In a move that will reshape Spain’s immigration landscape, the coalition government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has reached a last-minute agreement with its left-wing partner Podemos to launch the country’s first mass regularisation programme in two decades. According to details confirmed on Monday, 26 January 2026, the Council of Ministers will approve on Tuesday a Royal Decree creating a fast-track path to legal residence for all foreign nationals who can prove they were already living in Spain before 31 December 2025 and who can document at least five months’ continuous stay.
The decree will suspend ongoing administrative expulsion procedures and issue a one-year provisional residence permit, renewable on standard terms. Holders will immediately receive a work authorisation, access to the public health system and the right to register for social security. Although the Interior Ministry has not published an official impact assessment, Podemos estimates that “just over half a million people” stand to benefit, while independent think-tank Funcas puts the potential figure closer to 600,000.
The government argues that large-scale regularisation is the most efficient way to reduce “a growing underground population” now estimated at 840,000, to combat labour exploitation and to broaden the tax base. Officials cite the success of Spain’s 2005 amnesty—when 580,000 residence permits were issued—as evidence that the measure can boost GDP and formal employment.
![Spain to Grant Extraordinary Regularisation to Over 500,000 Irregular Migrants]()
Whether you’re an individual seeking to regularise your status or an employer assisting staff through the process, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork with digital application tools, document checklists and professional support for Spanish residence and work permits. Explore the options at https://www.visahq.com/spain/ for a streamlined path to legal status.
For employers, the decree offers immediate access to a sizeable pool of legally employable workers at a time when Spain’s job vacancies in hospitality, logistics and elder care remain stubbornly high. Multinationals with Spanish subsidiaries should review onboarding policies and internal mobility workflows so that newly regularised employees can transition swiftly from the shadow economy to formal payrolls. Immigration lawyers recommend that companies encourage eligible staff to collect proof of residence—rental agreements, empadronamiento certificates, remittance receipts—well before the six-month application window closes on 30 June.
Civil-society groups have welcomed the news, noting that the measure reflects the demands of a 2024 citizens’ initiative backed by 700,000 signatures. They caution, however, that Spain’s regional immigration offices are already overstretched and that digital bottlenecks could undermine the programme’s promise of speed. The Interior Ministry says it will deploy 400 temporary caseworkers and open an online one-stop portal to prevent backlogs.
The decree will suspend ongoing administrative expulsion procedures and issue a one-year provisional residence permit, renewable on standard terms. Holders will immediately receive a work authorisation, access to the public health system and the right to register for social security. Although the Interior Ministry has not published an official impact assessment, Podemos estimates that “just over half a million people” stand to benefit, while independent think-tank Funcas puts the potential figure closer to 600,000.
The government argues that large-scale regularisation is the most efficient way to reduce “a growing underground population” now estimated at 840,000, to combat labour exploitation and to broaden the tax base. Officials cite the success of Spain’s 2005 amnesty—when 580,000 residence permits were issued—as evidence that the measure can boost GDP and formal employment.
Whether you’re an individual seeking to regularise your status or an employer assisting staff through the process, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork with digital application tools, document checklists and professional support for Spanish residence and work permits. Explore the options at https://www.visahq.com/spain/ for a streamlined path to legal status.
For employers, the decree offers immediate access to a sizeable pool of legally employable workers at a time when Spain’s job vacancies in hospitality, logistics and elder care remain stubbornly high. Multinationals with Spanish subsidiaries should review onboarding policies and internal mobility workflows so that newly regularised employees can transition swiftly from the shadow economy to formal payrolls. Immigration lawyers recommend that companies encourage eligible staff to collect proof of residence—rental agreements, empadronamiento certificates, remittance receipts—well before the six-month application window closes on 30 June.
Civil-society groups have welcomed the news, noting that the measure reflects the demands of a 2024 citizens’ initiative backed by 700,000 signatures. They caution, however, that Spain’s regional immigration offices are already overstretched and that digital bottlenecks could undermine the programme’s promise of speed. The Interior Ministry says it will deploy 400 temporary caseworkers and open an online one-stop portal to prevent backlogs.
