Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s government is expected to approve one of its most significant immigration measures in years, opening the way for around 500,000 undocumented migrants already living in the country to apply for legal status.
The proposal is due before the Council of Ministers today and would create an extraordinary regularisation process for people who can show they were already in Spain before the end of 2025 and meet a series of conditions.
For many families, employers and local communities, the change could be life-altering.
The plan is aimed at people who are already part of Spanish society but remain outside the formal system. That often means working without full protection, struggling to sign rental contracts, or being unable to regularise family life despite having lived in Spain for months.
Under the government’s earlier outline, applicants would need to prove at least five months of residence before 31 December 2025 and show they have no criminal record.
A key issue has been how applicants can obtain criminal record certificates from their countries of origin. According to El País, the government intends to help with that process through diplomatic channels where documents are difficult to secure.
The measure is politically sensitive
Supporters argue that Spain needs a practical route for people who are already living and working in the country to enter the legal economy. That could increase tax and social security contributions, reduce exploitation and help sectors that rely heavily on migrant labour.
Critics, including opposition figures, say the policy risks creating a wider European problem if newly regularised residents later try to move elsewhere in the EU.
For British and other foreign residents in Spain, the story matters beyond politics. It touches employers, domestic workers, care roles, hospitality, agriculture and construction sectors where paperwork, contracts and social security registration can affect both workers and those who hire them.
The government has presented the move as an integration measure, not an open-door policy. The process is expected to apply only to people who can prove they were already in Spain within the required timeframe.
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Documents and appointments
If approved, the practical details will be crucial: when applications open, what documents are accepted, how appointments are managed and how long approvals take.
For now, anyone affected should wait for the final official text before paying advisers or submitting paperwork.