Spain Mass Regularization 2026
Complete Guide 15.04.2026
Spain Mass Regularization 2026: Complete Guide
Officially approved: April 14, 2026
Published in BOE: April 15, 2026
Applications open: April 16, 2026
What happened?
The Spanish government has approved the largest immigration reform in 21 years — a mass legalization for foreigners living in the country without documents.
These are two new residence permit programs for people who, for various reasons, have been unable to legalize through standard procedures:
1. For those who applied for asylum (Disposición Adicional Vigésima)
2. For all other undocumented migrants (Disposición Adicional Vigesimoprimera — Arraigo Extraordinario)
PROGRAM 1: For those who applied for asylum
Who can apply
Foreigners who submitted an asylum application (protección internacional) before January 1, 2026.
This includes those who:
• Submitted a request to access the asylum procedure
• Registered an application
• Formalized an international protection request
Before January 1, 2026.
Requirements
✅ Adult (18+ years old)
✅ Present in Spain at the time of application
✅ Does NOT have a valid residence permit or estancia (visa)
✅ Is NOT in the process of obtaining/renewing/modifying another residence permit
✅ Did NOT have Ukrainian temporary protection (protección temporal)
✅ Passport — valid OR expired (both options work!)
✅ 5 months of continuous residence in Spain BEFORE submitting the residence permit application
Can be proven with any documents containing your name and date:
• Empadronamiento (registration certificate)
• Medical certificates, pharmacy receipts
• Rental agreement
• Utility bills
• Store receipts
• Bank statements
• Boarding passes
• Money transfers
• Any documents proving physical presence
✅ No criminal record in Spain and country of origin
Criminal record certificate:
• From country of origin
• From all countries where you lived in the last 5 years BEFORE entering Spain
If you cannot obtain the certificate:
You can attach proof that you requested it + a declaration that a month has passed without response.
Spain will request the certificate through diplomatic channels.
The procedure will be suspended for a maximum of 3 months.
✅ No threat to public order, security, or health
Verified through police report.
Important: entries in the police report do NOT mean automatic rejection. Each case is reviewed individually.
✅ Paid the processing fee
What you DON’T need to prove (this is the key difference!)
❌ Employment❌ Family ties❌ Vulnerability
For this group, it’s enough to have:
• Applied for asylum before January 1, 2026
• 5 months in Spain
• No criminal record
That’s it.
Condition after approval
Within 1 month after residence permit approval, you must withdraw your asylum application (desistir).
Or withdraw your appeal (recurso) if one is pending.
PROGRAM 2: For everyone else (Arraigo Extraordinario)
Who can apply
Foreigners who were in Spain before January 1, 2026 and did NOT apply for asylum.
OR applied but were rejected and did not appeal.
In undocumented status.
General requirements (same as Program 1)
✅ Adult
✅ Present in Spain at time of application
✅ Does NOT have residence permit or estancia
✅ NOT in process of obtaining another permit
✅ Did NOT have Ukrainian temporary protection
✅ Passport (valid or expired)
✅ 5 months continuous residence
✅ No criminal record (certificate under same rules)
✅ No security threat
✅ Paid processing fee
PLUS you must prove ONE of three options
Choose only one option. Not all three.
OPTION A: EMPLOYMENT
Three options (one is sufficient):
1. Previously employed
As employee (cuenta ajena) OR as self-employed (cuenta propia).
Evidence:
• Vida laboral (employment history)
• Old payslips (nóminas)
• Contracts
Why “previously”?
If you’re currently undocumented — you cannot legally work now.
But you could have worked before if you:
• Were a student (lost your visa)
• Applied for asylum (had work authorization)
• Had residence permit through arraigo (lost it)
2. Have a pre-contract (precontrato)
Requirements:
• Contract for 90+ days (total over the year)
• Any number of hours (no minimum specified — can be 1, 5, 10, 20, 40 hours)
• Any type of contract:
• Permanent (indefinido)
• Temporary (temporal)
• Due to production circumstances (circunstancias de la producción)
• Replacement (sustitución)
Important: If multiple contracts — they can be combined. The key is that they total 90+ days per year.
