Spain Reports 94% of Migrants Entering Legally in a Decade

Spain’s government is underscoring that most people who move to the country do so through clear, legal channels, even as it rolls out one of its most ambitious regularization plans in years. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and senior officials say over 94% of migrants entering Spain in the past decade arrived legally, a figure echoed in monitoring reports presented in early 2025. This stance comes as new rules take effect and ministries prepare for a surge of applications from workers, families, and students who want to stay and contribute to Spain’s economy.

The government’s push is tied to real demographic needs. Officials say Spain requires around 250,000 registered foreign workers per year to support its welfare systems as the population ages. At the same time, the Cabinet has accepted that many people already living in Spain must have a fair, legal way to join the formal labor market. In late 2024, Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz announced a plan to grant residency and work permits to roughly 300,000 undocumented migrants per year from 2025 to 2027. The scale reflects a policy decision to build legal migration paths that match labor demand while reducing exploitation.

Key legal changes and goals

The reform package is anchored by Royal Decree 1155/2024, which took effect on May 20, 2025. The decree shortens and clarifies routes to status, with the goal of making Spain’s system more responsive and humane.

• The residency period needed to apply through “arraigo” — a path for people who have built strong ties in Spain — drops from three years to two years.
• New categories, including “Arraigo for Second Chances” and “Socio-Formative Arraigo,” create options for former residents and people in vocational training who can show real integration and prospects.
• The job-seeker visa, once limited to three months, is now valid for one year, giving qualified applicants more time to secure work that matches their skills.
• Procedures are simplified so successful applicants can register as self-employed or salaried workers with better labor protections.

For many who have worked off the books in fields like caregiving, agriculture, or delivery, lawful status can mean safer work, higher pay, and the ability to report abuse without fear.

Transitional window: For up to one year after the new rules took effect, individuals in irregular status whose asylum claims were refused — and who remained in Spain for at least six months before the reform — may apply for residence through arraigo. This aims to prevent people from falling into long-term irregularity when other legal routes now exist.

The Ministry says the intent is clear: channel people into the legal system, where rights and duties are clear for both workers and employers.

Context: irregular arrivals and policy rationale

While legal migration dominates Spain’s long-term trend, irregular entries remain a pressure point along maritime routes. Between January 1 and November 15, 2024, authorities recorded over 54,000 irregular arrivals, a 15.8% increase from the same period in 2023.

The government argues that expanded legal pathways, faster processing, and stronger coordination with local services can curb irregular flows by making formal options real for those who qualify. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the new Spanish approach aims to close the gap between labor demand and lawful supply, while bringing long-term residents into compliance.

Population and labor-market picture

Spain’s population data help explain the policy direction:

• As of July 2025, 19.64% of residents are foreign-born.
• 14.3% of residents do not hold Spanish citizenship.
• The most common nationalities among recent arrivals are Colombian, Moroccan, and Venezuelan.

Officials say these communities fill important roles in hospitality, agriculture, logistics, construction, and care services. Regularization is meant to protect these workers and set clear standards for employers. In practical terms, that means the right to:

• sign contracts
• join social security
• access health care
• accrue retirement contributions

Policy changes overview

The government frames the reform as both a legal and economic fix. Key elements include:

1. Arraigo residency threshold cut to two years for undocumented migrants who can prove sustained presence and ties.
2. New “Arraigo for Second Chances” and “Socio-Formative Arraigo” categories to capture former residents and people in training.
3. Simplified procedures to move into self-employment or salaried work with stronger labor rights.
4. Job-seeker visa extended to one year, easing the time pressure on qualified applicants.
5. Transitional measures for some denied asylum applicants who have recent presence in Spain.

Officials stress these steps do not remove checks. Applicants must prove eligibility, provide reliable documents, and meet criteria that match each route. The shift, they say, is to a system that is still firm but more realistic and fair.

Social inclusion links

The policy also connects to broader social inclusion goals. Spain’s Strategic Framework for Citizenship and Inclusion (2023–2027) aims to combat racism and xenophobia and support integration.

• Research cited by the government estimates discrimination costs the economy as much as €17 billion a year through lost productivity and lower workforce participation.
• Making conditions legal and stable is part of the solution: regular jobs, clear rights, and equal treatment under Spanish and EU law.

Impact on applicants — practical examples

For people already in Spain without status, the new rules may open doors that felt closed for years.

• A caregiver who has spent 2.5 years living in Madrid supporting an elderly person can now seek residence and a work permit via arraigo, register for social security, and be hired legally.
• A construction worker who once held a permit but fell out of status could qualify under “Second Chances” if he can show prior legal residence and ongoing ties.
• A young person in vocational training enrolled in a recognized program might use “Socio-Formative Arraigo” to bridge into legal work.
• Students and graduates benefit from the one-year job-seeker visa, giving time to interview, complete licensing steps, or secure an offer.

Employers gain access to a broader lawful talent pool, which can improve standards in sectors where under-the-table jobs have persisted. The government hopes these changes reduce unsafe conditions and wage theft, which thrive when people fear reporting abuse.

Administrative capacity and challenges

Immigration offices and consulates will face intense workloads. Civil society groups and immigration lawyers welcome the reform but warn that offices will need:

• more staff
• better digital systems
• clear guidance to avoid long waits

If not addressed, backlogs could slow the promise of faster and fairer decisions. The Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Inclusion say they are monitoring caseloads and will adjust resources as needed.

Applicants should prepare well. Authorities recommend gathering proof of residence and community ties, such as:

• rental contracts
• school records
• medical appointments
• municipal registration

Work history, training certificates, and letters from employers or community organizations can also help. Many applicants will still seek legal advice, especially when proving continuous residence or fitting under new arraigo categories.

For official policy updates, Spain’s government directs the public to its news and background materials. The Prime Minister’s office publishes regular briefings and reports on migration and integration. Readers can consult the official portal at La Moncloa – Government of Spain for current statistics, policy summaries, and links to regulations.

Testing the reform: next steps and stakes

The dominant message remains that Spain’s migration story is largely legal. The claim that 94% of migrants entered legally over the last decade is central to the government’s case for expanding regular channels rather than narrowing them. Spain’s experience since the early 2000s shows that most people come through work, family reunification, study, humanitarian protection, or regularization programs. The current policy builds on that pattern by making legal routes clearer and more flexible.

Critics raise practical worries:

• Can regional offices manage hundreds of thousands of new requests each year?
• Will digital platforms work reliably during peak periods?
• Will people in smaller towns have access to appointments, translation services, and legal help?

Advocacy groups ask for transparent data on processing times, approval rates, and appeals, so the public can see whether the system works as intended. Government officials say monitoring is underway and that adjustments will follow if bottlenecks appear.

The next two years will test whether the reform reduces irregularity and lifts workplace standards. If the measures meet labor demand, some pressure on border routes could ease as more people choose legal pathways that feel attainable. Employers who have struggled to hire in caregiving, hospitality, and agriculture may find it easier to fill roles openly. Families with mixed status could gain stability, with children better able to stay in school without fear of a parent losing a job due to status problems.

For individuals the stakes are personal: the difference between irregular and legal status is the difference between uncertainty and a clear path forward.

Officials say the reform will stay in place through 2027, with updates based on labor market needs and outcomes seen on the ground. The principle is steady: widen legal routes, protect workers, and match Spain’s economic reality. If the country can keep administrative systems strong while keeping policies humane, the promise of this reform could outlast the political cycle and set a stable course for years to come.