Spain's 2026 Regularización (RD 316/2026): who qualifies and why temporary-protection holders don't

In 2026 Spain opened an extraordinary regularización of migrants — a one-time window letting some people in irregular status obtain a residence authorization. There is a lot of confusion around it, especially in Ukrainian and Russian-speaking chats. The key thing to understand up front: if you hold Ukrainian temporary protection (protección temporal), this campaign does NOT apply to you. Below: who it actually helps, the deadlines, and what temporary-protection holders should do.

What this window is

• Instrument: Real Decreto 316/2026, of 14 April — it amends the Immigration Regulation (Reglamento de Extranjería), it is not a standalone "amnesty." Published in the BOE on 15 April 2026, in force from 16 April 2026.
• What it creates: a new arraigo extraordinario route for people in irregular status, plus a separate route for those who previously applied for asylum.
• Application window: online from 16 April 2026, in person by appointment (cita previa) also from 16 April 2026. Closing date: 30 June 2026. No extension is foreseen.
• Scale: the campaign targets hundreds of thousands of people in Spain in irregular status.

Who qualifies (arraigo extraordinario)

To qualify for the new route you must meet all of the basic conditions at once:

1. Be in Spain before 1 January 2026.
2. Continuous presence of at least 5 months immediately before applying.
3. No criminal record (in Spain or other countries; spent/cancellable records don't count) and no threat to public order, safety or health.
4. Plus one of three routes:
   • Laboral — work (employment contract / activity);
   • Familiar — family (dependent minor children or dependent relatives, first-degree ascendants);
   • Vulnerabilidad — vulnerability certified by the competent authority.

There is a separate route for those who applied for international protection (asylum) before 1 January 2026. How this route interacts with a pending asylum claim is best checked with a lawyer.

Temporary-protection holders (Ukraine): why it doesn't fit and what to do

Temporary protection is already a legal status, while the regularización is designed for people in irregular status. So:

• Common misconception: chats claim temporary protection qualifies for this campaign's "asylum-seeker route." It does not — the RD text excludes temporary-protection holders. Do not file on that basis.
• Your temporary-protection TIE is automatically extended to 4 March 2027 (Orden INT/96/2026) — no separate renewal step is needed.
• Moving to ordinary residence (by work, by ordinary arraigo, etc.) for temporary-protection holders goes through a different mechanism — Disposición Adicional Decimonovena of the Regulation, which lets you apply for other authorizations from within Spain. But it is not an automatic switch: you must meet that authorization's own requirements, and it uses a different form, not this campaign's EX-32.
• What to do in practice: if you plan to move to ordinary/permanent residence, see an immigration lawyer to pick the correct route and form for your case. There is no need to rush because of the 30 June deadline — it does not apply to you. More detail in the guide from temporary protection to ordinary residence.

How to apply (if you qualify)

• Form: EX-32 (the "arraigo extraordinario" route). Confirm the current version on the official portal.
• How to file:
  • Online 24/7 via the Ministry platform (yourself, or through a lawyer / graduado social / authorized NGO);
  • In person by appointment (cita previa): Seguridad Social offices, Correos (in municipalities over 50,000 inhabitants) and Immigration Offices. Book via the Ministry website or phone 060.
• Fee: €38.28, modelo 790, code 052 (epígrafe 2.3.1). Paid after admission, within 10 business days. Be careful with the code and amount — a mistake can block the file.
• Documents (indicative): full copy of passport/travel document; proof of presence in Spain before 1 January 2026 and of the 5 continuous months; proof of your chosen route (contract / family / vulnerability certificate); proof of fee payment.
• Benefit: the work-and-residence authorization is valid provisionally from the moment the file is admitted (nationwide). The exact decision timeframe is not rigidly fixed in the rule — track your file's status on the official portal.

Where to get help

Don't face this alone — free legal aid is available:

• Ucrania Urgente (Ministry of Inclusion) — official portal for Ukrainians: ucraniaurgente.inclusion.gob.es
• CEAR (Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid) — free legal aid for refugees and migrants: cear.es
• Red Acoge / local Acoge (e.g. Valencia Acoge) — free legal advice by appointment.
• Servicio de Orientación Jurídica (SOJ) of the bar associations — free first immigration consultation.
• UNHCR/ACNUR Spain — acnur.org/es-es