Spain Approves Mass Regularisation, Opening Legal Path for 500,000 Undocumented Migrants
Civil-Service Union Calls Indefinite Strike at Extranjería Offices Ahead of Regularisation Rush
Spain Tops 2026 Global Digital-Nomad Visa Index, Dethroning Portugal
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Spanish Government Poised to Approve Mass Regularisation for 500,000 Migrants
The Council of Ministers is expected to approve on 14 April a one-off regularisation that will legalise the status of roughly 500,000 undocumented migrants already living in Spain. Eligible applicants include pre-2026 asylum-seekers and economic migrants resident since at least July 2025, provided they have no criminal record. Successful applicants will receive a one-year work-authorised residence card that can later be converted to ordinary permits. The measure could ease labour shortages but requires companies to plan compliance and onboarding processes.
Barcelona Doubles Tourist-Accommodation Tax, Pushing Nightly Levy to €12–14
Barcelona’s tourist-accommodation tax doubled on 1 April, meaning travellers now pay up to €12–14 per person per night in five-star hotels and up to €11 for short cruise calls. The revenue funds housing and crowd-management measures but raises per-diem and MICE costs for businesses sending staff to Catalonia.
Canary Islands Urge Legal Clarity as Spain Begins Transfer of Unaccompanied Migrant Minors
Spain has begun moving small groups of unaccompanied migrant minors from the Canary Islands to mainland shelters, but the Canarian government on 13 April demanded stronger legal assurances to keep the programme on track. Slow transfer rates risk prolonging overcrowding in island facilities and require mainland regions to mobilise education and social-care resources quickly.
Madrid Bar Association Slams Government Campaign that Sidelines Immigration Lawyers
On 13 April the Madrid Bar Association condemned a new government information campaign for suggesting migrants do not need specialised lawyers to navigate Spain’s immigration procedures. ICAM warns that sidelining legal professionals could undermine the upcoming mass regularisation and expose applicants to errors and fraud.