Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s extraordinary migrant regularisation process has received around 900,000 applications, far more than the government initially expected and enough to make it one of the largest such processes in the country’s recent history.
The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration has confirmed that the figure is still provisional and may include duplications or applications that need filtering. Even so, it is already far above the government’s original estimate of around 500,000 applications.
The deadline to apply is 30 June, meaning the final number could rise further in the coming days.
A bigger response than expected
The regularisation process opened in April and is aimed at people already living in Spain who meet specific conditions.
El País reports that around 360,000 applications have already been admitted for processing. That does not mean every case has been approved, but it shows the scale of the administrative workload now facing immigration offices, social organisations and local support services.
The current process is likely to exceed the 2005 regularisation under José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, when more than 570,000 people were regularised after more than 690,000 applications.
This time, the number of requests has already reached 900,000 with two weeks still to go.
Who can apply?
The process is not an open-ended amnesty. Applicants must meet formal requirements.
According to the government, people must have been in Spain before 1 January 2026 and must prove at least five months of continuous residence before submitting their application. They must also have no criminal record and must not pose a threat to public order, public security or public health.
The government has also said the process gives special protection to minors, with residence authorisation for children under certain family circumstances.
The aim is to give legal status and work authorisation to people who are already in Spain, rather than create a new route for people arriving from outside the country.
Why Spain is doing this now
Spain’s approach sits in contrast to the tougher migration language now common in several European countries.
While the European Union’s new migration and asylum pact brings faster border screening, stricter procedures and more emphasis on returns, Spain is also trying to bring people already living in the country into the legal labour market.
Reuters reports that the legalisation drive is intended to integrate undocumented people into formal work, with sectors such as hospitality and elderly care among those heavily dependent on migrant labour. For Spain, the issue is not only humanitarian. It is also economic.
Many people without papers already work informally in care, agriculture, hospitality, domestic work, construction and other sectors where labour demand remains high. Regularisation can move some of that work into the tax and social security system.
A labour-market issue, not only a border issue
The regularisation process highlights a central contradiction in Spain’s migration debate.
The country faces pressure over irregular arrivals, especially through the Canary Islands route. At the same time, parts of the economy depend on migrant workers, including people who are already here but remain stuck outside the formal system.
Supporters of the process argue that regularisation gives workers rights, reduces exploitation and allows the state to collect tax and social security contributions.
El País reports that academic studies have estimated a possible net fiscal benefit of around €4,000 per person regularised.
Critics, including Vox and parts of the political right, argue that such measures can encourage irregular migration or place extra pressure on public services.
Delays and pressure on the system
The record number of applications is also exposing pressure inside Spain’s immigration administration.
Reuters reports that around 360,000 temporary work permits have already been issued, allowing some applicants to work while their cases are processed. However, it also notes long-standing delays in Spain’s immigration system, with many people spending months or years in legal uncertainty.
In some areas, charities, lawyers, and migrant-support groups say demand has overwhelmed the available appointments and advice services.
Cadena SER reported concerns in the Pitiusas, where local organisations warned that the process was moving too slowly and that some applicants may struggle to gather paperwork before the deadline.
That pressure is likely to intensify as 30 June approaches.
Why the 30 June deadline matters
The deadline is important because people who do not apply in time may remain outside the legal system.
CEAR, the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid, says the application window runs from 16 April to 30 June and lists the process as a specific extraordinary regularisation route for people already living in Spain.
For those who qualify, the process can mean the difference between informal work and legal employment, between fear of checks and administrative stability, and between invisibility and access to rights.
For employers, it may also mean being able to regularise workers in sectors where informal employment has long been common.
A sensitive political backdrop
The record number of applications lands during a politically sensitive week for migration in Spain and Europe.
The EU migration and asylum pact has now begun applying across the bloc, bringing stricter procedures for people arriving at external borders. At the same time, Pope Leo XIV ended his visit to Spain in the Canary Islands with a strong message on migration and human dignity.
Spain is therefore trying to balance two very different pressures: managing borders and recognising the reality of people already living inside the country. However, that balance will not satisfy everyone.
For some, the process is a necessary correction for a system that leaves too many workers undocumented. For others, it is politically risky and too generous at a time when migration remains one of Europe’s most divisive issues.
The real test comes after the applications
The headline figure is striking: 900,000 applications before the deadline has even closed. But the real test will come next. Spain now has to process the cases, filter duplicates, check eligibility, issue decisions and ensure that people who qualify can enter the labour market properly.
If the system works, it could bring hundreds of thousands of people out of the shadows and into legal work, tax contributions and social protection. But if it stalls, Spain risks creating another backlog, with people still waiting in uncertainty despite having come forward.
For now, one thing is clear: the scale of the response shows how many people were already living, working and building lives in Spain without stable legal status.