Immigration solicitors in Barcelona
At Ajuridic we handle residence and work permits, arraigo applications, family reunification, nationality, renewals and EU family member cards, and we appeal refusals and removal orders both to the authorities and to the courts. The firm is in El Clot, advises clients throughout Barcelona and the surrounding area, and the first consultation is free of charge.
Carrer del Freser, 104 · El Clot (Sant Martí), Barcelona · We advise in Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic (Arabic by prior appointment).
We stay with the application from start to finish
Immigration applications are rarely lost in a courtroom: they are lost before that. In an application filed by the wrong route, in a document that has not been translated or legalised, or in a request for further information answered out of time. That is why the first step is not filling in a form but checking which type of permit fits each person's actual situation and what can be evidenced on paper.
The firm advises individuals, families wanting to be reunited and companies needing to put a worker's situation in order, in Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic. The principal, Noemí Ampurdanés Parés, a solicitor registered with the ICAB under no. 22359, has over thirty years in practice; you can see her personal profile of the firm's principal at noemiampurdanes.com. When the matter calls for it, Ajuridic draws on its network of notaries, procuradores (court agents) and specialist solicitors.
The first consultation is free of charge. It is a chance to hear the case, look at the documents you bring and say frankly which route has a future and which does not. If it emerges from that conversation that there is nothing to file yet, we say that too.
Three things worth knowing before you call
We advise in Arabic
As well as Spanish, Catalan and English, the firm advises in Arabic by prior appointment. In immigration matters that is no small thing: when the case is told in your own language the details that really decide the application come out, and you understand what you are signing.
The first consultation is free of charge
It is a chance to hear the case, see what routes there are and what time limits are running, and find out whether there is a legal case to be made. Fees are explained and agreed before the case is taken on, never afterwards.
The person who listens to you handles the case
It is a small firm: the solicitor who takes the first consultation is the one who prepares the application, answers requests for further information and signs the appeal. The case is not shared out internally and you do not deal with a changing cast of people.
What the firm deals with
These are the matters the firm takes on, from the first application through to the appeal, if it has to go that far.
Residence and work
Initial residence and work permits, employed or self-employed, renewals, changes of status and foreign national identity card procedures.
Arraigo and regularisation
Working out which type of arraigo fits each situation, preparing the report and the supporting documents, and filing the application.
Family reunification
Spouse or partner, children and dependent parents: evidencing suitable housing and sufficient means, and EU citizen family member cards.
Spanish nationality
By residence, by option or by naturalisation: calculating the period of lawful residence, the Instituto Cervantes tests and follow-up through to the oath.
Visas and entry
Visitor, study, work or reunification visas applied for at the consulate, entry requirements, extensions and changes of status once in Spain.
Appeals and penalties
Administrative appeals against refusals and, where appropriate, an appeal to the administrative courts in Barcelona. Also penalty proceedings and removal orders.
What if my case is none of these?
Alongside these routes there are other residence permits with procedures of their own, such as study permits, those that do not allow you to work, or those designed for professionals and businesses. If your situation fits one of them, mention it at the consultation: the first thing we will tell you is whether the firm takes it on or whether another professional would suit you better.
The types of arraigo
Arraigo is not a single procedure, it is several different types. Choosing the one that fits each person's actual history is half the work.
Arraigo social
The best-known route. It is designed for people who have already been living in Spain for some time and can evidence their ties to the community and how they support themselves. A good part of the case turns on the report issued by the regional government.
Arraigo sociolaboral
This one rests on work. Before signing anything with an employer it is worth checking that the job offer fits what the rules require, because a badly drafted contract means redoing the whole application.
Arraigo socioformativo
Aimed at people who are going to take a course of training in Spain. The choice of course and of institution is not a neutral one: it forms part of the application and shapes what happens afterwards, when the training ends.
Arraigo familiar
There is a very widespread confusion here, and taking the case down the wrong route costs months. This route is for the father, mother or guardian of a child who is a national of another European Union State, of the European Economic Area or of Switzerland, and for anyone providing support to a person with a disability of those nationalities. Family members of Spanish nationals do not go down this route: they have a permit of their own. The relationship is verified through official register documents, not by word of mouth.
Arraigo de segunda oportunidad
Designed for people who once held a residence permit in Spain and lost it. The first step here is to reconstruct the full administrative history: what was held, when it expired and what was decided along the way.
Which one applies to me?
That is not decided by reading a website. It depends on how long you have been here, how you entered, what you can prove and what decisions you have behind you. Bringing the papers to a consultation saves months.
