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Can you have a free lawyer in Spain even if you have no papers?

Ubuntu Canarias · 6 min read

Not having a residence permit does not mean you have no rights. A common question among people arriving in the Canary Islands is whether they can have a lawyer without paying. The short answer is yes, in certain cases. This guide explains who can ask for one, where to do it in Gran Canaria and what to bring.

What is free legal aid?

It is a public service that gives you a lawyer (and a court representative, called a procurador, when needed) at no cost if you do not have enough means to go to court. It is set out in the Spanish Constitution and in Law 1/1996 on Free Legal Aid. According to the Las Palmas Bar Association, foreign nationals have this right on the same terms as Spanish citizens.

Who can have a free lawyer?

• People with low income who meet the legal requirements.
• Foreign nationals who need to defend their rights in certain immigration procedures.
• People applying for asylum or international protection.
• People who have been detained or who face a return or expulsion procedure, under the conditions set by law.
• Victims of certain crimes who are entitled to special protection.

Not all applications are approved automatically: it depends on the law and on each case.

Financial requirements

The gross annual income of your family unit must not exceed certain limits linked to the IPREM (a Spanish reference index), and it is also taken into account that you do not have significant assets. Figures published by the Bar Association (October 2026):

• Person who is not part of a family unit: €14,400.
• Family unit of 2 or 3 members: €18,000.
• Family unit of 4 or more members: €21,600.
• Special circumstances (exceptional recognition): €36,000.

The family unit means spouses who are not legally separated and their minor children who are not emancipated, or one parent with their minor children. If, in the dispute, your interests are opposed to those of your family, your means are assessed individually. If you are above the limit, the Free Legal Aid Commission can grant it exceptionally (children or relatives in your care, cost of the proceedings, health). These figures may change: check them with the Bar Association.

Specific cases: asylum, expulsion and victims

• Asylum and international protection: applicants are entitled to free legal aid and an interpreter.
• Refusal of entry, return or expulsion: if you can show that you lack means, you are entitled to a free lawyer and defence, also at the earlier administrative stage and even if you are not legally resident. If you do not understand the language, you are entitled to an interpreter.
• Detention: a lawyer for people who have been detained is one of the services covered by free legal aid.
• Victims of gender-based violence, terrorism or trafficking, and children or people with intellectual disabilities who are victims of abuse or mistreatment: they are entitled to it in proceedings linked to their situation, and the law does not require them to prove lack of means.

If you are in any of these situations, do not wait until you have all your documents: go to the Bar Association as soon as possible.

Where do you apply in Gran Canaria?

In person (the safest way). If you do not have an NIE or cannot do it online, go to the Las Palmas Bar Association (Colegio de Abogados de Las Palmas): Plaza de San Agustín, 3, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Phone: 928 31 02 00. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 15:00. There are also service points at the courts in Telde and San Bartolomé de Tirajana: call first and ask about opening hours.

Online. Free legal aid application and information and appointments (in Spanish). The online application requires you to authorise access to your data; if you cannot or do not want to, you will have to apply in person.

The official procedure of the Canary Islands Government is submitted in person, at the Bar Association or at the court where you live.

Step by step and deadlines

If the court has already notified you of proceedings

1. Go with the court’s letter and a document showing the date you were notified: to the Bar Association or its Puerto del Rosario office (8:00 to 13:00), or to the offices at the courts in the Ciudad de la Justicia, Telde and San Bartolomé de Tirajana (9:00 to 13:00).
2. The Bar Association checks that you are within the deadline and gives you a document showing that you have applied for free legal aid.
3. Hand it in at the court: it stops the procedural deadlines from running.
4. On the date you are given, submit the application and documents at the Bar Association. If you do not do it in time, the application is closed and the court restarts the deadlines.

If you want to start proceedings

Ask for an in-person or online appointment through the Bar Association’s app, or submit the application at the court where you live.

What happens next

• The Bar Association appoints a lawyer provisionally and the Canary Islands Government’s Free Legal Aid Commission confirms it. The official information gives a decision period of 30 days.
• If the Commission does not approve your application, the appointments are cancelled and you would have to pay the fees for the work already done.
• According to the Bar Association, the final decision can be challenged in writing, with reasons, within ten days of notification, before the Commission.
• The application does not by itself suspend the court case: ask the court yourself to suspend any deadline that could leave you without a defence.
• If you apply online, notifications arrive at the Canary Islands Government’s electronic office. If 10 calendar days pass without you opening them, they are considered rejected and the procedure continues. Check your email.

What documents do you need?

• Passport or identity document, if you have one.
• NIE or residence card, if you have them.
• Sworn statement. Ask the Bar Association for the form for people in an irregular situation and for the documents you need.
• Documents showing your income and financial situation (if you are unemployed, the certificate from the SEPE employment service).
• Letters from the court or immigration documents related to your case.

Income documents are valid for three months: do not prepare them too early.

What it covers and what costs there may be

It includes prior legal advice, a lawyer for detained persons, defence and representation by a lawyer and procurador when required, expert witnesses, exemption from deposits for appeals, free copies and notarial records, and an 80% reduction (or exemption) in notary and registry fees related to the case.

You would have to pay the fees if your right is not recognised or is withdrawn; if you win without an order for costs and obtain a financial benefit (up to one third of what you obtain); or if your financial situation improves in the following three years and the right is withdrawn. Notary and registry fees are 20%, unless your income is below the IPREM. Give truthful information: false data can lead to the right being withdrawn and to having to pay back what you received.

If you have received an expulsion notice or a letter from the court

Ask for help as soon as possible. There may be deadlines to respond, and waiting can harm your case.

From Ubuntu Canarias

We can tell you where to go, but Ubuntu Canarias is not a law firm and this guide does not replace legal advice. If you wish, write to us.

Information reviewed on 16 October 2026 using the websites of the Las Palmas Bar Association and the Canary Islands Government’s electronic office. Rules, figures and contact details may change: always check the official pages.