Nearly 1.2 million undocumented migrants have applied for legal status through Spain's recent amnesty drive. Government officials announced on Thursday that 609,737 of these applicants have already obtained temporary work permits, allowing them to enter the formal economy while their applications remain under review.
The application window ran from April 16 to June 30. To qualify for the one-year renewable residence permit, migrants must have lived in Spain for at least five months before the end of 2025 and have no criminal record. While over 600,000 requests are currently being processed, initial forecasts suggest approximately half a million applications will ultimately be successful.
Latin Americans represent the largest group of applicants, making up 67 percent of the total. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has highlighted the benefits of this vast regularisation scheme, noting its importance for sectors such as construction that need to boost their workforce.