Euronews’ verification desk, The Cube, has debunked a wave of social-media posts claiming that the half-million undocumented migrants being regularised by Spain will be able to move permanently to France and the rest of the European Union. Under Royal Decree-Law 316/2026, people who can prove they have lived in Spain for at least five months before 1 January 2026 may apply—between 16 April and 30 June—for a one-year residence-and-work permit that is renewable. As migration-policy analyst Monique Pariat told Euronews, that status is “valid only for Spain.” Like any other third-country national with a Spanish residence card, beneficiaries may visit other Schengen states for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, but they are not entitled to work or settle there unless they qualify for a separate national permit. Those looking for detailed, step-by-step guidance on Spanish visas and residence permits can turn to VisaHQ, whose Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) compiles the latest eligibility criteria, document checklists and processing times—making the regularisation process and any subsequent travel planning much easier. The distinction matters for employers and relocation managers across Spain. Staff who are regularised can travel on short business trips elsewhere in the EU, yet companies must still secure the appropriate work authorisations—such as the ICT Permit or Vander Elst procedure—before placing them on longer assignments abroad. Failure to do so could trigger steep fines under Directive 2009/52/EC on unauthorised employment. Politically, the fact-check tempers criticism from France’s far-right National Rally, which had urged Paris to “close the border” in response to what it portrayed as an open-door policy. The Spanish government is now using the clarification to argue that its programme balances humanitarian goals with controlled mobility, while also plugging chronic labour shortages in agriculture, hospitality and elder-care. For global mobility teams the takeaway is clear: the new permit regularises stay and employment in Spain only. Multinationals should update internal travel-compliance tools to flag the 90/180-day Schengen rule and work closely with destination-country providers when seconding newly regularised staff outside Spain.
