In an address released on social media late on 2 February, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez doubled-down on his government’s decision to grant residence and work permits to roughly half a million people who are currently living in Spain without legal status. The royal-decree process—expected to open for applications in early April—will cover anyone who can prove five months of residence in Spain before 31 December 2025 and who has no criminal record.
Sánchez framed the measure as “an investment in dignity, community and growth”, arguing that the vast majority of beneficiaries are already woven into Spain’s labour market in sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, logistics and care work. According to the Ministry of Inclusion, regularisation will immediately authorise one year of open work permission (five years for minors) and create a pathway to longer-term permits and, eventually, citizenship.
For applicants who need guidance pulling together paperwork—or companies assisting them—VisaHQ offers tailored support. Through its Spain-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service tracks every regulatory update, helps secure police certificates and proof-of-address documents, and provides end-to-end filing assistance, making the new regularisation route far easier to navigate.
![Spanish Prime Minister defends historic plan to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants]()
The move stems from a 2024 citizens’ initiative, backed by over 700,000 signatures, the Catholic Church and almost 900 NGOs. It breaks with the restrictive stance now common elsewhere in Europe and the United States and echoes previous Spanish amnesties in 1986, 1991, 2000 and 2005. Supporters say the decree will pull workers out of the informal economy, boost social-security revenues and give companies legal certainty when hiring.
Critics on the right, however, warn that granting status will strain housing and public services and act as a pull-factor for future irregular migration. Business groups are largely supportive but caution that processing capacity must be increased to avoid backlogs when the online portal opens. HR and mobility managers should begin identifying employees or dependants who might qualify, as the initial 90-day application window is expected to be strict.
For global-mobility teams, the practical takeaway is clear: undocumented staff or family members can move onto the payroll legally in 2026 if documentation (especially proof of address and police clearances) is gathered now. Companies that rely heavily on seasonal or contract workers may also find recruiting easier once today’s shadow workforce gains work authorisation.
Sánchez framed the measure as “an investment in dignity, community and growth”, arguing that the vast majority of beneficiaries are already woven into Spain’s labour market in sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, logistics and care work. According to the Ministry of Inclusion, regularisation will immediately authorise one year of open work permission (five years for minors) and create a pathway to longer-term permits and, eventually, citizenship.
For applicants who need guidance pulling together paperwork—or companies assisting them—VisaHQ offers tailored support. Through its Spain-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the service tracks every regulatory update, helps secure police certificates and proof-of-address documents, and provides end-to-end filing assistance, making the new regularisation route far easier to navigate.
The move stems from a 2024 citizens’ initiative, backed by over 700,000 signatures, the Catholic Church and almost 900 NGOs. It breaks with the restrictive stance now common elsewhere in Europe and the United States and echoes previous Spanish amnesties in 1986, 1991, 2000 and 2005. Supporters say the decree will pull workers out of the informal economy, boost social-security revenues and give companies legal certainty when hiring.
Critics on the right, however, warn that granting status will strain housing and public services and act as a pull-factor for future irregular migration. Business groups are largely supportive but caution that processing capacity must be increased to avoid backlogs when the online portal opens. HR and mobility managers should begin identifying employees or dependants who might qualify, as the initial 90-day application window is expected to be strict.
For global-mobility teams, the practical takeaway is clear: undocumented staff or family members can move onto the payroll legally in 2026 if documentation (especially proof of address and police clearances) is gathered now. Companies that rely heavily on seasonal or contract workers may also find recruiting easier once today’s shadow workforce gains work authorisation.