3. Declaration of intent to become self-employed
Declaración responsable — official declaration that you plan to register as self-employed (autónomo).
Important: this must be truthful. You cannot just write it for the sake of it.
OPTION B: FAMILY
You live in Spain (empadronados together) with:
1. Children:
• Minors (under 18 years)
• OR adults with a disability requiring support
• OR adults who cannot provide for themselves due to health condition
2. Parents:
• Father OR mother (first-degree relationship)
What you need:
• Birth certificates
• Empadronamiento (registration certificate) confirming cohabitation
OPTION C: VULNERABILITY (VULNERABILIDAD)
If you have neither employment nor family — you need a vulnerability certificate.
What counts as vulnerability:
According to BOE:
“Persons who, due to their irregular administrative status and related personal, economic, social, psychosocial, family, or housing circumstances, are in conditions that affect their quality of life or effective access to rights.”
Examples:
• Homelessness
• Victim of domestic violence
• Victim of human trafficking
• Serious health problems
• Lack of means of subsistence
Where to obtain the certificate:
1️⃣ Municipal social services (Servicios Sociales del Ayuntamiento)
2️⃣ NGOs registered in the Registry of Collaborators (Registro Electrónico de Colaboradores de Extranjería)
The certificate is valid only for purposes of this program.
Applicant’s family members
If you have:
• Parents (first-degree relationship)
• Spouse
• Registered partner (pareja registrada)
Who live with you — they can apply simultaneously with you.
All applications are processed simultaneously.
MAIN ADVANTAGE: You can work immediately after applying
Temporary work authorization
After your application is admitted for processing (admisión a trámite):
✅ You can work legally — EVEN BEFORE the final decision
✅ As an employee (cuenta ajena)
✅ As self-employed (cuenta propia)
✅ In any sector, anywhere in Spain
The notification of processing commencement will state that you are temporarily authorized to work.
If approved:
Work authorization will be valid from the date of application (retroactively).
If rejected:
Temporary authorization is automatically revoked.
If you’re employed — you must immediately inform your employer of the decision.
What you receive after approval
📄 1-year residence permit (Autorización de Residencia Temporal por Circunstancias Excepcionales)
Rights:
✅ Residence in Spain
✅ Employment (cuenta ajena)
✅ Self-employment (cuenta propia)
✅ Anywhere in Spain
✅ Any sector
Type of residence permit:
• Program 1 (asylum) → Arraigo Social
• Program 2 (others) → Arraigo Extraordinario
Renewal after 1 year
2 months before expiration of the residence permit, you can apply for:
Option 1: Modification (modificación)
Transition to a standard residence permit under Article 191 of the regulation.
For example:
• Work residence permit (cuenta ajena)
• Self-employment residence permit (cuenta propia)
• Other types of residence permits
Submitting the application extends your current permit until a decision is made.
Option 2: Extension (prórroga) — if no employment
If you cannot apply for modification — you can extend for 1 year if:
✅ Registered with the employment service (SEPE)
✅ Actively seeking employment
OR
✅ Provided an integration report from the autonomous community
The report must confirm:
• Learning official regional languages
• Participation in integration programs
Option 3: 4-year extension (special cases)
Without needing to prove job search — if:
✅ Serious illness or disability:
• Yours
• Your spouse’s
• Your children’s (minors or unable to provide for themselves)
✅ Reached retirement age
In these cases: extension for 4 years immediately.
Application and processing deadlines
Application period
📅 From April 16 to June 30, 2026
After June 30, applications will NOT be accepted.
Processing time
⏰ Maximum 3 months from application registration
If no response after 3 months:
Considered a rejection (silencio administrativo negativo).
But temporary work authorization continues until official notification.
Procedure suspension
The procedure can be suspended for 3 months if:
• Criminal record certificate is requested through diplomatic channels
• Additional documents are requested
During suspension, temporary work authorization remains valid.
Where to submit documents
Three submission methods:
1. Online through electronic platform
Through the Ministry’s official portal.
Required: electronic signature (clave / certificado digital)
2. In person at Correos offices (postal service)
Throughout Spain.
Correos accepts applications and uploads them to the system.
