Administrative appeals
Before going to court, the error can often be corrected by the authorities themselves. We prepare your appeal carefully.
What it involves
Administrative appeals are used to ask the authorities themselves to review a decision that harms you, without going to court yet. In immigration matters the most common are the recurso de reposición, filed with the same body that made the decision, and the recurso de alzada, filed with its superior body. They are used against refusals, closures of files, inadmissibility decisions or penalties.
Is this your case?
- Your file has been closed because you didn't provide a document in time.
- Your application has not been admitted for processing and you don't know why.
- You have been given an immigration fine or penalty.
- A long time has passed and the authorities haven't replied.
How we help
We study the decision to find out which appeal is available and who it must be filed with. We draft a clear appeal, with the arguments and evidence that can change the decision, and file it within the deadline. If the authorities don't reply or uphold their decision, we explain whether it is worth continuing through the courts. We can help you in Spanish, Arabic, Tamazight, French and English, at our offices in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Málaga and Barcelona or online, wherever you are in Spain.
If the administrative route doesn't work, we are with you in judicial review appeals; and if what you have received is a refusal, see appeals against refusals.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a recurso de reposición and a recurso de alzada?
- A recurso de reposición is filed with the same body that issued the decision, and a recurso de alzada with its superior body, when the decision does not end the administrative route. The decision itself usually states which appeal is available.
- Can I file an administrative appeal myself?
- Yes, at this stage you don't have to have a lawyer. But a well-argued appeal with the right evidence has a better chance, and leaves you better prepared if you later have to go to court.
- What happens if the Immigration Office doesn't reply to my application?
- Administrative silence has different effects depending on the procedure: sometimes it counts as a yes and sometimes as a no. We review your case to find out what it means and how to act.
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A first conversation — confidential and without obligation — to understand whether we can help, and how.
We speak Spanish, Arabic, Tamazight (Berber), French and English.