Arraigo Sociolaboral for Domestic Workers: 2026 Guide

What is the arraigo sociolaboral?

The arraigo sociolaboral is a temporary residence permit granted on exceptional grounds, introduced by the Spanish Immigration Regulations (Reglamento de Extranjeria, Royal Decree 1155/2024), in force since 20 May 2025. It grants residence and the right to work as an employee on the basis of contracts from 20 hours a week, without having to prove a prior irregular employment relationship through a complaint or a labour inspection.

A word on terminology. In everyday language many families look for it as arraigo laboral, but the classic arraigo laboral was a different route that required proof of an existing irregular employment relationship, established by a court ruling or a report from the Labour Inspectorate (Inspeccion de Trabajo). The new Regulations reorganised the arraigo categories and, for domestic employment, that need is now channelled through the arraigo sociolaboral. There is also no 183-days-of-illegal-work threshold: you do not need to have worked irregularly to qualify for this route.

2026 update: what changes under Royal Decree 316/2026

Royal Decree 316/2026 of 14 April (Real Decreto 316/2026), in force on 16 April 2026, amends the Immigration Regulations and introduces some highly significant improvements for anyone applying for the arraigo sociolaboral:

• Work from the moment the application is admitted: the new Article 130.5 provides that, once the application has been admitted for processing, the person is provisionally authorised to reside and work as an employee until the case is decided. Administrative delays therefore no longer jeopardise the job offer that has been submitted.
• More flexible renewals: renewal is relaxed (Article 132) where there are justified reasons preventing access to employment, such as illness, disability or having reached the legal retirement age.
• Extraordinary regularisation: Royal Decree 316/2026 also opened an extraordinary regularisation process with a provisional work authorisation, with an application deadline of 30 June 2026.

What changed for the domestic sector under the new Regulations

Domestic employment benefits especially from the arraigo sociolaboral because it fits part-time working. The key points of Royal Decree 1155/2024 for the sector are:

• Contracts from 20 hours a week are accepted (previously 30 or 40 hours were required).
• One or more contracts can be combined to reach that minimum number of hours.
• The salary must respect at least the SMI or the applicable collective agreement, in proportion to the contracted hours.
• The prior residence requirement in Spain is reduced from 3 years to 2 years.
• No prior complaint or social integration report is required.
• The employer (the family) must be up to date with the Spanish tax authorities (Hacienda) and Social Security (Seguridad Social) and prove sufficient financial means.

The contract (pre-contract) a domestic worker needs

The central document of the application is the employment pre-contract (precontrato). For the arraigo sociolaboral it must meet the following requirements:

• Hours: one or more contracts adding up to at least 20 hours a week in total.
• Duration: at least 3 months (more than 90 days).
• Salary: equal to or above the SMI or the applicable collective agreement, in proportion to the contracted hours.
• Suspensive clause: the start of the employment relationship is conditional on the permit being granted.
• Employer: the individual employer is the family. The agency is not the employer; it provides guidance and puts families in touch with professionals, but the contract is signed by the family.

The salary in the pre-contract must be referenced to the SMI in force. These are the 2026 figures set by Royal Decree 126/2026 of 18 February (Real Decreto 126/2026), published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 19 February 2026: a 3.1% increase backdated to 1 January 2026.

You can see the full breakdown of pay and the total cost in our guide to how much a domestic worker costs in Spain in 2026, and the requirements for the document in our article on what the pre-contract must contain. Remember that registration with Social Security (Seguridad Social) is compulsory from the very first hour of work: see our guide on how to complete the registration.

Who benefits from this reform?

The change has a direct impact on domestic and care work, where many workers do their jobs on part-time or irregular schedules. For the employing family, it opens a clear and legal route to regularise the situation of a foreign worker. Acting correctly is essential: hiring a domestic worker without papers can lead to serious penalties, as we explain in our article on being reported for hiring a domestic worker without papers.

If you are wondering whether you can regularise your worker, the answer is yes, provided the requirements are met. We have prepared a decision guide for employers in our article on whether you can sort out your domestic worker's papers.

Requirements and documents to apply for the arraigo sociolaboral

The application is submitted using the official EX-10 form. The usual documents are:

• EX-10 application form in duplicate, completed and signed by the foreign national.
• Full, valid passport.
• Proof of 2 years of continuous residence in Spain by any means of evidence admitted in law (usually a historical certificate of registration on the municipal roll, the empadronamiento).
• Criminal record certificate from the country or countries of residence over the last 5 years.
• Employment pre-contract(s) adding up to at least 20 hours a week, with a minimum duration of 3 months and a salary in line with the proportional SMI.
• Employer (family) documents: tax number (NIF/NIE), proof of being up to date with the tax authorities (Hacienda) and Social Security, and evidence of sufficient financial means.

On the financial means of the individual employer, the Regulations (Article 76) set a reference linked to the SMI, once the worker's salary has been deducted:

• Household of 1 person: income of at least 50% of the SMI after paying the salary.
• Household of 2 people: at least 100% of the SMI.
• For each additional member from the third onwards: add 25% of the SMI.

Duration, renewal and the move to a residence and work permit

It is important not to confuse the concepts here. The arraigo sociolaboral is granted for 1 year and is renewed annually; the 4 years only come when the status is changed to a residence and work permit, and only once at least 1 prior year of residence under a permit that allowed work has been proven.

The difference between arraigo social and arraigo sociolaboral

The arraigo social requires 2 years of residence, family ties or a social integration report and, as a rule, a job offer. The arraigo sociolaboral does not require that integration report and focuses on the job offer: it is enough to prove residence and present one or more contracts adding up to 20 hours a week at the SMI. For domestic employment, this second route is usually the simpler one.

How we help at Maids & Co

At Maids & Co we inform and guide families and employers on the legal changes affecting domestic work, including the arraigo sociolaboral. Through our network of partners specialising in immigration and employment law, we put those who want to start the process in touch with professionals who offer full advice and support throughout. See our domestic worker service and prices. Our goal is to make working relationships safe, legal and respectful for everyone involved.