Spain's 2026 migrant amnesty closes with 1.3 million applications, 2.6 times the government forecast

Summary

Spain's extraordinary regularization program closed on June 30 after drawing roughly 1.3 million applications, 2.6 times the 500,000 the Sanchez government projected when it approved Royal Decree 316/2026 in April. The Ministry of Inclusion confirmed 900,000 applications by June 15, two weeks before the deadline; the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid had already warned the total would top one million. Applicants must prove residence in Spain before January 1, 2026, at least five continuous months in the country, a clean criminal record, and payment of a 38.28 euro fee. Those approved receive a one-year renewable residence and work permit. The decree contains no extension provision.

The split

Spanish government coverage and center-left media framed the surge as validation of the regularization model, projecting a significant increase in formal-sector participation and social-security contributions. Opposition voices, particularly Vox and parts of the PP, argued the volume confirmed the program operates far outside its stated scope and will function as a pull factor for future irregular migration. North African and Latin American diaspora outlets covered the application process as a practical guide and a signal of Spain's structural demand for migrant labor, with Moroccan and South American nationalities reported among the largest applicant groups.

By the numbers

• 1.3 million, applications reported by June 29 ahead of the June 30 close
• 500,000, the government's initial estimate of beneficiaries
• 900,000, applications confirmed by the Ministry of Inclusion as of June 15
• 5 months, minimum continuous residence required to qualify
• 38.28 euros, application fee
• 1 year, initial duration of the renewable permit

Why it matters

At 1.3 million applications, Spain's program is the largest mass legalization exercise in the European Union in over a decade and will likely shape the debate over the EU's migration pact and member-state discretion to run unilateral regularization programs. For the Spanish labor market, successful applicants would represent a large formal-sector workforce gain in construction, hospitality and agriculture, sectors where undocumented labor is structurally embedded. For receiving countries across Africa and Latin America, the program's scale reinforces Spain's position as a primary migration destination.

What to watch

• Whether the Ministry of Inclusion announces a supplementary pathway for late applicants
• Processing timeline: how long the Ministry takes to work through a 1.3 million application backlog
• Whether EU institutions or member states challenge Spain's unilateral approach under the migration pact
• The final approved count, which will land materially below the 1.3 million submitted after eligibility screening