MADRID, July 5: More than 600,000 undocumented migrants have entered Spain’s labor market under temporary work permits while the government reviews applications submitted through its large-scale regularization program.
According to the Spanish government, 609,737 applicants have been granted temporary authorization to work as their residency applications are processed.
Spain launched the regularization initiative to provide legal status to undocumented migrants who have been living in the country. Under the program, successful applicants will receive a one-year residence permit, provided they can prove they had lived in Spain for at least five months before December 31, 2025, and have no criminal record.
Applications were accepted between April 16 and June 30 this year, attracting more than 1.1 million submissions—more than double the government’s initial estimate of around 500,000 applicants.
Secretary of State for Migration Pilar Cancela and Secretary of State for Social Security Borja Suárez said most applicants are migrants from Latin American countries. They noted that temporary work authorization was granted to eligible applicants while authorities carry out the verification process.
Government data show that by June 30, around 160,000 of those holding temporary permits had already secured employment in the formal sector.
Authorities have also approved one-year residence permits for approximately 11,000 applicants so far. Among all applicants, 81 percent are under the age of 45, while 57 percent are women.
The figures underscore Spain’s growing reliance on migrant workers to address labor shortages while advancing one of the country’s largest migrant regularization efforts in recent years.
