Spain Announces Official Start Date for Migrant Regularization Program

Spanish Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, Elma Saiz, announced that Spain will begin accepting applications for the exceptional regularization of undocumented migrants starting next April. The initiative aims to provide thousands of foreigners with the opportunity to obtain legal residence and work permits across the country.

The minister stated that the application period will run until June 30, 2026, emphasizing that applicants must meet several key requirements.

Among the conditions, applicants must have arrived in Spain before December 31, 2025, and must have resided in the country for at least five months, which can be verified through official documentation, with exceptions for cases demonstrating particularly vulnerable circumstances.

Saiz also noted that a clean criminal record or the absence of serious offenses is mandatory. The new regulations allow foreigners to begin working once their applications are approved, and minors can also apply for separate five-year residence permits, which are renewable.

This exceptional regularization is part of the Spanish government’s broader efforts to organize migrant status and improve social and economic integration, at a time when Spain is focusing on addressing labor market challenges and demographic pressures through more flexible immigration policies than those of other European countries.

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