Spain Regularisation 2026:
application window closed — what to do now
The application window closed on June 30, 2026. This guide covers what happens if you already applied, and which routes are still open if you missed the deadline.
Spain's extraordinary regularization stopped accepting new applications on June 30, 2026. If you already filed, your case continues through the normal process. If you did not, arraigo and other residence routes remain available and never depended on this deadline.
The full guide is free to read. If you already applied and want status tracking, or need to explore another residence route — choose a paid option below.
No new applications are accepted, online or in person. Applications already filed continue through the normal process.
What to do now that the window is closed?
My application is pending
The closed window does not affect applications already registered before June 30. They continue through the normal process: up to 3 months for a decision, and if approved, a fingerprint appointment for the TIE card. You can check the status of your case and what is still missing.
Check my application statusI did not file before June 30
This extraordinary regularization had a fixed deadline, but it was never the only route to residency. Arraigo (social, employment or family) is a permanent category that never depended on this deadline and remains available to anyone who meets its requirements.
See the types of arraigo →NAVISort out my residence case — the right path for me
NAVI will choose the right path.
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The RightNOW Action Plan for regularization in Spain: we review your situation, identify the documents you need, set out the steps in the right order and guide you through the process.
Get the Action Plan for €59 →Already filed: how to track your case, the requerimiento and your right to work
With more than a million applications in the pipeline, the game after June 30 is procedural. Four things decide how your file ends:
1 · Where to check the status
In Mercurio (where you filed) and in the Ministry's case-status service (¿Cómo va lo mío?) with your NIE or the número de expediente from your filing receipt. Statuses you will see: en trámite (being processed), requerido (documents requested — act now), resuelto favorable / desfavorable. A very recent filing can take days to appear — that is normal, keep the receipt.
2 · The requerimiento is the moment that decides most files
If the office asks you to complete or fix documents (requerimiento de subsanación), answer within the deadline stated in the notice — usually 10 working days — and answer it completely. A late or partial reply ends as denial or archivo (your file closed as abandoned). Reply through the same channel, keep the submission receipt, and match every point of the request.
3 · Three months, silence — and work rights
The administration has 3 months from the day after your registration to decide. Silence after that is legally negative — but the Government has clarified that negative silence does not cancel the provisional right to work attached to an admitted application. The clock can also be lawfully suspended (for example while foreign criminal-record certificates arrive through diplomatic channels), and the provisional authorisation survives the suspension. Do not abandon a silent file: it can still resolve favourably, and a formal refusal can be appealed.
4 · Resolución favorable is not the finish line
After approval come the steps that actually put the card in your hand: pay the TIE tasa, book the huellas (fingerprint) appointment, and collect the card. Deadlines keep running here too — a favourable resolution left unexecuted is a common way to lose a won case.
Final numbers: how many applied, what went wrong, and what could still change
⚠️ Problems reported during the process
- Immigration offices in Barcelona were threatened with collapse under the volume of applications.
- Venezuelan applicants faced delays getting their criminal record certificates apostilled.
- Asylum seekers had less time to prepare documents after a criteria change moved many of them into this procedure in early June.
- Persistent difficulty getting criminal record certificates for nationals of countries like Algeria, Cuba, Guinea-Conakry or Gambia. The vulnerability certificate, by contrast, got easier once more NGOs were accredited as RECEX entities.
🏛️ Attempts to extend or stop the measure
- Several NGOs asked for the deadline to be extended because of the documentation problems. The Ministry of Migration said it had no plans to extend it, and the window closed on schedule.
- PP-led regional governments (Madrid, Valencia, Aragon) challenged the decree before the Supreme Court, which rejected an urgent precautionary suspension.
- On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court raised doubts about whether the measure fits within the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, and opened the process toward a possible preliminary question to the Court of Justice of the EU.
📬 Want to know if there'll be an extension or a new regularization?
Be among the first to find out. If a deadline extension, a new window or a Supreme Court decision that changes the rules is announced, we'll email you before anyone else.