Electronic signature NOT required.
3. In person at Social Security offices
Throughout Spain.
Electronic signature NOT required.
4. At Extranjería offices (selective)
Only designated offices will accept applications.
The list will be published on the Ministry’s website.
5. Through representatives from the Registry (Registro de Colaboradores)
NGOs and unions from the official registry can submit on your behalf free of charge.
Required documents
Mandatory (for everyone):
📄 Completed form (modelo específico) — will be available on Ministry website
📄 Passport (full copy) — valid or expired
📄 Proof of 5 months residence:
• Empadronamiento
• Medical documents
• Rental agreement
• Utility bills
• Receipts
• Bank statements
• Any documents with name and date
📄 Criminal record certificate:
• From country of origin
• From countries of residence in the last 5 years before entering Spain
OR proof of request + declaration
📄 Fee payment receipt
Additional (depending on option):
OPTION A — EMPLOYMENT:
📄 Vida laboralOR📄 Pre-contract (precontrato)OR📄 Declaración responsable (intent to become self-employed)
OPTION B — FAMILY:
📄 Birth certificates (partidas de nacimiento)📄 Empadronamiento of entire family
OPTION C — VULNERABILITY:
📄 Certificate from social services or NGO
Questionnaire (cuestionario)
Must be attached to the application.
Contents:
• Education
• Employment
• Social situation
Important: data is used only for statistics. Content does NOT affect the decision.
Extranjería strike from April 20
From April 20, 2026, there is an indefinite strike by immigration service employees.
What this means:
❌ Extranjería offices not working or working intermittently❌ Huge queues❌ Delays
What to do:
✅ Submit through Correos (postal service) — working without strike
✅ Submit through Social Security — working without strike
✅ Submit online (if you have electronic signature)
✅ Submit through registry representatives (NGOs, unions)
Applicants’ children
Special protection for children
If you have children (minors or with disabilities) present in Spain:
They can receive a residence permit for 5 years immediately (instead of 1 year).
Requirements simplified:
✅ No need to prove parents’ income✅ No need to prove housing
Condition:
Parents applied for regularization simultaneously with the child’s application.
This applies until June 30, 2026.
Deportation and expulsion procedures
If you have an expulsion procedure (expulsión) or deportation (devolución) under articles 53.1.a) and b) of the foreigners law:
Residence permit approval:
✅ Closes the expulsion procedure✅ Revokes the expulsion order
After approval: obtaining TIE
Within 1 month after approval:
You must apply for TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero).
Documents to attach:
📄 Proof of asylum application withdrawal (only for Program 1)📄 Proof of residence (any evidence)
TIE is issued for the residence permit duration (1 year).
But: work authorization is valid from the moment of approval, no need to wait for TIE.
How DreamLife helps
Our company DreamLife Spain assists clients with mass regularization:
✅ Document verification
✅ Application preparation
✅ Collecting proof of 5 months residence
✅ Obtaining vulnerability certificate (if needed)
✅ Submission through official channels
✅ Support until TIE is obtained
Contact us:
📧 info@dreamlifespain.com💬 Instagram DM🌐 dreamlifespain.com
Quick summary: who will get residence permit
✅ PROGRAM 1 (asylum):
• Applied for asylum before January 1, 2026
• 5 months in Spain
• No criminal record
• That’s it. Nothing else needed.
✅ PROGRAM 2 (others):
• Were in Spain before January 1, 2026
• 5 months in Spain
• No criminal record
• PLUS one of:
• Employment / pre-contract / self-employment declaration
• OR family (children / parents)
• OR vulnerability (certificate from social services)
Important reminders
⚠️ Deadline: June 30, 2026 — applications not accepted after this date
⚠️ Strike from April 20 — submit through Correos or Social Security
⚠️ Can work immediately after application — no need to wait for final decision
⚠️ Criminal record certificate — if you cannot obtain it, provide proof of request
⚠️ Children receive 5-year permit — if parents apply simultaneously
⚠️ 4-year extension — possible for illness, disability, or retirement age
This is a historic opportunity to legalize in Spain.
Act quickly. Don’t miss this chance.
