Spain’s National Police issued an unprecedented nationwide alert late on 12 February after detecting a 60 percent jump in reports of lost or stolen passports during the first three weeks of 2026. Investigators from the General Commissariat for Foreigners and Border Control (CGEF) say the surge is directly linked to the extraordinary regularisation decree approved by the Sánchez government on 27 January, which will allow undocumented migrants who can prove they were in Spain before 31 December 2025 to obtain one-year residence and work permits.
According to the police bulletin seen by SUR in English, some migrants are allegedly filing false loss-or-theft complaints in order to create an official paper trail demonstrating their physical presence in Spain before the cut-off date. Preliminary data show the steepest rises among Pakistani (+867 %), Algerian (+356 %), Moroccan (+114 %) and Colombian (+35 %) nationals. Police unions warn that immigration units—already short-staffed—are being inundated with fraudulent declarations, potentially slowing legitimate regularisation requests.
The CGEF has instructed precincts to carry out full identity checks and criminal-record searches whenever a foreign national files a lost-passport report. Officers have also been told to cross-reference the individual with existing asylum or expulsion files.
![Spanish Police Warn of ‘Lost Passport’ Scam Ahead of Mass Regularisation]()
Individuals and companies looking for a lawful route through Spain’s changing immigration landscape can benefit from the step-by-step assistance provided by VisaHQ. The service’s online platform—found at https://www.visahq.com/spain/—offers up-to-date information and personalised guidance on Spanish visas, residence permits and related documentation, helping applicants avoid mistakes or shortcuts that could jeopardise their legal status.
Union spokespersons argue that failing to tighten procedures could “turn police stations into factories for administrative fraud” and undermine public confidence in the regularisation process.
For employers that rely on foreign labour, the alert is a reminder to review onboarding procedures and ensure future hires complete Spain’s identity-verification steps. Immigration advisers recommend that companies inform undocumented staff of legal pathways and discourage them from engaging in document fraud, which carries penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment.
While the government insists the upcoming amnesty will bring some 500,000 people “out of the shadows” and boost tax revenues, the passport scam illustrates the operational challenges of balancing humanitarian goals with document integrity and Schengen-area security.
According to the police bulletin seen by SUR in English, some migrants are allegedly filing false loss-or-theft complaints in order to create an official paper trail demonstrating their physical presence in Spain before the cut-off date. Preliminary data show the steepest rises among Pakistani (+867 %), Algerian (+356 %), Moroccan (+114 %) and Colombian (+35 %) nationals. Police unions warn that immigration units—already short-staffed—are being inundated with fraudulent declarations, potentially slowing legitimate regularisation requests.
The CGEF has instructed precincts to carry out full identity checks and criminal-record searches whenever a foreign national files a lost-passport report. Officers have also been told to cross-reference the individual with existing asylum or expulsion files.
Individuals and companies looking for a lawful route through Spain’s changing immigration landscape can benefit from the step-by-step assistance provided by VisaHQ. The service’s online platform—found at https://www.visahq.com/spain/—offers up-to-date information and personalised guidance on Spanish visas, residence permits and related documentation, helping applicants avoid mistakes or shortcuts that could jeopardise their legal status.
Union spokespersons argue that failing to tighten procedures could “turn police stations into factories for administrative fraud” and undermine public confidence in the regularisation process.
For employers that rely on foreign labour, the alert is a reminder to review onboarding procedures and ensure future hires complete Spain’s identity-verification steps. Immigration advisers recommend that companies inform undocumented staff of legal pathways and discourage them from engaging in document fraud, which carries penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment.
While the government insists the upcoming amnesty will bring some 500,000 people “out of the shadows” and boost tax revenues, the passport scam illustrates the operational challenges of balancing humanitarian goals with document integrity and Schengen-area security.
