Spain Set to Regularize Up to 840,000 Migrants with New Decree Following PSOE-Podemos Pact
Spain prepares to grant provisional residency permits to up to 840,000 migrants following PSOE-Podemos agreement, aiming to secure legal status and boost labor markets.
- • Spain to grant provisional residency permits to migrants with 5+ months continuous residence before Dec 31, 2025.
- • The decree targets 500,000 to 840,000 migrants to provide legal security and labor market integration.
- • Applicants can prove residence with medical records, residency registrations, or bank statements via a new online portal.
- • The initiative follows PSOE-Podemos pact and builds on a stalled 2024 Legislative Initiative with over 700,000 signatures.
- • The decree faces scrutiny in Brussels over Schengen impacts, but Spain defends it as necessary for social and labor needs.
Key details
The Spanish government is finalizing a royal decree to grant provisional residency permits to hundreds of thousands of migrants who have lived continuously in Spain for at least five months before December 31, 2025. This initiative arises from a political agreement between the PSOE and Podemos parties and aims to confer legal status to an estimated 500,000 to 840,000 foreigners currently residing in the country without formal authorization.
Applicants must demonstrate continuous residence, which can be proven with documents such as residency registrations, medical records, or bank statements. Additionally, applicants must have no criminal record. To streamline the process and avoid bureaucratic delays, the Ministry of Inclusion will launch a dedicated online platform where migrants can submit applications. The decree is expected to be published by the end of February, opening an 18-month window for submissions. Successful applicants may convert provisional permits into long-term residency provided they meet employment and residency conditions.
This measure revives the spirit of the 2024 Legislative Initiative (ILP), which gathered more than 700,000 signatures but was stalled in Congress. Social organizations have long pushed for these reforms to provide legal security and social integration opportunities for migrants contributing to Spain’s economy.
The government sees the decree as a pragmatic response to labor shortages in vital sectors such as construction, caregiving, and hospitality, facilitating the hiring of talent already present in the country rather than relying on external recruitment.
However, the decision has prompted mixed reactions from Brussels. Some Members of the European Parliament have called for an impact assessment on Schengen border management, while the European Commission clarified that Spanish residency permits do not automatically grant freedom of movement across the European Union. Despite this, Spain defends the decree as a responsible social policy aligning with practical labor market needs.
In summary, Spain’s new migrant regularization decree represents a significant step toward integrating a large undocumented population and addressing domestic labor demands, with implementation expected to begin imminently.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
