Up to half a million undocumented migrants across Spain, including an estimated 150,000 in Catalonia, will soon gain legal status. This landmark regularisation process, initiated by the Spanish government, aims to bring a significant shadow population into the formal economy, granting them fundamental rights and providing legal certainty to individuals already living and working across the country.

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Authorised via a royal decree, this move culminates in a powerful citizen-led campaign. A Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) gathered more than 700,000 signatures, thereby forcing the issue onto the parliamentary agenda. In April 2024, Spain’s Congress overwhelmingly voted to consider the proposal, a step many migrants in Catalonia had hoped for.

Notably, this will be Spain’s seventh such regularisation since 1986 and the first in nearly two decades, following the last major programme in 2005. Historically, these processes served as a pragmatic tool for successive governments of both left and right-wing persuasions to address the realities of immigration, as documented by organisations like the Migration Policy Institute.

How the Process Will Work

The window for applications will open in April 2026 and close on June 30, 2026. Crucially, to be eligible, applicants must prove continuous residency in Spain for at least five months prior to December 31, 2025. They must also have a clean criminal record in Spain and any previous countries of residence.

The requirements, as detailed by Catalan News, are straightforward. Applicants can submit forms and proof of residency-such as a municipal registration certificate (empadronament), medical records, or utility bills-either online or in person. Furthermore, asylum seekers who applied for international protection before the end of 2025 are also eligible.

Once an application is accepted, individuals will immediately receive provisional authorisation to live and work legally anywhere in Spain for one year. This also suspends any ongoing deportation orders. After this initial year, beneficiaries can transition to one of Spain’s standard residence permits. Children under 18 already living in Spain will receive a more stable five-year residence permit.

Catalonia’s Central Role and Impact

With its large foreign-born population, Catalonia will be one of the regions most affected by the regularisation. Estimates suggest between 120,000 and 150,000 of the total 500,000 eligible individuals reside here, making up a significant portion of the workforce in essential sectors.

In a statement, the Spanish government acknowledged that these migrants already contribute to the economy in areas like agriculture, hospitality, and care services, but without legal protections. The policy, officials argue, “guarantees rights and gives legal certainty to a reality that already exists.”

To manage the process, a technical working group comprising officials from the Spanish and Catalan governments was established. This body will coordinate information campaigns and legal support to ensure the process runs smoothly. Barcelona’s mayor, Jaume Collboni, welcomed the initiative as “great news” for the city. Importantly, the government confirmed that proficiency in regional languages will not be a requirement, a decision that means there will be no Catalan language test for applicants.

The Economic and Political Debate

Proponents argue the regularisation offers triple benefits: protecting vulnerable workers from exploitation, boosting tax and Social Security revenues by reducing informal employment, and undermining the business model of human traffickers.

However, the measure faced criticism from the main opposition, the conservative People’s Party (PP), which argued for a more extensive parliamentary debate. Right-wing parties also raised concerns about a potential “pull factor,” suggesting that regularisation could encourage more irregular migration.

The government and its allies strongly refuted this claim. They point to studies of previous regularisations, including the extensive 2005 programme, finding no evidence of a subsequent surge in new arrivals. Salvador Illa, leader of the Catalan Socialists, is a vocal defender of the policy, arguing that regularisation is not a pull factor for Spain but a necessary step to dignify labour.

As the 2026 application window approaches, regional authorities, social organisations, and municipalities across Catalonia prepare for a complex but transformative process. The goal is clear: to integrate tens of thousands of people fully into the legal, social, and economic fabric of the country they already call home.