Criminal records?
Don't give up.
Having a criminal record does not mean getting an automatic "no". With the reform of the regulation and current jurisprudence, we have legal tools to fight for your residence.
Real guide not to give up in 2026
We are not going to lie to you: criminal records complicate the process. But in this firm we have managed to obtain residences for people who already considered everything lost, based on proportionality and on the new nuances of the law.
With the reform of the regulation (RD 1155/2024) and current jurisprudence, we have legal tools to fight your residence even if your past is not perfect.
Table of contents
Criminal Records: The rule and its exceptions
The rule says that, to apply for papers for the first time or by arraigo, you must be "clean". However, the new 2025 regulation has opened windows of hope:
In renewals
If you already have papers and it's time to renew, the Administration can no longer deny you just for having a conviction.
- Assess if you served the sentence
- Pardon or suspended sentence
- Your family integration counts
Relatives of Spaniards
If you are the spouse or partner of a Spaniard, having a criminal record is not an automatic cause for denial.
- Right to live as a family
- Only applies if you are a "real threat"
- Principle of proportionality
Important
If your records can already be cancelled because the legal time has passed, that is our first step. Once cancelled, it's as if they never existed!
Police Records
There is a huge difference between a conviction from a judge (criminal) and a detention from the police (police).
Legal Reality
It is not an automatic denial. The Immigration Office cannot say "no" just because an arrest appears on their computer.
Supreme Court
Judges have said that Immigration must investigate what happened. If the case was archived or you were acquitted, that record cannot be used against you.
"In our firm we take care of 'cleaning' these police reports before submitting your application so that the path is free of obstacles."
Do you meet the requirements to regularize?
Don't waste time or money. Use our free simulator and find out which permit corresponds to you in 1 minute.
Second Chance Arraigo
This is one of the great novelties of the current law.
Who is it for?
Designed for people who had papers, lost them (perhaps due to a legal problem) and have now been in an irregular situation for 2 years.
The best thing about this arraigo
It allows you to regularize even if you have had a criminal record, as long as you prove that you have already served your sentence or that the case was closed.
It is, literally, a second chance to recover your legal life in Spain!
Questions we resolve every day
The most common cases that come to our firm.
Advice from friends and lawyers
Do not hide your criminal record from your lawyer. If we know it from the beginning, we can design a strategy to cancel or justify them. Hiding them only leads to a certain denial.
Do you have a criminal record and don't know what to do?
We study your case confidentially and give you a real strategy. Don't give up before talking to us.