Residence permit by social roots: 3 years of continuous stay
One of the primary conditions for applying for a residence permit by social roots is that the applicant must have been in Spain for a continuous period of three years or more. Therefore, the applicant needs to provide proof of continuous residence in Spain for three years. The most common way to prove this is by registering your residence address at the City Hall (Ayuntamiento). If you do not have a residence registration (padron), you can also provide other documents to prove it, such as a medical certificate, a bank transfer certificate, a study certificate, etc.
Related article: Spanish residence registry: padron regime
What kind of proof of residence is acceptable?
It is sufficient to prove that the applicant has stayed in Spain for a continuous period of 3 years. You need to know the following rules:
-It is possible not to be registered in the same place during these 3 years. The law does not prevent people from moving, they can change their place of residence at any time, so it is okay to have registered your residence in more than one place during these 3 years. It is only when you apply for your roots that you need to get the appropriate certificates from these places.
-Certificate of historical residence (Certificado histórico de empadronamiento). The default certificate of residence only proves that a person is registered in a certain place, if you want to prove how long a person has lived in a place, you will need a certificate of historical residence.
If you want to prove that you have lived in a place for 3 years when applying for a residence permit, then you should apply for a Certificate of Historical Residence, which contains information about when a person has been registered in the place.
-The registration of residence cannot be interrupted for more than 120 days during the 3 years. If there is an interruption, then other documents must be submitted to prove that the person has not left Spain during this period.
-The residence registration needs to be renewed once every 2 years.
-There are two types of proof of residence:
One is the (ordinary) certificate of residence, which is also the most common one for the procedures in various places. This type of certificate can usually be processed on the spot, and the public official can print it out from the computer, stamp it, and sign it casually.
The second type is the certificate of residence with a specific signature. This type of certificate of residence requires the signature of the local mayor, or his or her authorized person, to be valid. This can only be obtained a few days after the application is made, and sometimes a small processing fee is required. This type of certificate is not often used. It is only required by many immigration offices when applying for a residence permit in order to ensure that the applicant has been registered for a full 3 years.
