Spain’s extraordinary regularisation process for undocumented migrants closed on June 30, drawing 1,174,968 applications, information from initial figures from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The total far exceeded the government’s original estimate of 500,000 to 750,000, signalling strong demand for legal status among foreign residents. Royal Decree 316/2026, dated April 14, established the process. Applications were accepted from April 16 through June 30.
Of the applications received, 609,737 had been admitted for processing by July 2, while about 11,000 approvals had been reported by July. These are separate stages: submitting an application or having it admitted for processing does not mean an applicant has been granted legal status. Nearly 70% of applicants, or 787,235 people, came from Central and South America. Africa followed with 269,070 applications. Colombia led all nationalities, accounting for 26% of the total. Morocco accounted for 13.3%, while Venezuela made up 11.8%.
About 80% of those seeking regularisation were migrants who had been living and working in Spain without legal status. The remaining 20% had previously applied for international protection because of war, conflict or threats to life, then applied through this extraordinary process. The ministry’s breakdown puts the shares at approximately 79.6% through the extraordinary rootedness route and 20.4% among people who had previously sought international protection. The figures so cover applicants with different legal histories and circumstances.
The distribution of applications across Spain reflects its population centres. Madrid received the most requests, with 202,424. Barcelona followed with 192,195, and Valencia received 74,951. Provinces with smaller migrant populations recorded fewer applications: Palencia had 2,075, Soria 2,069 and Zamora 1,950.
Men accounted for most applicants, with 669,737 submissions compared with 505,241 from women. Applicants were also predominantly young: 81% were under 45. People aged 25 to 34 formed the largest group, with 367,768 requests.
Preliminary results from a voluntary survey completed by 36,187 foreign nationals indicate high education levels among respondents. Two-thirds reported education beyond the compulsory level: 43% had a high school diploma or vocational qualification, and 24% held a university degree. Eight in ten respondents reported full proficiency in Spanish. Another 40% were familiar with the co-official languages of their autonomous communities. Online submissions accounted for 83.2% of applications, making digital filing the process’s basic channel.
The government now has to decide applications within the procedure’s three-month period, counted from registration. Under the reported rules, failure to issue a decision within that period is treated as a refusal. Applicants approved for regularisation receive a one-year residence and work permit valid throughout Spain. It allows them to work as employees or self-employed workers across economic sectors. After a positive decision, they must obtain a Foreigner Identity Card, or Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero, within one month.
The unexpectedly high volume shows the scale of the process for Spain’s migrant population and administrative system. On June 30, the day the application window closed, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presented an Integration and Citizenship Plan. The regularisation was part of a broader government agenda on migrant integration and citizenship.
Spain has undertaken several regularisation initiatives over the past two decades, but none attracted as many applications in such a short period. The current process was designed to address humanitarian needs and labour-market realities, offering a legal pathway for people already integrated into Spanish society. The concentration of applications in major urban areas reflects broader migration patterns. Madrid and Barcelona are hubs for economic chance and community networks, while Valencia also drew a large number of requests. The demographic profile, with many young adults of working age and applicants who have education and Spanish-language skills, suggests that many are already contributing to the Spanish economy, including through informal work. The effects on the labour market and social services will depend on the decisions made as applications are processed. Those decisions will also shape integration policies.