📚 Want to read what the rules were? — who could apply, forms (EX-31/EX-32), documents and deadlines
Historical reference for the procedure that was in force until 30 June 2026. Useful if your case is already in progress.
📖 Terms used in this guide — click to expand
- EX-31
- The form for people who applied for asylum / international protection in Spain before 1 January 2026. Even if the asylum case was refused, withdrawn, or is under appeal — this group uses EX-31.
- EX-32
- The form for everyone else applying through this regularization — those in Spain before 1 January 2026 who qualify through employment, family, or vulnerability. This is the arraigo extraordinario route.
- EX-25
- The form for children's residence permits. In this regularization, it is relevant when a parent applies and wants to include their minor children.
- Arraigo
- A Spanish residence permit for people already rooted in Spain through residence, work, or family. This regularization creates a new type called arraigo extraordinario.
- Desistimiento
- Withdrawing a previously filed application. Do not do this automatically — it can harm your situation; check first.
- Recurso
- An appeal against a refusal. For example, if someone's asylum application was refused and they challenged it in court, they have a recurso pending.
- TIE
- The physical residence card (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero). First you receive the permit approval, then you collect the physical card — two separate steps.
- Expediente
- Your case file and reference number in the immigration system.
- RECEX
- The official registry of organisations authorised to assist with immigration procedures. Only RECEX-registered organisations can issue vulnerability certificates.
What is the Extraordinary Regularisation?
It is an exceptional one-off process regulated by Royal Decree 316/2026 of 14 April, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 15 April 2026 and in force since 16 April 2026. The measure originates from the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) "Regularización Ya" — backed by over 700,000 signatures and 900 civil-society organizations, and approved in Parliament with 310 votes in favour. It is the broadest immigration regularization in Spain since 2005.
Key figures
Who could apply? (reference — the window is closed)
This section stays as a reference, useful if your case is already pending or if you want to understand whether your situation would have qualified. There were two main routes depending on your situation:
Undocumented people (arraigo extraordinario)
- Were in Spain before January 1, 2026
- Continuous stay of at least 5 months
- No criminal record in Spain or country of origin
- Not a risk to public security or order
- Must qualify through: employment, family, or vulnerability
- Form: EX-32
EX-32
Extraordinary arraigo. Print only if submitting in person. Via Mercurio the form is completed online — no printing required.
Current and former asylum applicants
- Requested international protection (asylum) in Spain before January 1, 2026
- This includes cases that are: still pending, withdrawn, refused, under administrative appeal, or under court appeal
- Proof of presence in Spain before that date
- No criminal record
- ID document (may be expired)
- No need to abandon asylum before applying.
- Form: EX-31
EX-31
Former / current asylum applicants. Print only if submitting in person. Via Mercurio the form is completed online — no printing required.
⚠️ After a positive regularization decision, practical steps about the asylum case should be checked individually — official guidance on this remains incomplete.
We review your situation and documents — 29 €
If you’re unsure whether EX-31 or EX-32 applies to you, which pathway fits, or whether your documents are sufficient — we review your specific case individually and tell you exactly what to do.
Review my situation — 29 €The guide stays free. A consultation is only needed if you want a review of your specific case.
Three pathways for Route 1 applicants
Employment pathway
You have already worked in Spain during your stay here, or you can show an intention to work through a job offer (the contract does not need to be already signed), or you intend to be self-employed and submit an official responsible declaration.
Family pathway
You live in Spain with a family unit that includes: minor children; or adult children with a disability or serious health condition preventing self-sufficiency; or your parents (first-degree ascendants — not any older relative, specifically your parents) who live with you.
Vulnerability pathway
A vulnerability certificate from regional social services or a RECEX-registered NGO or trade union.
⚠️ This certificate is only needed if you apply through the vulnerability pathway. If you are going through employment or family, you do not need it.
If you are a parent: children's applications
Children's applications must be submitted at the same time as the parent's application. Do not file your own and leave children for later.
