Spain Issues Temporary Work Permits to Over 600,000 Undocumented Migrants Under Regularization Drive
MADRID:Spain has issued temporary work permits to more than **600,000 undocumented migrants** under a large-scale regularization program aimed at bringing migrants into the formal economy while their residency applications are being processed.
According to government figures cited by Reuters, a total of **1.17 million migrants** applied for legal status under the initiative. So far, **609,737 applicants** have received temporary work permits, allowing them to work legally while awaiting final decisions on their residency applications.
Under the program, undocumented migrants who had been living in Spain for at least **five months before the end of 2025** and who have **no criminal record** are eligible for a **renewable one-year residence permit**.
The application period ran from **April 16 to June 30**.
Spain’s Secretary of State for Migration, Pilar Cancela, and Secretary of State for Social Security, Borja Suárez, presented the latest figures during a press conference.
The Spanish government had initially expected around **500,000 applications**, but the final number was more than double that estimate.
Most applicants are from **Latin American countries**. Of the more than **609,000 migrants** granted temporary work permits, nearly **160,000** had already secured formal employment by **June 30**.
Authorities also confirmed that **11,000 applicants** have already been fully approved and issued official **one-year residence permits**.
The government is working with private companies in sectors facing labor shortages—including **construction, tourism, transport, and care services**—to help integrate migrants into the workforce.
Official data shows that **81% of applicants are under the age of 45**, while **57% are men**.
Analysts say the program is expected to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of migrants while also boosting Spain’s economy and increasing tax revenues by expanding the formal labor market.