Beware of the lists of requirements you find online
The Spanish Immigration Regulations changed with Real Decreto 1155/2024 (Spanish Royal Decree 1155/2024), in force since May 2025, and the types of arraigo were reorganised. Many websites still describe the old landscape, and filing an application under the old requirements usually ends in a refusal. Before gathering a single document, it is worth confirming what the route that applies to you requires today.
Family reunification and the EU family member card
They are two different routes, with different documents and different consequences. Confusing them is one of the costliest mistakes.
Family reunification
This is the route for a foreign national lawfully resident in Spain who wants to bring their family over: spouse or partner, children and, where applicable, dependent parents.
- You have to evidence suitable housing and sufficient financial means.
- The application starts here and ends at the consulate in the country of origin, with the family member's visa.
- Foreign documents usually need a sworn translation and legalisation or an apostille.
EU citizen family member
This is a separate regime, the one that applies to family members of Spanish nationals and of citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
- Someone who marries a Spanish national does not go through family reunification: they go through this route.
- The card, the documents required and the time limits are not those of the general regime.
- The EU citizen registration certificate is also applied for through this route.
When the family situation changes
A separation, a divorce or the death of the family member affect the card, and not always in the way people fear: it depends on the regime, on how much time has passed and on the circumstances of the case. It is one of the situations where improvising is least advisable. If there are also children or arrangements to be agreed, the firm also handles family law in Barcelona.
Renewals, the TIE card and variations
Getting the first permit is only the beginning. What really sustains a life in Spain is the chain of renewals, and that chain breaks easily: by filing outside the period the rules set, by not being able to evidence the activity carried out in the previous period, or by having changed your situation without notifying it.
Renewal
The renewal is applied for within the period set by the rules, and being late turns a routine formality into a problem. It is worth checking well in advance what you will be able to evidence for the period now ending — employment history, payslips, self-employed activity, the children's schooling — rather than finding out the week before.
Variation of a permit
Moving from study to work, from employed to self-employed status or the other way round, or changing the scope of a permit, is not a renewal: it is a variation, with its own procedure and its own documents.
The physical card (TIE)
A favourable decision is not the end of it: next come the fingerprint appointment and the issue of the foreign national identity card. We also deal with replacement cards after theft, loss or damage or a change of personal details.
Long-term residence
This is a different step from an ordinary renewal and has different effects. It is worth checking whether your history already puts you in that position before renewing again out of habit.
Spanish nationality
By residence, by option or by naturalisation. The most common is the first, and it is also the one that depends most on getting the calculation right.
The period of lawful residence required is a settled figure, set out in the Spanish Civil Code:
| Situation | Lawful residence required |
|---|---|
| General rule | 10 years |
| People with refugee status | 5 years |
| Nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and Sephardic Jews | 2 years |
| Born in Spain; married to a Spanish national and not separated; widowed from a Spanish national; children or grandchildren of someone who was Spanish by origin | 1 year |
The residence must be lawful, continuous and immediately before the application, and as a general rule you have to pass the Instituto Cervantes CCSE test and, if you do not come from a Spanish-speaking country, the DELE A2 language test as well. Meeting the time requirement is not enough on its own.
The gaps are the delicate point: periods without a card, renewals filed late or long absences from the country mean the calculation has to be checked before anything is filed. And the process does not end when nationality is granted: there is still the oath or pledge and the entry in the Civil Registry, which is when nationality takes effect.
The metro's nationality by option is available to certain people with a qualifying link to Spain, normally through parentage or through having been under the parental authority of a Spanish national; the carta de naturaleza (naturalisation granted by the Government) is an exceptional route granted by the Spanish Government at its discretion. Which one applies is decided by looking at the family tree and the documents, not the calendar.
Refusals, appeals and removals
An unfavourable decision is not always the end, but it is always urgent.
If your application is refused
The first thing is to read the whole decision, because it almost always states the exact reason, and the reason determines the strategy. Depending on the body that decided it and the rules that apply, an appeal may lie to the authority itself or directly to the administrative courts in Barcelona. Sometimes the most effective route is not to appeal but to file a fresh application putting right whatever went wrong; that too is a decision to be taken on judgement, not by elimination.
Penalty proceedings
Immigration penalty proceedings can end in a financial penalty or, depending on the case and the offence alleged, in a removal order. There is a stage at which representations and evidence can be put forward, and wasting it counts against you later. If you have been notified that proceedings have been started, that is the moment to act, not when the decision arrives.