Alina Kaba CEO, DreamLife Spain
Barcelona, April 2026
Officially approved: April 14, 2026
Published in BOE: April 15, 2026
Applications open: April 16, 2026
What happened?
The Spanish government has approved the largest immigration reform in 21 years — a mass legalization for foreigners living in the country without documents.
These are two new residence permit programs for people who, for various reasons, have been unable to legalize through standard procedures:
1. For those who applied for asylum (Disposición Adicional Vigésima)
2. For all other undocumented migrants (Disposición Adicional Vigesimoprimera — Arraigo Extraordinario)
PROGRAM 1: For those who applied for asylum
Who can apply
Foreigners who submitted an asylum application (protección internacional) before January 1, 2026.
This includes those who:
• Submitted a request to access the asylum procedure
• Registered an application
• Formalized an international protection request
Before January 1, 2026.
Requirements
✅ Adult (18+ years old)
✅ Present in Spain at the time of application
✅ Does NOT have a valid residence permit or estancia (visa)
✅ Is NOT in the process of obtaining/renewing/modifying another residence permit
✅ Did NOT have Ukrainian temporary protection (protección temporal)
✅ Passport — valid OR expired (both options work!)
✅ 5 months of continuous residence in Spain BEFORE submitting the residence permit application
Can be proven with any documents containing your name and date:
• Empadronamiento (registration certificate)
• Medical certificates, pharmacy receipts
• Rental agreement
• Utility bills
• Store receipts
• Bank statements
• Boarding passes
• Money transfers
• Any documents proving physical presence
✅ No criminal record in Spain and country of origin
Criminal record certificate:
• From country of origin
• From all countries where you lived in the last 5 years BEFORE entering Spain
If you cannot obtain the certificate:
You can attach proof that you requested it + a declaration that a month has passed without response.
Spain will request the certificate through diplomatic channels.
The procedure will be suspended for a maximum of 3 months.
✅ No threat to public order, security, or health
Verified through police report.
Important: entries in the police report do NOT mean automatic rejection. Each case is reviewed individually.
✅ Paid the processing fee
What you DON’T need to prove (this is the key difference!)
❌ Employment❌ Family ties❌ Vulnerability
For this group, it’s enough to have:
• Applied for asylum before January 1, 2026
• 5 months in Spain
• No criminal record
That’s it.
Condition after approval
Within 1 month after residence permit approval, you must withdraw your asylum application (desistir).
Or withdraw your appeal (recurso) if one is pending.
PROGRAM 2: For everyone else (Arraigo Extraordinario)
Who can apply
Foreigners who were in Spain before January 1, 2026 and did NOT apply for asylum.
OR applied but were rejected and did not appeal.
In undocumented status.
General requirements (same as Program 1)
✅ Adult
✅ Present in Spain at time of application
✅ Does NOT have residence permit or estancia
✅ NOT in process of obtaining another permit
✅ Did NOT have Ukrainian temporary protection
✅ Passport (valid or expired)
✅ 5 months continuous residence
✅ No criminal record (certificate under same rules)
✅ No security threat
✅ Paid processing fee
PLUS you must prove ONE of three options
Choose only one option. Not all three.
OPTION A: EMPLOYMENT
Three options (one is sufficient):
1. Previously employed
As employee (cuenta ajena) OR as self-employed (cuenta propia).
Evidence:
• Vida laboral (employment history)
• Old payslips (nóminas)
• Contracts
Why “previously”?
If you’re currently undocumented — you cannot legally work now.
But you could have worked before if you:
• Were a student (lost your visa)
• Applied for asylum (had work authorization)
• Had residence permit through arraigo (lost it)
2. Have a pre-contract (precontrato)
Requirements:
• Contract for 90+ days (total over the year)
• Any number of hours (no minimum specified — can be 1, 5, 10, 20, 40 hours)
• Any type of contract:
• Permanent (indefinido)
• Temporary (temporal)
• Due to production circumstances (circunstancias de la producción)
• Replacement (sustitución)
Important: If multiple contracts — they can be combined. The key is that they total 90+ days per year.
3. Declaration of intent to become self-employed
Declaración responsable — official declaration that you plan to register as self-employed (autónomo).
