Within hours of the government’s landmark decision to normalise the status of up to half a million undocumented migrants, Spain’s largest National Police union, JUPOL, sounded the alarm about the administrative fall-out. Immigration (Extranjería) units—staffed by police officers who issue foreigner identity cards and investigate document fraud—are already “at the limit of their operational capacity,” the union said.
Bottlenecks on the horizon
JUPOL estimates the decree will generate “hundreds of thousands of additional files” in the space of three months. Many local offices are operating with vacancy rates above 20 %, and the union claims overtime budgets for 2026 were set before the decree was conceived. Without emergency hiring or reallocating officers from other tasks, “queues will stretch for weeks, security checks will slow, and serious crime units will be cannibalised to man the counters,” a spokesperson warned.
Impact on travellers and assignees
Extranjería backlogs can ripple through Spain’s wider mobility ecosystem. Delays in issuing foreigners’ identity cards (TIE) impede bank-account opening, tax registration and even domestic travel (as airlines require ID). Corporate assignees awaiting card renewals could be caught in limbo. Mobility managers should prepare contingency plans—such as scheduling early-morning appointments in less-busy provincial offices and using digital certificate submissions where possible.
![Police Union Warns Immigration Offices Could Collapse Under New Regularisation Wave]()
VisaHQ, an international visa and document-processing specialist, can help soften the blow. Through its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the platform provides up-to-date guidance on shifting requirements, assists with appointment booking and paperwork review, and offers courier services that keep both individual travellers and corporate mobility teams ahead of looming Extranjería delays.
Government response
Migration Minister Elma Saiz said the Interior and Inclusion ministries are working on a “shock plan” that includes temporary contract staff, extended office hours and a simplified digital workflow. Details are expected before the application window opens in April.
Why it matters
The warning underscores that legislative changes must be matched by administrative capacity. For companies moving talent into Spain, the coming months may bring short-term friction even as the long-term outlook for legal workforce supply improves.
Bottlenecks on the horizon
JUPOL estimates the decree will generate “hundreds of thousands of additional files” in the space of three months. Many local offices are operating with vacancy rates above 20 %, and the union claims overtime budgets for 2026 were set before the decree was conceived. Without emergency hiring or reallocating officers from other tasks, “queues will stretch for weeks, security checks will slow, and serious crime units will be cannibalised to man the counters,” a spokesperson warned.
Impact on travellers and assignees
Extranjería backlogs can ripple through Spain’s wider mobility ecosystem. Delays in issuing foreigners’ identity cards (TIE) impede bank-account opening, tax registration and even domestic travel (as airlines require ID). Corporate assignees awaiting card renewals could be caught in limbo. Mobility managers should prepare contingency plans—such as scheduling early-morning appointments in less-busy provincial offices and using digital certificate submissions where possible.
VisaHQ, an international visa and document-processing specialist, can help soften the blow. Through its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the platform provides up-to-date guidance on shifting requirements, assists with appointment booking and paperwork review, and offers courier services that keep both individual travellers and corporate mobility teams ahead of looming Extranjería delays.
Government response
Migration Minister Elma Saiz said the Interior and Inclusion ministries are working on a “shock plan” that includes temporary contract staff, extended office hours and a simplified digital workflow. Details are expected before the application window opens in April.
Why it matters
The warning underscores that legislative changes must be matched by administrative capacity. For companies moving talent into Spain, the coming months may bring short-term friction even as the long-term outlook for legal workforce supply improves.
