Queues at the immigration office in Donostia ahead of the April regularization.

In the Immigration Office of San Sebastián —it is in Amara— these days you can feel the hustle and bustle. It opens only from nine to twelve, by appointment only, but still lines form. This Monday, about twenty people were waiting their turn. The reason? The extraordinary regularization that the Government has announced for April. So you know, get moving if you want to get an appointment.

Applications can be submitted from the beginning of April until June 30, 2026. However, to qualify you need to prove at least five months of residence in Spain as of December 31, 2025. And watch out, you cannot have a criminal record here or in the countries where you have lived in the last five years. The initial authorization lasts one year and allows you to work from the moment your application is accepted. So hurry up.

One of the most requested documents is the criminal record certificate. In the Basque Country you can request it online —at the Electronic Headquarters of the Ministry of Justice— or in person at the Territorial Management of Justice in Bilbao and at the sub-delegations of Vitoria-Gasteiz and San Sebastián. But it is not so easy. Wendoly Suárez, from Honduras, says: 'I requested an appointment and the times are stretching for days. At the office itself they did not know how to tell me where to manage a document for my son.' Valeria Ruiz, from Nicaragua, also went first thing in the morning to find out about the papers she will need in April. So, things are not clear.

Watch out, it is not only in Donostia. In Barcelona, dozens of Pakistanis have lined up at their consulate to request the criminal record certificate. In the Basque Country, they estimate that about 20,000 foreign people could benefit. The Basque Government recommends going to Aholku Sarea —the Basque Network of Legal Assistance in Immigration— if you have doubts. Stay alert.

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