The extraordinary regularization of immigrants already has a “manual”. The Executive has detailed this Tuesday the access criteria, deadlines and procedure to access a residence and work permit, in a process that seeks to bring out employment and provide legal coverage to hundreds of thousands of people who already live in Spain.
Who can avail themselves of the extraordinary regularization
The process is aimed at foreign individuals in an irregular administrative situation who meet a key condition:
- To have been in Spain before December 31, 2025
Additionally, they must prove:
- A minimum of 5 months of continuous stay in the country
The Government also includes:
- Asylum seekers presented before that date
The philosophy of the measure, according to the Executive, is to regularize an already existing situation, not to incentivize new arrivals.
Requirements: what must be met to obtain the papers
Access to regularization requires meeting several basic criteria:
- To not have a criminal record in Spain nor in the country of origin
- To not pose a threat to public order
- To prove the stay in Spain
One of the key points of the model is the flexibility in the proof of establishment. It will not be mandatory to be registered, as will be admitted:
- invoices or contracts
- medical reports
- money transfers
- any document that proves presence in Spain
Additionally, the Government will facilitate the obtaining of background certificates through consulates, to avoid administrative blockages.
What permit is obtained and what rights it includes
The regularization will allow access to:
- Residence and work permit from the beginning
- Registration with Social Security
- Access to the healthcare system
The authorization will have an initial duration of one year, with possibility of renewal.
One of the main novelties is that it will not be necessary to have a prior contract, which breaks with previous regularization models.
How to apply for regularization: steps and channels
The procedure will be accessible through several channels:
- Application online
- Immigration Offices
- Social Security
- Post Offices
The Government has announced an administrative reinforcement with more staff and offices to manage the volume of files.
From when can it be requested and until when: official deadlines
The calendar set after the Council of Ministers is the following:
- 📅 April 16, 2026 → start of online applications
- 📅 April 20, 2026 → start of in-person applications
- 📅 June 30, 2026 → deadline end
The resolution period will be up to three months, although with the admission for processing it will be allowed to work from the first moment.
Keys of the model: rapid regularization and without prior contract
The design of the Government introduces several relevant changes:
- Elimination of the initial contract requirement
- Flexibility in the accreditation of stay
- Activation of the permit from the application
- Massive and time-limited procedure
The Executive estimates that the measure could benefit a minimum of 500,000 people, in the first regularization of this type in more than two decades.
Integration and labor market
In the press conference after the Council of Ministers, minister Elma Saiz has defended the measure as a tool with “social, political, and economic legitimacy”.
The objective, according to the Government, is double: to integrate already resident population and to bring to light employment and contributions to the system.
What changes for migrants from April
The extraordinary regularization implies a clear operational turn:
- broader and less bureaucratic access
- possibility to work without waiting for a resolution
- process concentrated in barely two and a half months
With this, the Executive seeks to accelerate the transition from the informal economy to the formal and to reinforce the social protection system.