Spain’s largest mass-regularisation drive in two decades has attracted far more interest than officials predicted. The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security & Migration confirmed on 15 June that 900,000 undocumented migrants had already filed for the one-year residence-and-work permits created by Royal Decree 316/2026. When the window opened on 16 April, the government expected about 500,000 filings over the ten-week period that ends on 30 June. Under the decree, foreign nationals who can prove they were living in Spain before 1 January 2026 and have remained continuously for at least five months may apply, provided they have no serious criminal record and pay the €38.28 processing fee. Two new routes sit at the heart of the measure: one for people who lodged an asylum claim before 2026, and another—arraigo extraordinario (extraordinary residence by roots)—that covers job holders, family ties or demonstrated social vulnerability. Applicants are authorised to work as soon as their file enters the system, a change that will also apply to future “roots” applications. The Sánchez administration frames the move as a labour-market necessity and a question of social justice. Spain faces acute shortages in hospitality, agriculture, construction and elder-care, while its population ages and unemployment continues to fall. Pulling workers out of the shadow economy should expand the contributory base of the social-security system.
![Spain’s extraordinary migrant regularisation programme tops 900,000 applications two weeks before deadline]()
For those looking to take advantage of the opportunity, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Through its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the company offers up-to-date guidance, document checklists and online filing assistance, helping both workers and HR teams submit accurate applications and plan for subsequent visa or residence upgrades.
Think-tank Funcas estimates that roughly 840,000 people have been living in an irregular situation; other NGOs place the figure above one million. For employers, the immediate impact is a surge in legally employable talent—particularly in services and seasonal agriculture—without the bureaucratic delays that plague standard work-permit routes. Companies that already have undocumented staff on their books have an incentive to support their applications in order to avoid future sanctions. Multinationals should review their compliance procedures and update onboarding policies so that newly regularised workers are captured in payroll and tax systems from day one. Politically, the programme has reopened Spain’s long-running debate over mass regularisation. Supporters argue that inclusion reduces exploitation and boosts revenues; critics claim it will encourage further irregular arrivals. Whatever the verdict, the sheer scale—easily on course to break the 2005 record of 691,655 approvals—marks Spain out as the EU’s most migration-friendly large economy in 2026.
For those looking to take advantage of the opportunity, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Through its dedicated Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/), the company offers up-to-date guidance, document checklists and online filing assistance, helping both workers and HR teams submit accurate applications and plan for subsequent visa or residence upgrades.
Think-tank Funcas estimates that roughly 840,000 people have been living in an irregular situation; other NGOs place the figure above one million. For employers, the immediate impact is a surge in legally employable talent—particularly in services and seasonal agriculture—without the bureaucratic delays that plague standard work-permit routes. Companies that already have undocumented staff on their books have an incentive to support their applications in order to avoid future sanctions. Multinationals should review their compliance procedures and update onboarding policies so that newly regularised workers are captured in payroll and tax systems from day one. Politically, the programme has reopened Spain’s long-running debate over mass regularisation. Supporters argue that inclusion reduces exploitation and boosts revenues; critics claim it will encourage further irregular arrivals. Whatever the verdict, the sheer scale—easily on course to break the 2005 record of 691,655 approvals—marks Spain out as the EU’s most migration-friendly large economy in 2026.
