Spain's Extraordinary Regularization Closes with 1.3 Million Applications

Spain's extraordinary regularization programme closed its application window on June 30, 2026, with approximately 1.3 million applications filed across ten weeks. The government had estimated around 500,000 people would qualify; police unions and analysts had put the likely figure at 800,000. The numbers visible in Mercurio — the Spanish government's own application-tracking system — show the final count exceeded both projections significantly, making this the largest regularization in Spain's history. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to announce official figures to parliament shortly after the close, after which authorities have up to three months per case to issue a decision.

Background

Spain has run six mass regularizations since the 1980s, each designed to convert part of its undocumented population into legal residents and workers. The government approved this seventh programme on April 14, 2026, publishing Royal Decree 316/2026 in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on April 15. Applications opened on April 16 (online) and April 20 (in-person appointments), with the window running until June 30. The measure responded to mounting labour shortages in agriculture, construction, domestic work, and hospitality — sectors where undocumented workers have long filled roles that formal hiring could not. It is a temporary, exceptional measure rather than a standing pathway: no extension has been offered and the window is now closed.

What the programme offers

Approved applicants receive a one-year residence and work permit, valid across all economic sectors in Spain. The permit is extendable, provided the holder can demonstrate continued employment or a documented job search. Applicants gain provisional work and residence authorisation when their application is admitted for processing — typically within 15 days of filing — meaning those whose applications are still being reviewed can already work legally while waiting. Spanish authorities have up to three months per case from the date the application enters the reviewing authority's registry to issue a decision. The first wave of outcomes is therefore expected between July and September 2026 for those who applied early, running through the end of the year for applications filed close to the June 30 deadline.

Who qualified

To be eligible as an adult applicant, a person had to have arrived in Spain before January 1, 2026, demonstrated uninterrupted residence for at least five months immediately before applying, be 18 or over, and have a clean criminal record for the preceding five years (in Spain and any other country of residence). Beyond those baseline conditions, applicants also had to meet one of three specific circumstances: holding a current employment contract for a position lasting at least 90 days (or being formally registered as self-employed); living with a dependent minor child, a disabled adult child, or a parent in Spain; or providing documentation showing that their irregular status was causing severe hardship to their basic living conditions. Minor children can be included in a family application rather than applying individually. Holders of diplomatic, official, or special passports were not eligible.

Who applied

Colombians filed the largest share of applications, accounting for roughly 30 percent of the total. Moroccans made up about 14 percent, Venezuelans around 10 percent, and Peruvians approximately 9 percent. The remainder came from across Latin America, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. The pace of applications accelerated markedly after June 15, when the running total stood at around 900,000, then climbed to the 1.3 million range in the final two weeks. Advocacy groups attribute the surge partly to a last-minute push by legal aid organisations and migrant associations who helped applicants gather documentation in the closing days.

What this means in practice

For the estimated 1.3 million people who submitted applications, the immediate practical situation is this: once the application is admitted for processing (typically within 15 days of filing), the applicant holds provisional work and residence authorisation across any sector in Spain. Applicants should retain all documentation submitted — a copy of the application, proof of submission, employment contracts, proof of residence — because authorities may request further evidence during the review period. The formal decision letter (a one-year residence and work permit, or a refusal with grounds) will arrive within three months of the application entering the reviewing office. Given caseload volume, lawyers working with applicants expect processing to run to the end of 2026 or into early 2027 in practice, but the legal deadline is three months per case. GoMate's [Spain country guide](/country-guides/spain) covers what living and working legally in Spain looks like once a permit is in hand.

For employers in Spain

The programme will significantly expand Spain's formal workforce over the next year. Sectors that have relied heavily on irregular labour — farming, construction, domestic work, hospitality — can expect a meaningful increase in the pool of workers who can be hired on standard contracts. Employers who currently employ undocumented workers informally are not directly exposed to regulatory action as a result of this programme, but the closing of the application window means those workers who did not apply remain without a path to legal status under this route. Employers in affected sectors should check which of their workers received application admission notices, as those workers now hold provisional legal work authorisation.