Overview
- Officials say the draft is in public consultation with Council of State input pending, with applications expected to open in early April for a short submission window likely running to June 30.
- Applicants must provide criminal‑record certificates covering the past five years, a requirement police unions say is difficult to verify and which they oppose replacing with a sworn declaration when origin states do not respond.
- Embassies and consulates report rising demand for certificates, including queues at Algeria’s office in Alicante and Pakistan’s in Barcelona, while Colombia’s embassy estimates up to 290,000 potential applicants.
- Investigative reports describe a surge of fraudulent intermediaries on Milanuncios, X and Telegram selling appointments or “document kits,” as NGOs urge caution and attention to certificate validity periods.
- Government guidance indicates files admitted within 15 days would grant provisional work authorization and pause pending return or expulsion procedures, with unions warning the system could be overwhelmed.