The Spanish Government has launched an extraordinary regularization process aimed at providing an immediate, orderly, and legally secure response to the situation of hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals who are already living in Spain. The measure seeks to recognize an existing social and economic reality while guaranteeing rights, strengthening legal certainty, and reinforcing social cohesion.
Approved by the Council of Ministers, the initiative opens a period of public consultation before its final implementation and represents the first major step within the Plan for Integration and Intercultural Coexistence. This plan reinforces Spain’s migration policy model, which is based on human rights, integration, and coexistence, while remaining compatible with economic growth.
Who Can Apply and When
The Spanish government has finally announced the regularization of almost 500,000 undocumented foreigners in the country. The regularization process is aimed at foreign nationals who were already present in Spain before December 31, 2025, and who can prove continuous residence of at least five months at the time of application.
Applications are expected to open in early April, once the regulatory procedures linked to the Royal Decree are completed, and the process will remain open until June 30, 2026.
Applicants will be able to demonstrate their residence through any public or private document, or a combination of both. For individuals who applied for international protection, it will be sufficient to prove that their application was submitted before the December 31, 2025, deadline.
In addition, applicants must not have a criminal record and must not pose a threat to public order, as confirmed by the Spanish Social Security and Migration.
Rights Granted Under the Measure
Those who meet the requirements will receive a residence permit valid for one year, which includes authorization to work from the first day, in any sector and any part of Spain. After the initial year, beneficiaries will be required to apply for the standard residence permits provided for in Spain’s immigration regulations, allowing for gradual and full integration into the regular system.
According to the Government, the administrative mechanism has been designed to be simple and efficient, with the aim of removing bureaucratic barriers that previously prevented many people from regularizing their situation. Applications will be reviewed quickly, and once accepted—within a maximum of 15 days—applicants will be allowed to begin working. The full processing time will not exceed three months.
Key Conditions and Benefits at a Glance
| Aspect | Details |
| Eligible applicants | Foreign nationals present in Spain before December 31, 2025 |
| Minimum residence | Five months of continuous stay |
| Criminal record | Must have none |
| Permit duration | One year |
| Right to work | Immediate, nationwide, all sectors |
| Application period | Early April 2026 to June 30, 2026 |
| Processing time | Up to three months |
Focus on Integration and the Labour Market
The measure primarily targets people who have been living in Spain for some time but have been excluded from ordinary regularization channels, including individuals with pending or rejected international protection applications who were unable to access existing residency programs. It applies equally to all nationalities, provided the requirements are met.
The Government highlights that the initiative benefits both workers and employers by reducing irregular employment, increasing legal certainty for companies, and helping to combat labour exploitation and the underground economy.
Family Unity as a Central Pillar
A key element of the regularization process in Spain is the protection of the family unit. Minor children of applicants who are already in Spain will be able to regularize their status at the same time as their parents, receiving residence permits valid for five years. The Government considers family stability essential for long-term integration and social inclusion.
A Measure Rooted in Legal and Social Precedent
The Spanish Government has underlined that Spain has a long tradition of using regularization processes when social realities demand it. Between 1986 and 2005, similar measures were adopted by governments of different political orientations. The current initiative follows the same principle: when reality moves faster than bureaucracy, the State must act to regulate it.
The process also revives a citizens’ initiative supported by more than 700,000 signatures and a broad majority in Parliament, which had remained stalled for months. According to the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Elma Saiz, the regulatory route is now the fastest, most effective, and most legally sound way to offer an immediate response that fully complies with both Spanish and European law.
With this measure, the Government aims to provide legal certainty, promote integration, and respond decisively to a social reality that is already present in Spain’s streets, workplaces, and communities.