Spain Launches Mass Regularization Program for Over 500,000 Irregular Immigrants in 2026
Spain's government has launched a major extraordinary regularization program to legalize over 500,000 irregular immigrants by mid-2026, aiming to reduce illegal residency and expand access to social services.
- • Spain will regularize around 60% of its estimated 840,000 irregular immigrants through a government-led program without parliamentary approval.
- • Applicants must prove residency before December 31, 2025, have lived in Spain for at least five months, and have no significant criminal records.
- • Successful applicants will receive provisional residence permits granting work authorization and access to healthcare and social security.
- • The initiative follows a 2005 precedent and aims to reduce labor exploitation, increase tax contributions, and aid employers facing workforce shortages.
Key details
The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in coalition with the Podemos party, has announced a groundbreaking mass regularization program aimed at offering legal status to more than 500,000 irregular immigrants living in Spain. This initiative marks Spain's first large-scale regularization effort in two decades and sets a fast-track pathway to legal residence for individuals who can prove they were residing in the country before December 31, 2025.
According to official sources, the program targets nearly 60% of the estimated 840,000 undocumented immigrants currently in Spain, primarily from Latin American countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Honduras. Applicants must demonstrate continuous residency for at least five months, provide proof such as local registration or medical records, and have no significant criminal records. Once approved, beneficiaries will receive a one-year provisional residence permit, renewable under standard terms, with the rights to work legally, access public healthcare, and register for social security.
The regularization process does not require Congressional approval and will be enacted through a Royal Decree approved by the Council of Ministers. The application window will remain open until June 30, during which existing deportation orders related to applicants will be suspended. To manage expected administrative challenges, the Interior Ministry plans to deploy 400 temporary caseworkers and introduce an online application portal.
This initiative draws on the experience of a similar 2005 amnesty under former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, which successfully regularized over 565,000 people. It aims to reduce Spain's underground population, combat labor exploitation, and expand the tax base, while providing employers access to a wider pool of legally employable workers amid persistent job vacancies in sectors such as hospitality and elder care.
Civil society organizations have welcomed the program but caution against potential bureaucratic bottlenecks that may hamper efficiency. The government views this move not only as a humanitarian effort but also a political strategy to consolidate parliamentary support and revitalize governance amid political stagnation.
Experts note that irregular migration in Spain has surged over recent years, with estimates indicating an almost eightfold increase since 2017. This program represents a pivotal attempt to address the socio-economic challenges posed by an extensive population living without legal status.
As the application period opens, thousands of irregular migrants can soon transition from the shadows to formal recognition, marking a significant socio-political shift in Spain's immigration landscape.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
Source articles (3)
Source comparison
Historical regularization numbers
Sources report different figures for the number of residence permits issued in the 2005 regularization effort.
elmundo.es
"a similar approach taken in 2005 under former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, which successfully regularized over 565,000 individuals."
visahq.com
"the success of a similar amnesty in 2005, which issued 580,000 residence permits."
Why this matters: One source claims 565,000 permits were issued in 2005, while another states the number was 580,000. This difference in historical data could influence perceptions of the success of past regularization efforts.