Removal orders and entry bans
A removal order can be appealed and, where the circumstances justify it, the court can be asked to suspend its enforcement while the appeal is decided. Removal usually carries an entry ban with it, and that is precisely what determines any later application: which is why it is worth challenging it at the time rather than giving it up for lost.
If you want to understand the ground on which these matters are fought, the blog has the guide to administrative procedures in Barcelona, explaining administrative silence, time limits and the types of appeal without the jargon.
No step can guarantee a result: the decision always rests with the authority or the court concerned.
Which papers are usually needed
It depends on the type of application, but almost every case rests on two blocks: who you are and what you can evidence.
Personal documents
- A full, valid passport, with every page scanned.
- A certificate of empadronamiento (registration on the municipal register), either historical or covering the whole household, depending on the procedure.
- A criminal record certificate from your country of origin and from the countries where you have lived, translated and apostilled.
- A recent photograph in the official format and the relevant fee form.
Documents about the case
- A signed employment contract or job offer, or documents about your self-employed activity.
- Employment history, payslips or tax returns, depending on what has to be evidenced.
- A tenancy agreement or the title deeds to the property where the procedure requires it.
- The family book and birth or marriage certificates, with a sworn translation if they are in another language.
This list is only a guide
Each type of application has its own requirements, and the documents required change according to the country of origin, personal circumstances and the rules in force when the application is filed. The final list is settled after the case has been reviewed. You can bring it already checked using the firm's document checklist .
How we work, step by step
The order matters. This is the usual path an application takes at the firm.
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First consultation and review of the case
We listen to the whole situation: how and when you entered Spain, what documents exist, what earlier decisions there have been and whether there is any criminal record. From that comes the assessment, which sometimes amounts to saying that it is not yet the moment to file anything. This consultation is free of charge.
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Strategy and a final list of documents
We settle on the type of permit to be applied for and hand over a list of documents, indicating which need a sworn translation, an apostille or consular legalisation. Gathering them is usually the slowest part of the process.
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Preparing and filing the application
We draft the application and the accompanying documents, check every document before it leaves the office and file the application through the appropriate channel, with its filing receipt.
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Follow-up with the authorities
We keep an eye on the state of the application and answer requests to put things right within the time limit, which is where a good proportion of applications fall down. We also deal with the later appointments, such as giving fingerprints.
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An appeal if the decision goes against you
If a refusal arrives, we look at the reason and assess which route makes most sense: an administrative appeal, going to court or preparing a new, better-founded application.
Time limits and administrative silence
The time limit for appealing runs from notification
The period starts to run the day after notification, not from the day you decide to do something about it, and it is short. If you have received a refusal, the sensible thing is to have it looked at as soon as possible.
In a good proportion of immigration procedures, silence from the authorities is treated as a refusal, so simply waiting rarely works in your favour. The applicable legislation — Ley Orgánica 4/2000 (Spanish Organic Act 4/2000) and the regulations made under it — has been amended several times, so we prefer not to publish generic time limits as if they applied to every case: the one that matters is the one in your particular file.
If what you have in front of you is a dated notice and you want an idea of how much time you have left, the firm's time limit checker works out the most common administrative time limits from the start date. It is only a guide: the time limit that counts is the one stated in your decision.
This page is for information only and is no substitute for advice on a particular case.
Languages, fees and the first consultation
Which languages we advise in
Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic. Advice in Arabic is given by prior appointment, so it is worth saying so when you call or write on WhatsApp so it can be booked. Being able to tell your case in your own language changes the outcome of a first consultation: the dates, the ties and the history that a half-understood conversation leaves out all come to light, and those are exactly the facts that decide which route applies.
Documents are another matter: the authorities require a sworn translation of a good proportion of foreign documents. At the first review we say which papers need one and which do not, so you do not pay for translations you do not need.
Fees
The firm does not publish rates, because the scope of each matter is different: preparing a renewal with the paperwork in order is not the same as appealing a refusal to the courts. Fees are explained and agreed before the case is taken on, never afterwards. Administrative fees are a separate cost, unconnected with our fees, and are set by the authorities.
Gestoría or solicitor?
A gestoría (an administrative agent) can help you file papers. What a solicitor brings is the judgement that comes first — which route applies, what can be proved and what is better not filed yet — and the ability to appeal to the authorities or to the courts if the decision goes against you. If your case is straightforward and clear, we will tell you so at the consultation.
Where we are
At Carrer del Freser, 104, in El Clot (Sant Martí), near Camp de l'Arpa, La Sagrera and Navas, and we advise clients throughout Barcelona and the surrounding area. Where the matter does not require you to be present, the consultation can be held by telephone or video call.
