The growing number of Ukrainians who chose Spain as their place of residence after the start of the full-scale war is gradually changing both the demographic picture of individual regions of the country and the state’s approach to integrating new residents. This forces Spanish institutions to look for practical legal mechanisms that allow people to move from temporary residence to full-fledged legal status.
The Ukrainian community in Spain: the scale and features of resettlement
Over the past decades, Spain has formed one of the most flexible systems of migration legalization in the European Union, which allows foreigners who have lived in the country for a certain time, have social ties or work, to obtain a residence permit without the complicated and lengthy procedures typical of many other EU countries.
After 2022, Spain became one of the largest centers of residence of Ukrainians in Western Europe, since over a relatively short period of time, more than 250 thousand citizens of Ukraine settled here, a significant part of whom chose large cities for life. urban agglomerations where the main economic opportunities and developed infrastructure are concentrated.
Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga have become key points for the formation of Ukrainian communities, because it is in these cities that it is easier to find work, gain access to educational and social programs and take advantage of the support of local organizations working with migrants.
An important feature of Spanish society has been an open attitude towards new residents, which has greatly facilitated the integration of Ukrainians into everyday life – from renting housing to employment and education of children in local schools.
Arraigo as a key tool of legalization
At the heart of the Spanish migration system is the mechanism arraigo, the name of which comes from the word “roots” and reflects the main idea of this legal instrument: the state recognizes that a person who has lived in the country for a certain period of time, works or has family ties has actually become part of the local society.
Spanish legislation provides for several varieties of this status, each of which corresponds to different life circumstances and allows those who have already proven their integration into the economic and social environment of the country to obtain a residence permit.
It is this approach that has gradually become the basis of the policy of legalization of foreigners, as it allows avoiding situations where people remain for years without a clearly defined legal status.
Most often, foreigners use the arraigo social mechanism, which provides for the possibility of obtaining a residence permit after three years of actual residence in Spain.
A key condition is confirmation of continuous residence through municipal registration, known as empadronamiento, which records a person’s address and presence in a particular locality.
In addition, the applicant must have a previous employment contract or other confirmed source of income, as well as obtain a conclusion from the social services of the municipality, which assesses the level of integration – language skills, social contacts, participation in community life or children’s education in schools.
For many Ukrainians who arrived in Spain in the spring of 2022, the three-year residence period is coming to an end, which opens up a real opportunity to transition from temporary protection to a full residence permit even before the end of current support programs.
Family and labor grounds for obtaining status
The Spanish system also provides for other legalization options that may be relevant for those whose situation does not meet the requirements for social integration.
Arraigo familiar allows people who have close relatives legally residing in the country, in particular parents, children or siblings, to obtain status, which greatly simplifies the procedure, provided that family ties and actual residence in Spain for two years are confirmed.
Another option is arraigo laboral, which is used in cases where a person can prove the fact of employment in the country, even if part of the work was performed without official registration, but there are documents or evidence confirming this experience.
Step-by-step path to obtaining status
The procedure for obtaining a residence permit through social integration begins with collecting documents confirming long-term residence in Spain, including certificates of registration at the place of residence.
The next step is to contact the local social services center, where specialists assess the level of integration of the person into society and prepare a special conclusion, which is attached to the package of documents.
After that, the applicant must submit a preliminary employment contract, usually for at least thirty hours of work per week, confirming the ability to provide for himself after obtaining status.
Documents are submitted through the electronic system of the Spanish migration authorities or directly at the Foreigners’ Office, after which, in case of a positive decision, the person receives a foreigner’s card – Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, which gives the right to live and work legally in the country.
Spanish legislation provides for another category of residence permits, which are granted in view of special life circumstances when standard legalization procedures cannot be applied.
Such a mechanism is used, for example, for people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence or single parents, and can be an important alternative for those who do not meet the standard arraigo criteria.
Obtaining any type of residence permit starts the countdown of the time required to transition to a more stable legal status.
After five years of continuous legal residence, a foreigner can apply for residencia de larga duración – permanent resident status, which gives almost the same rights as citizens of the country in the field of labor and social protection.
After a few more years, the possibility of obtaining Spanish citizenship opens up, but this step requires careful consideration, since Spanish legislation in most cases does not allow dual citizenship with Ukraine.
Labor market and opportunities for Ukrainians
One of the characteristic A feature of the Spanish economy is the absence of strict quotas for the employment of foreigners in many industries, which allows people with a residence permit to work freely in various sectors of the economy.
The greatest demand is traditionally concentrated in the tourism, hotel business, care for the elderly, construction and repair, as well as in the technology sector, which is actively developing in Barcelona and Madrid.
For Ukrainians who speak Spanish and have professional skills, these industries create real opportunities for long-term economic integration.
Government structures and migration services are discussing the possibility of simplifying procedures for those Ukrainians who have been living in the country for several years, working or have social ties, which will allow a significant part of people to legalize their status without complicated bureaucratic procedures.
For many families who have integrated into local communities, work and raise children in schools, this model can be a logical continuation of their stay in the country, as it takes into account the actual participation of people in the life of Spanish society. Therefore, the mechanism of rooting is increasingly seen as a key tool that allows transforming temporary stay into a long-term perspective of life in Spain for hundreds of thousands of foreigners, among whom a significant part are citizens of Ukraine.
