Spain - November 2024

On 19 November, the Council of Ministers approved new immigration regulations to simplify residency and work permit processes for foreign nationals. A key change reduces the required continuous stay from three years to two for obtaining a residence permit based on "arraigo" (rootedness, reflecting ties to Spain). The decree will also make it easier for undocumented migrants to regularize their status, including those denied international protection. Migrants will receive an initial one-year work permit, renewable for four-year periods, while job-seeking visas will be extended from three months to one year. Family reunification rules are relaxed, raising the eligible age for children from 21 to 26, and allowing non-registered couples to apply. The updated regulations take effect on 20 May 2025, and the government expects the changes will regularize the status of 300,000 people per year over the next three years.

Sources: Boletin Oficial del Estado, Ministerio de Inclusion, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, El Pais