Spain’s long-awaited “Extraordinary Regularisation Process” officially opened on 26 April after the government published Royal Decree 316/2026 earlier in the month. The five-month programme allows certain non-EU nationals who can prove they were resident in Spain before 1 January 2026 to apply for a renewable one-year residence authorisation that permits full access to the labour market. On opening day, the Ministry of Inclusion confirmed that more than 60 000 electronic applications were submitted before noon, in addition to tens of thousands of in-person requests lodged at Correos branches, Social-Security offices and five specially designated Extranjería counters. Officials expect the scheme to benefit at least half a million people, many of whom have been working informally in agriculture, hospitality and logistics. The government argues the move will boost tax revenues, reduce exploitation and help fill Spain’s chronic labour shortages in low-wage sectors. Business groups have cautiously welcomed the initiative. Regularisation will allow multinational employers to transfer or hire talent previously locked out of the formal market, while also reducing compliance risks linked to undeclared work. Consultancy EY estimates that bringing 500 000 workers onto payrolls could generate €1.3 billion in additional social-security contributions over two years. Corporate HR teams are nevertheless warning of bottlenecks, particularly around obtaining police-clearance certificates and proof of continuous residence. Politically, the decree has reignited Spain’s perennial migration debate. The opposition Partido Popular says the measure could act as a “pull factor” for irregular migration, while far-right Vox accuses the Sánchez government of “rewarding illegality”. The government counters that eligibility is narrowly drawn and that empirical studies show regularised migrants contribute more in taxes than they receive in benefits. For foreign assignees and mobility managers, the practical takeaway is clear: companies with undocumented workers now have a path to full compliance but must act quickly. Lawyers advise submitting complete digital files to avoid the slower, in-person route and to start gathering overseas criminal-record documents immediately, as these can take weeks to obtain.
Source: News Minimalist / ara.cat
