The royal decree to regularize the status of hundreds of thousands of migrants already living in Spain is underway. The government has already begun the process, and according to its timeline, applications will open in the second quarter of 2026. Note: The application window will not remain open indefinitely. It closes on June 30 of that same year.
Who is eligible to apply? Anyone who was already in the country before January 1, 2026, and can prove five months of continuous residence at the time of submitting their application. It’s also intended for those with a pending or previously rejected application for international protection. If your asylum case has been stalled for months, don’t assume you’re out of the running. That said, the eligibility criteria still hinge on two standard requirements: having no criminal record and not posing a threat to public order.
If the application is approved, you’ll receive a one-year residence permit. And it comes with a significant advantage: you can sign a contract and work from day one, in any sector and throughout Spain. Your minor children who reside here have their own pathway, with a five-year permit. The measure effectively revives the momentum of a citizens’ initiative that gathered more than 700,000 signatures.
There is another change designed to streamline the paperwork. The government has created the “Electronic Registry of Immigration Partners,” regulated by Order ISM/164/2026, dated March 2, which was published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on March 5, 2026. Through this registry, social organizations and labor unions that register will be able to submit immigration and regularization applications on behalf of the individuals concerned. In other words: if your case gets complicated, you can rely on an organization instead of struggling on your own with the electronic portal.
In Barcelona, City Hall has set up a form to receive updates on the process via email as details become available. Let me clear up a common misunderstanding: signing up for this email list is not the same as scheduling an appointment with the Service for Immigrants, Emigrants, and Refugees (SAIER). They are two different things. To review the details of the regulation, your primary sources remain the state Immigration Offices and the website of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration. So if you meet the requirements, start gathering the documentation proving your stay right away: those documents are what matter most.
If you’re having trouble with your appointment or the application process, message us on Telegram: https://t.me/cita_extranjeria
Need an appointment?
We book Immigration, DGT, Civil Registry and Digital Certificate appointments across Spain.
Request Service