Spain’s once-in-a-generation regularisation drive for undocumented foreign nationals has smashed all forecasts. The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration confirmed on 15 June that 900,000 people have already lodged electronic or in-person files under Royal Decree 316/2026, which opened a three-month window (1 April-30 June) for those living in Spain before 1 January 2026 to obtain temporary residence and work authorisation. Officials originally expected about 500,000 petitions but say they now have capacity to process “up to one million”. Behind the avalanche lies brisk mobilisation by NGOs, trade unions and regional governments, which have set up hundreds of pop-up legal clinics from Barcelona’s Fira de Montjuïc to Seville’s Palacio de Congresos. According to Reuters, one-third of the 360,000 files already admitted to processing involve Latin-American nationals—mainly from Colombia, Venezuela and Peru—who have lived and worked irregularly for years. Applicants must prove continuous residence and a clean criminal record and must pay €38 in fees; biometric enrolment is done at police stations once the file is pre-approved.
![Spain’s Extraordinary Regularisation Campaign Surges to 900,000 Applications Two Weeks Before Deadline]()
Individuals who still need guidance on assembling the right paperwork—or who are considering alternative permits once the regularisation window closes—can turn to VisaHQ. The online platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers step-by-step checklists, document pre-screening and live support to help applicants, employers and relocation advisers move smoothly through Spain's ever-changing visa landscape.
Business groups broadly support the measure. Spain’s employers’ federation CEOE estimates that regularising hidden workers could add €3 billion to Social Security revenues during the first year and alleviate shortages in hospitality, construction and elder care ahead of the high tourist season. Labour economists at the Universidad Carlos III calculate a net fiscal benefit of €4,000 per regularised worker thanks to taxes and social contributions. Companies may directly hire successful applicants without having to test the labour market, provided they register standard employment contracts. Yet the surge has political costs. Opposition spokesman Borja Sémper accused the government of “flagrant improvisation” and warned that under-resourced immigration offices could collapse, lengthening decision times for other categories such as blue-card professionals. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska countered that 1,200 temporary staff, redeployed from the tax agency, are reinforcing back-office capacity and that 70 percent of files will be resolved within 60 days. For mobility managers the message is clear: workers who regularise now will gain full freedom to travel within Schengen once they receive their TIE residence card—expected no later than October. Employers with large shadow-workforces have a last-minute opportunity to legalise staff, but should ensure applications are filed before 23:59 on 30 June, after which the exceptional arraigo route will close and standard immigration channels and quotas will apply again.
Individuals who still need guidance on assembling the right paperwork—or who are considering alternative permits once the regularisation window closes—can turn to VisaHQ. The online platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers step-by-step checklists, document pre-screening and live support to help applicants, employers and relocation advisers move smoothly through Spain's ever-changing visa landscape.
Business groups broadly support the measure. Spain’s employers’ federation CEOE estimates that regularising hidden workers could add €3 billion to Social Security revenues during the first year and alleviate shortages in hospitality, construction and elder care ahead of the high tourist season. Labour economists at the Universidad Carlos III calculate a net fiscal benefit of €4,000 per regularised worker thanks to taxes and social contributions. Companies may directly hire successful applicants without having to test the labour market, provided they register standard employment contracts. Yet the surge has political costs. Opposition spokesman Borja Sémper accused the government of “flagrant improvisation” and warned that under-resourced immigration offices could collapse, lengthening decision times for other categories such as blue-card professionals. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska countered that 1,200 temporary staff, redeployed from the tax agency, are reinforcing back-office capacity and that 70 percent of files will be resolved within 60 days. For mobility managers the message is clear: workers who regularise now will gain full freedom to travel within Schengen once they receive their TIE residence card—expected no later than October. Employers with large shadow-workforces have a last-minute opportunity to legalise staff, but should ensure applications are filed before 23:59 on 30 June, after which the exceptional arraigo route will close and standard immigration channels and quotas will apply again.
