before that window opens with the admission request; or the window has closed but places remain and you have been admitted, in which case you apply with enrolment proof.

    Submit the signed EX-10 and current evidence through the route stated by the competent Oficina de Extranjería. The application fee is Modelo 790 código 052, epígrafe 2.3.1, normally paid within ten working days. The official decision period is three months; no notification by then is treated as refusal by administrative silence, not approval.

    https://www.inclusion.gob.es/documents/d/migraciones/ex10.pdf →

  6. After a grant, follow the resolution and protect the permit

    Provide proof of enrolment to the same Oficina de Extranjería within three months of the grant notification when required; missing that deadline, or failing to prove completion of committed public-employment training, is a ground to end the authorisation. Request the TIE within one month.

    The one-year permit allows employed work for up to 30 hours a week in total after grant, with the applicable proportional minimum pay. Extension rules depend on promotion to the next course or, when training finished early, the qualification plus active jobseeker registration.

    https://sede.policia.gob.es/portalCiudadano/_es/tramites_extranjeria_tramite_residenciatemporal_circunstanciasexcepcionales.php →

Before you pay for a course

Use this page to classify a training offer, not to treat an academy's marketing as an immigration decision. The exact course and centre must match the official list and current regional authorisation. If the evidence is ambiguous, get written confirmation from the competent authority before paying or relying on the course in an application.

Full eligibility, filing route, evidence and deadlines depend on the regulation and facts in force when you apply. Guiri can help you understand a real document, but it cannot certify a course, decide eligibility, file the application or replace legal advice.

  • Save the exact title, code, Grade C level where relevant, delivery mode, in-person percentage and centre registration details.
  • Save the official admission or enrolment period and the written admission, matrícula or current-study evidence.
  • Keep the social-integration-report request, EX-10 copy, fee receipt, submission receipt and every Extranjería notice.

Arraigo socioformativo FAQs

Is "arraigo para la formación" still a thing?
That is the old name under the previous regulation. Since 20 May 2025 the current route is arraigo socioformativo under Real Decreto 1155/2024. Search results and course sellers may still use the old phrase, but the current categories, application timing and work rights come from the current regulation and Ministry sheet.
Does any SEPE course or course from an accredited academy count?
No. One standard route uses a complete Grade C professional certificate from an authorised offer; a separate route covers training promoted by a Spanish public employment service for a shortage occupation. A centre registration or the word SEPE in an advertisement does not make every course it sells eligible. Verify the exact course or authorised action.
Do online courses count?
A fully online offer does not satisfy the standard listed secondary-education or Grade C routes. Those may be in person or blended only when at least 50% is delivered in person, and the adult compulsory-education route must be in person. Check the exact public-employment-service programme separately when that is your route.
How long must I have been in Spain?
The standard rule is at least two continuous years immediately before applying, with total absences no greater than 90 days. Time spent while an international-protection application was pending does not count until there is a final administrative and, where relevant, judicial decision. Use official records that identify you to evidence presence.
Can I work with this permit?
After the authorisation is granted, it permits employed work for a maximum of 30 hours a week in total, paid at least the applicable minimum or collective-agreement wage in proportion to hours worked. It is not a general self-employment permission and filing the application alone does not create this standard 30-hour right.
Can I apply while an asylum claim is pending?
Not through the standard socioformativo route: you cannot be an international-protection applicant when you file or while the application is processed, and that pending period does not count toward the two years. Do not withdraw a protection claim based on a public guide; get qualified, case-specific advice first.
Can I change the course after applying?
In a properly justified case, the regulation allows proof of enrolment in a different course when the replacement still satisfies the qualifying training rules. Do not assume a change is accepted automatically: keep the new admission and course evidence and follow the competent office's instructions.
How long does the decision take?
The official maximum decision period is three months from the day after the application reaches the competent register. If no decision is notified by then, the application may be treated as refused by administrative silence. Keep the submission receipt and obtain qualified help before acting on a missed deadline or challenging a refusal.
Sources

Official sources

This is general information, not legal advice. Guiri is not a lawyer or gestor. Always check the official portal linked above, and consult a professional for your specific case.