👶 Child was born in Spain
The child gets a separate 5-year residence permit. Normally this permit had to be requested within 6 months of birth. Under this regularization, that 6-month rule does not apply — you can request it now regardless of when the child was born.
In the law this falls under article 159 of the Immigration Regulations — but what matters practically is: was the child born in Spain? If yes, this is the route.
✈️ Child was not born in Spain
Normally, including a child required proving 2 years of their prior stay in Spain, plus sufficient income and housing. Under this regularization those requirements are waived — but you must prove the child has been continuously in Spain for at least 5 months before you file.
In the law this falls under article 160 of the Immigration Regulations. What matters: was the child born outside Spain and living here with you? If yes, 5 months of the child's stay is what you need to prove.
If you already have another application or a valid permit
If you already filed a residence application before April 15, 2026
You may not need to file a new application. Applications filed between May 20, 2025 and April 15, 2026 under various residence categories may fall under a transitional regime — meaning the administration should evaluate them using the simplified rules of the new regularization. This applies to applications still pending and to related administrative or court appeals (arraigo social, sociolaboral, socioformativo and related categories).
About the vulnerability certificate
If you are applying through the vulnerability pathway only, you need this certificate. The following is useful to know:
- It can be issued by public social-assistance services (municipal, regional, national) or by Third Sector organisations / trade unions registered in RECEX.
- RECEX-registered organisations are not obliged to issue the certificate — but if they do, it must be free of charge.
- Organisations with a specific territorial scope can only issue certificates within that territory.
- The certificate must include the organisation's seal and its RECEX registration number.
What documents do you need?
📋 Required for everyone
- Passport or identity document (valid or expired)
- Proof of arrival before January 1, 2026
- Proof of continuous stay for 5+ months
- Criminal record certificate from country of origin
Proof of entry and stay is very flexible: city registration (padrón), utility bills, medical records, school certificates, social services documents…
📄 Depending on your pathway
- Employment: job offer/contract or self-employment declaration
- Family: any document proving family unit (family book, birth certificate, joint padrón…)
- Vulnerability: official vulnerability certificate — only if applying through vulnerability pathway
If your country is slow in sending the criminal record certificate, Spain can request it via diplomatic channels on your behalf.
How and where to apply
Online (telemática)
Via the Mercurio platform of the Ministry. Available 24/7 since April 16.
If you have no electronic signature, an authorised NGO or lawyer can submit on your behalf. Hiring a lawyer is not mandatory.
In person (presencial)
From April 20, 2026 — free appointment required:
- 🟡 372 Correos (post office) branches
- 🔵 60 Social Security offices
- 🟢 5 Extranjería (immigration) offices
- 🔴 200+ accredited NGOs
Key dates
What permit will you receive?
Initial permit
A 1-year residence and work authorisation, valid anywhere in Spain in any sector or occupation.
Renewal
Convert to an ordinary permit if you are working. Or extend for another year if you are actively job-seeking and registered with SEPE (public employment service).
Minor children
Must be applied for simultaneously. Children receive a 5-year permit.
What to do next?
Check which route fits you
Tell NAVI your situation and it tells you which residence route fits — arraigo or another — and the next step. Free, no account.
Check my route — free →FAQ
1. Can I still apply for this regularization?
2. Will there be another chance, or a future regularization?
3. What was the minimum time you needed to have lived in Spain to apply?
4. Could you apply with a criminal record?
5. Did you need a job offer or work contract to apply?
6. How long does the process take from application to card, if I already filed?
7. Could family members (spouse, children) apply together?
8. What happens if the application I already filed is denied?
9. I missed the June 30 deadline. What options do I have left?
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Included: checks of Spanish documents, letters, requests and contracts before signing, Action Plans, consultation and sending your claims by burofax.
Checked by the RightNOW team · Change history
- Guide expanded: new sections answering more real situations.
- Legal basis, deadlines and figures re-checked against official sources.
- Page published.
This guide is general information about Spanish law, not a legal opinion on your case. Rules change and outcomes depend on your own facts and documents — check your situation before you act on it.