Following immigration reform final 12 months, new Ministry figures have revealed that purposes for Spain’s work and residency permits have elevated by nearly half for the reason that regulation got here into pressure.
Applications for work and residency permits in Spain have surged by nearly 50 p.c following immigration reforms handed final 12 months.
Applications to dwell and work in Spain rose from 495,000 within the interval between January 1 and May 20, when the new Immigration Law got here into pressure, to 724,000 between then and October 31 — a rise of 46.2 p.c.
READ ALSO: Seven key factors to know Spain’s new immigration regulation
This is in keeping with a latest assertion outlining the figures from Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration on the anniversary of the reforms handed in November 2024.Â
The software knowledge provides a transparent indication of the impact the adjustments have had to date, suggesting the bolstered laws has prompted an uptick in purposes.
The regulation expanded sorts of work and residency visas and, in keeping with the Ministry: “The new Immigration Law has made it a lot simpler to mix salaried employment and self-employment, and to plan and handle round migration.”
During this similar five-month interval, 95,000 individuals regularised their standing by means of the widened arraigo course of due to the discount in processing occasions and growth of classes.
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In the primary 5 months of the 12 months, greater than 32,000 purposes for research residence permits had been submitted, whereas from that date till October 31, 93,000 purposes had been submitted, clear proof that the 2024 reforms have eased the applying course of and enticed many extra potential candidates.Â
The new laws additionally expanded 5 sorts of arraigo, defining and creating new classes: the so-called ‘second probability’ allow, in addition to socio-occupational, social, socio-educational, and household preparations.
The new immigration laws additionally integrated adjustments for residence and work permits for seasonal actions, which now supply 4 years of validity, permitting a most interval of 9 months of labor per 12 months and aligning with the Seasonal Workers Directive.
This comes as migrants have contributed nearly all of Spain’s inhabitants development lately and Spain has sought worldwide agreements to stem the move of unlawful and harmful migrant routes and supply seasonal work schemes.
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The inhabitants elevated by 105,488 individuals within the third quarter of this 12 months and stood at 49.44 million inhabitants as of October 1st, 2025, in keeping with new knowledge revealed by Spain’s nationwide stats physique.
Despite immigration turning into a politically polarising subject in Spain, like round a lot of Europe, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is among the continent’s few leaders prepared to make the optimistic case for immigration, tying it to long-term financial stability.
A research by the Bank of Spain final 12 months estimated that the nation will want 25 million extra immigrant employees by 2053 to be able to fight demographic ageing and keep the nation’s pension system for a technology of child boomer Spaniards set to retire.
READ ALSO: Spain’s inhabitants retains growing resulting from immigration
