Spain regularise migrants under a new government-backed pathway that aims to bring roughly 500,000 undocumented people and some asylum seekers into the legal labor market starting in April 2026.
What Spain approved
Spain regularise migrants through an “extraordinary regularisation” process launched by the government via royal decree, according to Reuters and Spanish government communications. The plan is designed to speed legal residence and work authorization for people already living in Spain. https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-grant-around-half-million-undocumented-migrants-legal-status-2026-01-27/
Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion said it is initiating the administrative process for the extraordinary regularisation and opened the text to public consultation. https://www.inclusion.gob.es/w/el-gobierno-inicia-los-tramites-de-un-proceso-de-regularizacion-extraordinaria-para-integrar-a-personas-extranjeras-que-ya-viven-en-espana
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the plan publicly and said it will take effect in April. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/02/pedro-sanchez-spain-defends-plans-regularise-migrants
Who qualifies, based on public reporting
Spain regularise migrants with eligibility rules aimed at people who can show they were already in the country by the end of 2025.
Reuters reported the pathway targets undocumented migrants who can prove they have been in Spain for at least about five months by end-2025 and who meet other requirements such as not having a criminal record. https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-grant-around-half-million-undocumented-migrants-legal-status-2026-01-27/
Spain’s government summary of the Council of Ministers decision also highlighted the “five months of residence before December 31, 2025” condition and the “no criminal record” requirement. https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/consejodeministros/resumenes/paginas/2026/270126-rueda-de-prensa-ministros.aspx
Reporting also says some asylum seekers are included if their asylum claims were filed by the end of 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-grant-around-half-million-undocumented-migrants-legal-status-2026-01-27/
Timing: April start and a limited window
Spain regularise migrants beginning in April 2026, with applications expected to be time-limited.
The Guardian reported the decree takes effect in April and described a time-limited application window. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/02/pedro-sanchez-spain-defends-plans-regularise-migrants
Several operational summaries circulating in Spain’s policy ecosystem also describe an April launch and a closing date later in 2026, but the most conservative approach is to treat the precise window as subject to the final implementing rules. https://www.inclusion.gob.es/w/el-gobierno-inicia-los-tramites-de-un-proceso-de-regularizacion-extraordinaria-para-integrar-a-personas-extranjeras-que-ya-viven-en-espana
What legal status applicants receive
Spain regularise migrants by granting a residence-and-work authorization if an application is approved. The Guardian reported successful applicants would receive a one-year legal residence permit. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/04/this-is-europe-spain-pedro-sanchez-migrants-regularise
Public reporting frames the measure as a “pathway” rather than an automatic, permanent status. Renewal and longer-term routes depend on existing immigration rules and the individual’s category.
Why the government says it is doing this
Spain regularise migrants as an economic and demographic policy, not only a humanitarian one.
Reuters reported the government is framing the move around labor needs and the reality that many undocumented migrants already work in sectors facing shortages. It also cited Spain’s aging population and the goal of improving integration and protections. https://www.reuters.com/world/spain-grant-around-half-million-undocumented-migrants-legal-status-2026-01-27/
Sánchez has argued the beneficiaries are already “part of society” and that legal status reduces exploitation while expanding formal contributions. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/02/pedro-sanchez-spain-defends-plans-regularise-migrants
Why this matters for business and markets
Spain regularise migrants is a labor-market and fiscal story. It can alter workforce availability, payroll compliance, and consumption dynamics.
First, formal work authorization can improve matching in labor-short sectors. Employers gain clearer hiring pathways. Workers gain protections and mobility.
Second, legalisation can broaden the tax base. More workers on formal payrolls can lift social-security contributions and reduce informality.
Third, the policy can affect housing and local services. Conservative and far-right critics argue regularisation could strain housing and public services and may incentivize new arrivals. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/spain-immigration-residency-0fvn8tl3r
For investors, the signal is policy direction. Spain regularise migrants reinforces Madrid’s pro-migration stance compared with more restrictive moves elsewhere in Europe. That can matter for long-run labor supply assumptions.
What to watch next
Spain regularise migrants will be judged by implementation.
The final application rules and documentary standards.
Processing capacity at immigration offices.
Employer compliance uptake and sectoral hiring effects.
Political spillovers, including whether opposition parties seek reversal.
Spain regularise migrants is designed to bring people already in Spain into the formal economy. The near-term outcome depends on execution, not intent.