Spain has opened a new extraordinary regularization for some 500,000 foreign individuals, a process that will allow applications to be submitted until June 30 and that also affects thousands of residents in Catalonia who have been dragging years of administrative uncertainty.
The measure establishes as one of its axes having requested international protection before January 1, 2026. It also contemplates the regularization of people who were already in Spain before that date and who can prove at least five months of uninterrupted stay, lack a criminal record and not pose a threat to public order.
What requirements must be met
In addition to these general conditions, applicants must fit into one of the foreseen cases. Among them are having worked or being able to prove intention to work, cohabiting with minor children or dependent relatives, or being in a situation of vulnerability recognized by social services or by collaborating entities.
This is the seventh regularization promoted in the State. The previous one was carried out in 2005. The new process once again puts the focus on people who, despite having been settled for some time, remain outside the ordinary administrative circuit.
Impact among families settled in Catalonia
In cities like Girona, Barcelona, Lleida or Tarragona, the measure reaches homes with schooled minors, unstable jobs and pending migratory files for years. The objective is to provide a legal solution to prolonged situations of precariousness.
"It is very important because it provides a solution to the problems of many people who are in a situation of vulnerability, who have been in Spain for years with children in school and, in many cases, working in precarious situations" - Mireia Risco, head of the immigration department of Lleal Tulsà Asesores
Risco considers that this path can have a direct effect both for the affected people and for the system as a whole. Regularization will allow these people to be incorporated into the formal economy, with access to rights and obligations on equal terms.
"With their taxes, they will contribute to the State coffers, and this will allow to improve systems such as healthcare, education or pensions" - Mireia Risco, head of the immigration department of Lleal Tulsà Asesores
Pending cases after the denial of international protection
Among the profiles that could be benefited are people who at the time accessed temporary international protection but later were left out of the system as the renewal did not succeed. This is the case of Yeni Sánchez, a Honduran citizen residing in Girona, who obtained international protection for one year after her arrival in March 2023 and subsequently saw the renewal denied.
The opening of this period until June 30 now marks a decisive window for those seeking to stabilize their administrative situation in Spain after years of residence, precarious work, or family roots without a regular authorization.