Important: this must be truthful. You cannot just write it for the sake of it.
OPTION B: FAMILY
You live in Spain (empadronados together) with:
1. Children:
• Minors (under 18 years)
• OR adults with a disability requiring support
• OR adults who cannot provide for themselves due to health condition
2. Parents:
• Father OR mother (first-degree relationship)
What you need:
• Birth certificates
• Empadronamiento (registration certificate) confirming cohabitation
OPTION C: VULNERABILITY (VULNERABILIDAD)
If you have neither employment nor family — you need a vulnerability certificate.
What counts as vulnerability:
According to BOE:
“Persons who, due to their irregular administrative status and related personal, economic, social, psychosocial, family, or housing circumstances, are in conditions that affect their quality of life or effective access to rights.”
Examples:
• Homelessness
• Victim of domestic violence
• Victim of human trafficking
• Serious health problems
• Lack of means of subsistence
Where to obtain the certificate:
1️⃣ Municipal social services (Servicios Sociales del Ayuntamiento)
2️⃣ NGOs registered in the Registry of Collaborators (Registro Electrónico de Colaboradores de Extranjería)
The certificate is valid only for purposes of this program.
Applicant’s family members
If you have:
• Parents (first-degree relationship)
• Spouse
• Registered partner (pareja registrada)
Who live with you — they can apply simultaneously with you.
All applications are processed simultaneously.
MAIN ADVANTAGE: You can work immediately after applying
Temporary work authorization
After your application is admitted for processing (admisión a trámite):
✅ You can work legally — EVEN BEFORE the final decision
✅ As an employee (cuenta ajena)
✅ As self-employed (cuenta propia)
✅ In any sector, anywhere in Spain
The notification of processing commencement will state that you are temporarily authorized to work.
If approved:
Work authorization will be valid from the date of application (retroactively).
If rejected:
Temporary authorization is automatically revoked.
If you’re employed — you must immediately inform your employer of the decision.
What you receive after approval
📄 1-year residence permit (Autorización de Residencia Temporal por Circunstancias Excepcionales)
Rights:
✅ Residence in Spain
✅ Employment (cuenta ajena)
✅ Self-employment (cuenta propia)
✅ Anywhere in Spain
✅ Any sector
Type of residence permit:
• Program 1 (asylum) → Arraigo Social
• Program 2 (others) → Arraigo Extraordinario
Renewal after 1 year
2 months before expiration of the residence permit, you can apply for:
Option 1: Modification (modificación)
Transition to a standard residence permit under Article 191 of the regulation.
For example:
• Work residence permit (cuenta ajena)
• Self-employment residence permit (cuenta propia)
• Other types of residence permits
Submitting the application extends your current permit until a decision is made.
Option 2: Extension (prórroga) — if no employment
If you cannot apply for modification — you can extend for 1 year if:
✅ Registered with the employment service (SEPE)
✅ Actively seeking employment
OR
✅ Provided an integration report from the autonomous community
The report must confirm:
• Learning official regional languages
• Participation in integration programs
Option 3: 4-year extension (special cases)
Without needing to prove job search — if:
✅ Serious illness or disability:
• Yours
• Your spouse’s
• Your children’s (minors or unable to provide for themselves)
✅ Reached retirement age
In these cases: extension for 4 years immediately.
Application and processing deadlines
Application period
📅 From April 16 to June 30, 2026
After June 30, applications will NOT be accepted.
Processing time
⏰ Maximum 3 months from application registration
If no response after 3 months:
Considered a rejection (silencio administrativo negativo).
But temporary work authorization continues until official notification.
Procedure suspension
The procedure can be suspended for 3 months if:
• Criminal record certificate is requested through diplomatic channels
• Additional documents are requested
During suspension, temporary work authorization remains valid.
Where to submit documents
Three submission methods:
1. Online through electronic platform
Through the Ministry’s official portal.
Required: electronic signature (clave / certificado digital)
2. In person at Correos offices (postal service)
Throughout Spain.
Correos accepts applications and uploads them to the system.
Electronic signature NOT required.
3. In person at Social Security offices
Throughout Spain.
