Spain Plans Extraordinary Regularization for Half a Million Immigrants

The Spanish government has announced a major new immigration policy that could benefit hundreds of thousands of people living in the country without legal status. This move was agreed by the government and its left-wing partner, Podemos, and is expected to be carried out through a royal decree starting in 2026.

What the Policy Is

According to official reports and media coverage, Spain’s cabinet has approved the start of an extraordinary regularization process for migrants who are currently in an irregular situation. This means people who have been living in Spain without proper legal residency could obtain official documentation and the right to work.

Under the plan:

• Applicants must have lived in Spain for at least five months before applying.

• They must have arrived no later than 31 December 2025.

• They must have no significant criminal record.

• If approved, they will receive a one-year residence permit with work rights, and it can later be converted to longer-term status.

How Many Could Benefit

The government estimates that around 500,000 migrants could benefit from this regularization, though some sources suggest the number could be higher, up to 800,000. Immigrant rights organizations and analysts describe this as one of the largest regularization efforts in recent Spanish history.

Spanish officials say the goal is to better integrate people who already live and work in the country, improve access to legal employment, and remove bureaucratic barriers that have left many immigrants without legal status. The measure is also seen as part of wider efforts to manage demographic changes and labor market needs.

This regularization follows earlier similar actions in Spain. Since the return of democracy, Spanish governments have periodically approved large-scale regularizations of migrants, including major programs in the 1990s and in 2005.

The policy has been praised by advocacy groups and parties supporting migrant rights as a step toward fairness and social inclusion. However, critics from conservative and right-wing parties argue that such regularizations can encourage irregular migration and strain public services, even though proponents emphasize proper conditions and requirements for eligibility.

The Spanish government is expected to begin accepting applications in April 2026, and the process may remain open for several months as authorities define final legal details and administrative procedures.