Spain has received around 900,000 applications under its extraordinary migrant regularization program, nearly double the 500,000 applications the government expected when the window opened in April. The application period closes on June 30, and the final total may exceed one million.
Royal Decree 316/2026 was published in Spain’s Official State Gazette on April 15 and took effect the following day. The decree grants a one-year, renewable residence and work permit to eligible undocumented migrants.
To qualify, applicants must:
- Have been in Spain before January 1, 2026;
- Show five months of continuous residence;
- Have a clean criminal record;
- Pay a €38.28 fee.
The decree includes two central provisions. One applies to applicants for international protection who filed before the start of 2026. The other creates an arraigo extraordinario, or extraordinary residence by roots, route that can be accessed through a job, family ties, or proven vulnerability.
Applicants may begin working once their file enters processing. The decree also makes this rule permanent for future roots-based applications.
Application volume and work permits
Spain’s Migration Ministry reported around 900,000 applications on June 15. The government had originally expected about 500,000.
Madrid has issued about 360,000 temporary work permits since April, equal to roughly 40% of requests received.
Pilar Cancela, Spain’s secretary of state for migration, has said the state can process up to one million applications across the April-to-June window, while acknowledging that requests will exceed what the government can grant.
The Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid expects the total to pass one million before the June 30 deadline. Its director has urged the government to pair the one-off measure with permanent legal routes so that migrants do not remain outside formal status for years.
Government rationale
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has described the regularization as both a matter of justice and necessity. His government argues that people already living and working in Spain should be able to work under equal terms and contribute to the formal system.
The Socialist government points to:
- An aging population;
- Falling unemployment;
- Labor shortages in hospitality, agriculture, construction, and care work;
- The need to bring informal workers into the tax and social-security system.
The think tank Funcas estimates that around 840,000 undocumented migrants have spent years in Spain, many working off the books.
Spain’s history of regularization
This is Spain’s first general regularization in more than two decades.
The last comparable round took place in 2005 under the Socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. It drew 691,655 applications, most of which succeeded.
Regularization has also been used by conservative governments. The Popular Party government of José María Aznar carried out two regularizations in 2000 and 2001.
This history shows that mass regularization in Spain has not belonged only to one political side. It has been used by governments from both major political traditions.
Contrast with broader European migration policy
Spain’s approach differs from the direction taken by many European governments, which have leaned toward tighter borders, faster deportations, and third-country migration deals.
Madrid’s policy is based on legal inclusion rather than removal. The article notes that Spain also outpaced its European peers for growth in 2025, according to the OECD.
Contrast with Spain’s Golden Visa closure
The regularization comes a little more than a year after Spain closed its Golden Visa route to new investors.
Several investment migration advisers quoted in the article argue that Spain is moving away from wealth-based migration while expanding pathways for labor-based migration.
One view presented is that Madrid is prioritizing physical presence, contribution, and tax registration rather than passive foreign capital. Another view is that the policy creates a two-tier immigration system, closing options for wealthy investors while regularizing undocumented workers.
Some advisers argue that the move reflects real labor shortages and the need to formalize existing workers. Others warn that it may encourage more irregular migration, reduce Spain’s appeal to wealthy foreign residents, and affect the wider Schengen area’s attractiveness.
Political and economic concerns raised
Critics quoted in the article argue that the policy could incentivize more undocumented migrants to move to Spain, eventually leading to naturalization. Some also argue that wealthy foreigners may avoid Spain for tax or security reasons, and that wealthy Spaniards may look abroad.
Concerns were also raised about Spain’s cash economy, shadow employment, possible future voting effects, urban change, and crime in some areas.
Supporters and some analysts see the program as a way to respond to labor shortages, formalize existing workers, and increase contributions to taxes and social security.
What happens next
The application window closes on June 30. With around 900,000 applications already reported by June 15, the final number may exceed one million.
The main practical questions are how many applications Spain can process, how many permits it will grant, and whether the one-off measure is followed by more permanent legal pathways.
For migrants who qualify, the program offers a temporary route into legal residence and work authorization. For Spain, it is a major test of whether formalizing a large undocumented workforce can address labor shortages, improve tax and social-security participation, and reduce the long-term effects of irregular status.
Source article: www.imidaily.com