Electronic signature NOT required.
4. At Extranjería offices (selective)
Only designated offices will accept applications.
The list will be published on the Ministry’s website.
5. Through representatives from the Registry (Registro de Colaboradores)
NGOs and unions from the official registry can submit on your behalf free of charge.
Required documents
Mandatory (for everyone):
📄 Completed form (modelo específico) — will be available on Ministry website
📄 Passport (full copy) — valid or expired
📄 Proof of 5 months residence:
• Empadronamiento
• Medical documents
• Rental agreement
• Utility bills
• Receipts
• Bank statements
• Any documents with name and date
📄 Criminal record certificate:
• From country of origin
• From countries of residence in the last 5 years before entering Spain
OR proof of request + declaration
📄 Fee payment receipt
Additional (depending on option):
OPTION A — EMPLOYMENT:
📄 Vida laboralOR📄 Pre-contract (precontrato)OR📄 Declaración responsable (intent to become self-employed)
OPTION B — FAMILY:
📄 Birth certificates (partidas de nacimiento)📄 Empadronamiento of entire family
OPTION C — VULNERABILITY:
📄 Certificate from social services or NGO
Questionnaire (cuestionario)
Must be attached to the application.
Contents:
• Education
• Employment
• Social situation
Important: data is used only for statistics. Content does NOT affect the decision.
Extranjería strike from April 20
From April 20, 2026, there is an indefinite strike by immigration service employees.
What this means:
❌ Extranjería offices not working or working intermittently❌ Huge queues❌ Delays
What to do:
✅ Submit through Correos (postal service) — working without strike
✅ Submit through Social Security — working without strike
✅ Submit online (if you have electronic signature)
✅ Submit through registry representatives (NGOs, unions)
Applicants’ children
Special protection for children
If you have children (minors or with disabilities) present in Spain:
They can receive a residence permit for 5 years immediately (instead of 1 year).
Requirements simplified:
✅ No need to prove parents’ income✅ No need to prove housing
Condition:
Parents applied for regularization simultaneously with the child’s application.
This applies until June 30, 2026.
Deportation and expulsion procedures
If you have an expulsion procedure (expulsión) or deportation (devolución) under articles 53.1.a) and b) of the foreigners law:
Residence permit approval:
✅ Closes the expulsion procedure✅ Revokes the expulsion order
After approval: obtaining TIE
Within 1 month after approval:
You must apply for TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero).
Documents to attach:
📄 Proof of asylum application withdrawal (only for Program 1)📄 Proof of residence (any evidence)
TIE is issued for the residence permit duration (1 year).
But: work authorization is valid from the moment of approval, no need to wait for TIE.
How DreamLife helps
Our company DreamLife Spain assists clients with mass regularization:
✅ Document verification
✅ Application preparation
✅ Collecting proof of 5 months residence
✅ Obtaining vulnerability certificate (if needed)
✅ Submission through official channels
✅ Support until TIE is obtained
Contact us:
📧 info@dreamlifespain.com💬 Instagram DM🌐 dreamlifespain.com
Quick summary: who will get residence permit
✅ PROGRAM 1 (asylum):
• Applied for asylum before January 1, 2026
• 5 months in Spain
• No criminal record
• That’s it. Nothing else needed.
✅ PROGRAM 2 (others):
• Were in Spain before January 1, 2026
• 5 months in Spain
• No criminal record
• PLUS one of:
• Employment / pre-contract / self-employment declaration
• OR family (children / parents)
• OR vulnerability (certificate from social services)
Important reminders
⚠️ Deadline: June 30, 2026 — applications not accepted after this date
⚠️ Strike from April 20 — submit through Correos or Social Security
⚠️ Can work immediately after application — no need to wait for final decision
⚠️ Criminal record certificate — if you cannot obtain it, provide proof of request
⚠️ Children receive 5-year permit — if parents apply simultaneously
⚠️ 4-year extension — possible for illness, disability, or retirement age
This is a historic opportunity to legalize in Spain.
Act quickly. Don’t miss this chance.
Alina Kaba CEO, DreamLife Spain
Barcelona, April 2026