Nearly 1 Million Apply as Spain Completes Historic Immigration Regularization
MADRID, Spain — Spain’s extraordinary immigration regularization process has officially concluded after two and a half months, receiving nearly one million applications. This figure doubles the initial government projections and highlights that the need for legal status was far greater than anticipated, marking what is expected to be the largest regularization effort in the country since the 1980s.
Spain Receives Record 900,000 Migrant Regularization Applications
While the final official count will likely be adjusted to remove duplicate submissions and ineligible files, non-governmental organizations estimate the final number of approved regularizations will approach 900,000. According to data managed by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, the applications reflect a diverse demographic. Colombian nationals account for 30 percent of the total submissions, followed by Moroccans at 14 percent, Venezuelans at 10 percent, and Peruvians at 9 percent.
The decree allowed immigrants to obtain a one-year residence and work permit if they could prove they were in Spain before January 1, 2026, and had remained in the country for at least five months, provided they had no criminal record. However, the rollout faced significant logistical hurdles. The initial weeks of the process were marked by organizational chaos, widespread disinformation, and overwhelming demand. Long queues formed at municipal offices, immigration bureaus, and consulates as applicants rushed to secure mandatory documentation, such as proof of residency and criminal background checks from their home countries. Obtaining these foreign criminal records proved particularly difficult for nationals from countries with less efficient administrative systems, such as Algeria and Venezuela.
La regularización masiva de inmigrantes ilegales de Sánchez supera el millón de solicitudes a un día del cierre del plazohttps://t.co/MoKz43Mf4j
— LA GACETA (@gaceta_es) June 29, 2026
Representatives from the nearly 500 collaborating organizations noted that the sheer volume of applications underscores the massive undocumented population already living and working in the country. Advocacy leaders emphasized that the process successfully identified a vast number of individuals who were already integrated into the local economy but lacked legal standing. Despite the positive outcomes, the initiative was not without criticism. Several autonomous communities reproached the central government for implementing the decree without providing specific funding to cover the increased demand on public services like healthcare, education, and social assistance. Some regional governments even appealed the measure to the Constitutional Court, though a final ruling on the matter is still pending.
Furthermore, the process experienced administrative bottlenecks, particularly regarding the delay in notifying applicants of their admission and the subsequent issuance of physical residency cards by the police. These delays temporarily prevented some individuals from immediately entering the formal labor market. Nevertheless, advocacy groups maintain a highly positive outlook on the initiative’s overall impact. The regularization is expected to profoundly improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of individuals by granting them access to the formal labor market, healthcare, social security, and the ability to travel or reunite with their families without the constant fear of deportation.
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As the application window officially closes, the administrative process transitions into a new phase. The government has a three-month window to process each file, and support organizations will continue assisting applicants with document corrections and claims while they await final resolutions.
