Spain has begun the formal roll-out of an extraordinary regularisation that will allow an estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum-seekers to obtain legal residence and work permits over the coming months. Approved by cabinet on 27 January and published in the state gazette on 30 January, the decree enters into force this week, opening a three-month application window that will run from early April to 30 June.
The policy marks the country’s first nationwide amnesty since 2005 and represents a stark contrast with the increasingly restrictive migration stance seen elsewhere in Europe. Anyone who can prove that they were already living in Spain for at least five months before 31 December 2025—and who has a clean criminal record—will be able to apply online for a one-year residence permit that automatically confers the right to work in any sector and any region. Dependants who are minors will receive a five-year permit. After the initial year, beneficiaries can transition into one of Spain’s standard immigration categories, giving them a path to longer-term stability.
From a labour-market perspective, the measure arrives at a critical moment. Employers’ groups say Spain faces structural shortages in agriculture, hospitality, eldercare and construction, even as the country’s ageing population pushes dependency ratios higher. Regularising workers already in the country provides companies with a legal talent pool without the delays and costs of recruiting abroad. It also folds an estimated €1.7 billion in untaxed earnings into the formal economy, broadening the social-security base and easing the fiscal burden on the state, according to calculations by the economic think-tank Funcas.
![Spain’s new migrant amnesty hailed as lifeline for half a million undocumented workers]()
For applicants who find the online process daunting, VisaHQ can be a valuable ally. The platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and appointment-scheduling tools, helping both migrants and employers compile error-free submissions and track applications in real time—an efficient way to make the most of the limited three-month window.
For migrants themselves, the change is transformative. Unable to sign employment contracts, many have been stuck in low-paid, informal jobs and excluded from basic services such as primary health care. "It’s like a gift from God," one Bangladeshi street vendor in Madrid told The Guardian, explaining that legal status will let him find formal work and reunite with his family. NGOs that provide food banks, language classes and legal aid say they expect a surge in demand for document-gathering workshops and digital-application assistance in the run-up to April.
Politically, however, the amnesty is polarising. The conservative Partido Popular and far-right Vox have denounced the move as an incentive for illegal immigration and a strain on public services. The government counters that previous regularisations—in 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2005—boosted tax revenue and did not trigger so-called "pull factors". Academic studies on the 2005 amnesty found that newly regularised workers’ taxes increased by roughly €4,000 per person per year without a subsequent spike in arrivals.
Practically speaking, companies that rely on non-EU labour should act now: identify staff who meet the five-month residence rule, gather proof of continuous stay (rent receipts, remittances, medical appointments), and prepare employment contracts so that workers can transition seamlessly once their initial one-year permits expire. Immigration lawyers warn that biometric appointments at foreigners’ offices (extranjerías) are likely to book out quickly, so early scheduling will be essential. HR teams should also review payroll systems to ensure newly regularised employees are added to social security from day one.
The policy marks the country’s first nationwide amnesty since 2005 and represents a stark contrast with the increasingly restrictive migration stance seen elsewhere in Europe. Anyone who can prove that they were already living in Spain for at least five months before 31 December 2025—and who has a clean criminal record—will be able to apply online for a one-year residence permit that automatically confers the right to work in any sector and any region. Dependants who are minors will receive a five-year permit. After the initial year, beneficiaries can transition into one of Spain’s standard immigration categories, giving them a path to longer-term stability.
From a labour-market perspective, the measure arrives at a critical moment. Employers’ groups say Spain faces structural shortages in agriculture, hospitality, eldercare and construction, even as the country’s ageing population pushes dependency ratios higher. Regularising workers already in the country provides companies with a legal talent pool without the delays and costs of recruiting abroad. It also folds an estimated €1.7 billion in untaxed earnings into the formal economy, broadening the social-security base and easing the fiscal burden on the state, according to calculations by the economic think-tank Funcas.
For applicants who find the online process daunting, VisaHQ can be a valuable ally. The platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers step-by-step guidance, document checklists and appointment-scheduling tools, helping both migrants and employers compile error-free submissions and track applications in real time—an efficient way to make the most of the limited three-month window.
For migrants themselves, the change is transformative. Unable to sign employment contracts, many have been stuck in low-paid, informal jobs and excluded from basic services such as primary health care. "It’s like a gift from God," one Bangladeshi street vendor in Madrid told The Guardian, explaining that legal status will let him find formal work and reunite with his family. NGOs that provide food banks, language classes and legal aid say they expect a surge in demand for document-gathering workshops and digital-application assistance in the run-up to April.
Politically, however, the amnesty is polarising. The conservative Partido Popular and far-right Vox have denounced the move as an incentive for illegal immigration and a strain on public services. The government counters that previous regularisations—in 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2005—boosted tax revenue and did not trigger so-called "pull factors". Academic studies on the 2005 amnesty found that newly regularised workers’ taxes increased by roughly €4,000 per person per year without a subsequent spike in arrivals.
Practically speaking, companies that rely on non-EU labour should act now: identify staff who meet the five-month residence rule, gather proof of continuous stay (rent receipts, remittances, medical appointments), and prepare employment contracts so that workers can transition seamlessly once their initial one-year permits expire. Immigration lawyers warn that biometric appointments at foreigners’ offices (extranjerías) are likely to book out quickly, so early scheduling will be essential. HR teams should also review payroll systems to ensure newly regularised employees are added to social security from day one.