Questions that reach the firm every week
Can I start an arraigo application if I entered on a tourist visa and it has expired?
This is a common situation and does not in itself prevent a route to regularisation being explored: arraigo is designed precisely for people who have already been in Spain for some time without a permit. What matters is what can be evidenced — length of stay, ties, means of support — and whether there is a criminal record or any earlier decision. It has to be looked at case by case before anything is filed.
What can I do if my application is refused?
A refusal is not always the end of the road. Depending on the reason, an appeal may lie to the authority itself or to the administrative courts, and in other cases it is more effective to prepare a fresh application putting right whatever went wrong. The first thing to do is read the decision carefully, because it almost always states the exact reason and that reason determines the strategy. The time limits for appealing are short, so it should not be left.
Can I work while my application is being processed?
It depends on the permit applied for and on your starting situation: there is no single answer, and working without permission where it is not allowed can damage the application itself. Before accepting a job it is worth checking exactly what the permit applied for, or the receipt for the application, allows.
How long does an immigration application take?
It depends on the type of permit, on the body deciding it and on how heavy the workload is at the time, so no serious firm can give a fixed date. What is in our hands is avoiding the avoidable delays: filing a complete application first time and answering any requests for further information within the time limit.
Which languages does the firm advise in?
Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic; advice in Arabic is given by prior appointment, so it is worth saying so when booking. In immigration matters sworn translations of foreign documents are often needed: at the first review we say which documents need one and which do not.
How much does an immigration solicitor in Barcelona cost?
It depends on the matter and on the work it requires: preparing a renewal with the paperwork in order does not cost the same as appealing a refusal to the courts. That is why the firm does not publish fixed rates. What we do is explain and agree the fees before taking the case on, never afterwards, and the first consultation is free of charge. Administrative fees are a separate cost set by the authorities.
Do I need a solicitor or is a gestoría enough?
A gestoría can help you file papers. A solicitor brings the judgement that comes first — which route applies, what can be proved, what is better not filed yet — and can appeal to the authorities or to the courts if the decision goes against you. If, on seeing your case, it turns out to be straightforward and clear, we will tell you so.
I have a removal order. Is there anything I can do?
It depends on what stage the proceedings have reached, on the reason and on your personal and family circumstances. A removal order can be appealed and, where the circumstances justify it, the court can be asked to suspend its enforcement while the appeal is decided. The time limits are short and run from notification, so the first thing to do is bring the decision in so we can look at it.
I have had periods without a card. Can I apply for nationality?
The residence that counts towards nationality by residence must be lawful, continuous and immediately before the application, so any gaps have to be examined one by one before anything is filed: they do not all carry the same weight. Long absences from the country also matter. Checking the calculation first avoids a refusal and the wait that goes with it.
Do I have to come to the office or can it be handled remotely?
The firm is at Carrer del Freser, 104, in El Clot, and advises clients throughout Barcelona and the surrounding area. Where the matter does not require you to be present, the consultation can be held by telephone or video call and the documents sent electronically. There are steps, such as giving fingerprints, that require you to attend in person before the authorities: nobody can do that for you.
Related practice areas and blog guides
Wills, probate and inheritance
Heirs living outside Spain, foreign documents that have to be translated and legalised, powers of attorney and obtaining an NIE (foreign national identification number) so the inheritance can be accepted.
Go to the practice areaRoad traffic accidents
Compensation claims after an accident. The right to claim does not depend on the immigration status of the person injured.
Go to the practice areaMedical negligence
Claims for substandard medical care, with the same requirements as to documentary evidence and time limits that apply before the authorities.
Go to the practice areaBlog guides
- Administrative procedures in Barcelona: administrative silence, time limits and types of appeal — the ground on which refusals are fought.
- Ley Orgánica 1/2025 (Spanish Organic Act 1/2025) and the Tribunales de Instancia: how the courts have been reorganised for anyone who ends up appealing to them.
An application falls down over one missing document
The immigration document list and the time limit checker for administrative appeals.
Document checklist
The papers for an immigration application, tickable and printable, so you can bring them already checked to the first consultation.
Open the checklistTime limit checker
Eleven time limits covering fines, employment, damage claims and inheritance. Enter the start date and it shows the deadline for acting and how many days are left.
Check a time limitTell us about your immigration case
Bring whatever documents you have, even if they are incomplete, and any decisions you have received: with those we can say fairly clearly which route is viable. We are at Carrer del Freser, 104, in El Clot, near Camp de l'Arpa, La Sagrera and Navas.