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Monday, 27 April 2026
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Spain·Migration

Madrid transport office overwhelmed as migrants race to meet regularisation deadline

Tuesday, 14 April 2026, 10:12 · 1 min read

Madrid's sole office issuing public transport card usage certificates has been brought to a standstill, with dozens of undocumented migrants queuing daily outside the Consorcio Regional de Transportes (the regional body managing Madrid's integrated transport network) in hopes of obtaining paperwork required for Spain's ongoing extraordinary immigration regularisation process. The certificate, which proves continuous residence in Spain for at least five months prior to 31 December, is a key document for migrants seeking to legalise their status before a 30 June deadline — but online appointments are fully booked until 31 May, leaving those without digital certificates effectively locked out. Opposition politicians and migrant advocacy groups have demanded the regional government of Madrid expand office capacity and opening hours, while advocates warn the bottleneck is already fuelling a black market in appointment-selling, and the regional transport minister has blamed the situation on the national government for launching a mass regularisation without providing resources to regional administrations.

Sources
El PaísColapsada la oficina que expide el certificado de la tarjeta de transporte de Madrid: “En la web no hay citas hasta el 31 de mayo” ↗︎
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