Spain's cabinet has approved a royal decree granting undocumented migrants the opportunity to regularise their status, in one of the most significant immigration measures in the country's recent history. The plan, passed by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, could benefit approximately half a million people currently living in Spain without legal residence papers. Applications can be submitted online from 16 April and in person from 20 April, with a deadline at the end of June.
To qualify, applicants must have arrived in Spain before 31 December 2025, have resided in the country for at least five months, and have no criminal record. Those who meet the criteria will receive an initial one-year residence and work permit, along with a social security number and a regional health card. After that initial period, they will be able to transition into the standard pathways set out in Spain's foreign nationals regulations, allowing for fuller, longer-term legal integration. The measure is particularly aimed at migrants from Latin America, who make up a large share of Spain's undocumented population.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, writing to citizens from Beijing where he was on an official visit to China, framed the move as simultaneously a moral, economic and historical imperative. He argued that the migrants concerned already care for the elderly, work in agriculture and contribute to Spain's social security system — which funds pensions for current and future retirees. Sánchez also drew a pointed historical parallel, noting that Spaniards who emigrated to the Americas and northern Europe during past economic crises, including after the 2008 financial crash, had been welcomed and had contributed to those societies. The initiative originated as a citizens' legislative proposal — known in Spain as an Iniciativa Legislativa Popular, or ILP — backed by over 600,000 signatures and hundreds of civil society organisations, and has the support of trade unions, employers' associations and the Catholic Church.
The plan does not, however, enjoy cross-party support. The centre-right Partido Popular (PP), Spain's main opposition party, announced a legal and parliamentary challenge against the decree, despite having voted in favour of the ILP in parliament in 2024. The PP argues the measure could strain public services, encourage irregular arrivals — a so-called