![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/01C-regularisation-spain.jpg\")
A demonstration by migrant and anti-racist campaigners in Madrid, April 2026. Photograph by David Canales\/NurPhoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\nA demonstration by migrant and anti-racist campaigners in Madrid, April 2026. Photograph by David Canales\/NurPhoto\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
As much of Europe tightens immigration policy, Spain has opened a one-off regularisation scheme. Ahead of the 30 June application deadline, here\u2019s who qualifies and how it works<\/p>\n
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Undocumented migrants in Spain<\/a> have until 30 June to apply for the country\u2019s extraordinary regularisation programme. By mid-June, the migration ministry said it had received some 900,000 applications<\/a>. The scheme offers eligible foreign nationals already in the country the opportunity to legalise their immigration<\/a> status.<\/p>\n The programme comes as many European governments ramp up controls on immigration. Prime minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez described<\/a> the move as \u201can act of normalisation\u201d that recognises \u201cthe reality of almost half a million people who are already part of our daily lives\u201d.<\/p>\n It is Spain\u2019s seventh extraordinary regularisation in 40 years. Previous schemes have generally been used to bring workers in the informal economy into the legal system and expand the tax and social security base.<\/p>\n Although both socialist and conservative governments have previously introduced these schemes, the conservative Partido Popular opposed the 2026 programme, arguing it would attract more irregular migration.<\/p>\n What is the policy and who is eligible?<\/p>\n The scheme, which opened on 16 April and closes on 30 June, offers a one-year, renewable residence permit to undocumented migrants who can prove they entered Spain before the scheme\u2019s eligibility cut-off, have no criminal record and meet a series of residency requirements. The majority of undocumented people<\/a> in Spain arrived legally as tourists from Latin America and stayed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Individuals can apply on the basis of employment, having dependents, or vulnerability \u2014 the latter category defined broadly, on the grounds that an applicant\u2019s irregular status is affecting their rights<\/a> or living conditions. \u00a0Underage children of applicants receive permits of five years. The permit is valid only in Spain.<\/p>\n Why is Spain offering regularisation?<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez introduced the scheme by royal decree in January 2026 after years of campaigning by migrant organisations and pressure from leftwing party Podemos. The government argued that the measure was justified on humanitarian, labour market and demographic grounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n The opposition Partido Popular <\/a>argued it would encourage further irregular migration and criticised the government for bypassing parliament.<\/p>\n Spain has repeatedly used extraordinary regularisations since the 1980s, most notably in 2005, when more than 570,000 workers gained legal status.<\/p>\n Described jointly as \u201can act of justice\u201d and a necessity for Spain by S\u00e1nchez, the scheme will allow people to formally integrate into the country\u2019s labour market and social security system. Spain\u2019s minister for inclusion, social security and migration, Elma Saiz Delgado, also emphasised<\/a> demographics, noting that without migration, \u201cthe impact of ageing on economic growth would be considerably more severe\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n How have migrants and rights groups reacted?<\/p>\n The decree has been welcomed by migrants and rights groups, which have been calling for regularisation for years, explains Elena Mu\u00f1oz, coordinator of the legal team at the nonprofit Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR). \u201cThe pandemic highlighted the precarious situation of undocumented people and how essential these individuals were to society,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n People in irregular situations will gain essential rights, Mu\u00f1oz stresses, while offering benefits to Spain \u201cat the economic level, in the labour market, in social security contributions, tax revenue\u201d.<\/p>\n What does regularisation mean practically?<\/p>\n Crucially, regularisation will shield previously undocumented individuals from deportation, Mu\u00f1oz says, speaking in the week that the EU approved a new system<\/a> for expelling migrants.<\/p>\n Regularisation offers protection from exploitation, she says, adding that this \u201coften comes with the informal labour market\u201d. It will allow migrants to make social security contributions and become eligible for unemployment benefits and pensions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n While access to Spain\u2019s public healthcare system is universal, in practice Mu\u00f1oz says that irregular immigrants often face \u201cbureaucratic hurdles\u201d in accessing it. \u201cWith the stroke of a pen, those difficulties will be eliminated,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n Legal status will help many meet the rental requirement of demonstrating they are on a payroll. But she warns that challenges will persist, owing to Spain\u2019s housing crisis and rampant discrimination from landlords and agencies: \u201cIt\u2019s better to have residency in order to access housing but, unfortunately, [irregular immigrants] will continue to encounter many difficulties.\u201d<\/p>\n Have there been issues so far?<\/p>\n The main obstacle has been receiving documents such as criminal records and birth certificates from their country of origin and getting them notarised within the timeframe, CEAR\u2019s legal coordinator says. Another issue has been getting appointment slots to submit their applications, Mu\u00f1oz adds.<\/p>\n Footage of long queues outside local government offices has circulated, as people scrambled to get their required documents \u2014\u00a0including their name on the municipal register and obtaining a certificate of vulnerability\u00a0\u2014 in order.<\/p>\n In the initial days, many approached NGOs requesting a certificate of vulnerability despite already being eligible to apply for the scheme through employment or caring for dependents, she adds, while some local councils were underprepared.<\/p>\n What happens after 30 June \u2013\u00a0and how effective are the schemes?<\/p>\n Extraordinary regularisations have been used repeatedly to shrink the pool of people without legal status.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut the important thing is that immigration policies don\u2019t create that pool in the first place,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz says, calling instead for ongoing \u201cordinary\u201d regularisation. The establishment of flexible immigration pathways would do this while supporting labour markets, she says, suggesting jobseeker visas.\u00a0<\/p>\n While there has been criticism that the extraordinary regularisation will attract increased irregular migration, Blanca Garc\u00e9s Mascare\u00f1as, senior research fellow at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, in an analysis<\/a> for the thinktank, argues: \u201cThe economy, much more than migration policy or the possibility of regularisation, acts as the real pull factor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A demonstration by migrant and anti-racist campaigners in Madrid, April 2026. 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A queue of people in Barcelona seeking to legalise their immigration status under the Spanish government\u2019s regularisation scheme, April 2026. Photograph by Ramon Costa\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket\/Getty Images<\/p>\n