Overview
- The PSOE–Sumar government enacted the measure by royal decree, allowing it to take immediate effect without a parliamentary vote.
- Applications will run from April through June for people present at least five months before 31 December 2025 with no criminal record, including eligible asylum seekers.
- Successful applicants receive an initial one-year residence permit with immediate access to work and the right to prompt family reunification, including for minor children.
- Officials cite 2025 data to justify the policy, pointing to 2.9% GDP growth, unemployment dipping below 10%, and foreign workers accounting for 16% of Social Security contributors.
- Partido Popular and Vox denounced the plan, with Vox vowing a Supreme Court challenge and PP taking objections to the European People’s Party, as critics warn of a pull effect and security risks.