Spanish authorities have launched an emergency administrative legalization process for migrants already in the country without regularized status. The Council of Ministers approved the relevant royal decree on April 14, and the application period began on April 16 and will run until June 30, 2026. The government estimates that the measure could potentially cover approximately 500,000 people.
According to official explanations from the Spanish authorities, foreigners who were in Spain before January 1, 2026, have lived in the country continuously for at least five months, and have no criminal record are eligible to participate. Certain applicants for international protection are also included in the scheme. The measure is framed as an emergency measure and, according to Madrid, is intended to simultaneously reduce the informal labor market and address part of the labor shortage amid an aging population.
The Spanish government explicitly links the decision to the economy. An official Moncloa memo states that regularization should facilitate the integration of migrants already in the country into the legal labor market and the social security system. Experts note that Pedro Sánchez’s cabinet is presenting this initiative as a response to demographic aging and labor shortages in a number of sectors.
The scale of migration in Spain is indeed very large at present. According to data from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics, as of January 1, 2025, the country had a population of 49.13 million, of whom 14.1% held foreign citizenship and 19.3% were born outside Spain. As of January 1, 2026, the number of residents born abroad exceeded 10 million for the first time.
Among the largest foreign groups in Spain by nationality as of January 1, 2025, Moroccans led the way with 968,999 people, followed by Colombians with 676,534 and Romanians with 609,270. The INE also notes that in 2024, the largest increases were among citizens of Colombia, Venezuela, and Morocco, while notable decreases were seen among those from Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
There are also separate official statistics regarding Ukrainians. Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration reported that the number of Ukrainian citizens with valid residence permits in the country exceeded 338,000 in December 2025. This is one of the largest national groups among holders of valid residence permits outside the EU system.
In practical terms, this new legalization could further strengthen Spain’s role as one of the few major EU countries that are attempting not only to curb migration but also to bring people already in the country into the legal framework. For the labor market, this means a potential expansion of formal employment, and for the real estate, retail, agriculture, care, and service sectors—an influx of workers and consumers. But at the same time, the burden on immigration offices will increase; employees of these agencies have already threatened to strike due to a lack of resources to handle the new wave of applications.
