To be granted a Residence Permit on the basis of social ties it is essential to:

• Provide evidence of continuous stay in Spain of at least three years (through proof of census registration, medical certificate, public notary documents, bank statements, receipt of remittance payments to country of origin...).
• No prison record in Spain or country of origin.
• To have an employment contract signed by the employee and the business owner at the moment of application and that guarantees at least the national minimum wage and with a working week of at least thirty hours (20 in the case of having dependent minors or other dependants).
• Provide evidence of family ties with other foreign nationals residing legally in Spain and with the corresponding authorisation (spouse, civil partner, father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter), or present a report issued by the Autonomous Region providing evidence of social integration. This report can be applied for at the Basque Government's citizens' attention service Zuzenean, it should verify how long the person has been at the address given, how he/she makes a living, level of knowledge of the languages used locally, social integration in the local community, participation in public and private socio-employment programmes and any other information that helps to determine his/her ties to the community. Under exceptional circumstances, the report can propose an exemption from the requirement of having an employment contract, provided that the person in question can demonstrate sufficent means for supporting him or herself.

These reports are necessary, however they do not oblige the competent authority to grant permission.

The Social Integration Residence Permit is issued with no visa requirement, and does not allow the holder to work.

It should be applied for at the Office for Foreign Nationals.