Spain’s 10-week extraordinary regularization drive for undocumented migrants closed its electronic portal at midnight on 29 June, far surpassing the government’s own projections. According to figures cited by EL PAÍS, more than 900,000 applications had been lodged by mid-June and internal platform counters now suggest well over 1.3 million submissions. The programme, which opened on 15 April under Royal Decree 316/2026, offers a provisional work-and-residence permit to foreigners who 1) entered Spain before 1 January 2026 and 2) can prove at least five consecutive months of presence. Officials at the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration have three months to adjudicate each case, but sources tell EL PAÍS that several hundred thousand files have already received a positive decision. Business groups and trade unions back the initiative, arguing it will channel irregular labour into the formal economy, broaden the Social Security base and help fill Spain’s chronic vacancies in agriculture, hospitality and elder care. The surge in demand has also revived political debate. Centre-right and far-right opposition parties label the decree a “pull factor,” while the governing coalition insists that most applicants are already economically active in Spain and simply need legal status to access full worker protections. Civil-society organisations that collected 700,000 signatures for an earlier citizens’ bill welcomed the numbers, calling the process “a lifeline of dignity.” From a corporate-mobility standpoint, the measure could significantly expand Spain’s pool of work-authorised talent just as companies battle post-pandemic labour shortages. Immigration lawyers, however, warn HR teams to brace for processing backlogs and to verify that new hires have completed biometric enrolment and have a provisional residency card (TIE) before onboarding. Practical tip: employers may sponsor candidates by issuing a conditional employment contract, but they must register the worker in Social Security within one month of favourable approval or the file will be revoked. HR departments should therefore align recruitment calendars with the ministry’s three-month adjudication window and prepare compliance documentation in advance.
Source: EL PAÍS
