Statutory deadlines by permit type
- UGE files (digital nomad, highly qualified professional, investor, entrepreneur): 20 working days, with positive administrative silence.
- Arraigo and initial permits at a provincial office: 3 months.
- Renewals: 3 months; you may keep working while it is pending.
- Family reunification: 3 months, plus the consular visa stage.
- Long-term residence: 3 months.
- Citizenship by residence: one year by law, often longer in practice.
Why times differ by province
Files are decided by provincial offices with very different caseloads. Madrid and Barcelona carry the heaviest backlogs; Valencia, Málaga and Alicante swing with seasonal peaks.
Some provinces publish the filing dates currently being processed. If the office is working on cases from two months ago, that is the realistic pace for yours.
What slows a case down
- Incomplete documents and the requerimiento that follows.
- Translations not done by a sworn translator, or documents without an apostille.
- Missing empadronamiento or mismatched addresses.
- Expired criminal-record or medical certificates.
- Unread electronic notifications.
What to do once the deadline passes
Check the status first and rule out an unanswered requerimiento. If the deadline has passed with no movement, file a written request to advance the case through the electronic register.
Where positive silence applies, you can request a certificate of administrative silence. Otherwise the next step is an administrative or court appeal.