Second Draft:
What has changed?
The Government has adjusted the plan to "shield" families and speed up legal work, but has closed the door to some profiles. Everything you need to know.
What has changed and how does it affect you?
The second draft brings important adjustments: a new cut-off date, the requirement of 5 months without leaving, the "Family Pack", and facilities with criminal records. It is a much more technical and solid text than the first one.
Forecast: Submission of papers between April and June 30, 2026. It's only three months!
Table of contents
January 1, 2026: The new magic date
In the first draft, the entry deadline was December 31, 2025. The new text has moved it one day further: if you entered Spain before January 1, 2026, you are in the process!
"Those who arrived just in time for the New Year's grapes can also apply."
5 months without leaving Spain
The non-negotiable requirement
Uninterrupted stay of 5 months is required before the application. Trips outside Spain are not allowed.
- A weekend away can be a problem
Flexibility in proofs
You can prove those 5 months with anything:
- Municipal registry (Padrón)
- Medical appointment
- Transport ticket
- Purchase receipt with your name
Work in 15 days and family protection
This second draft strongly commits to family and workplace dignity:
Express work authorization
Once your application is accepted (maximum 15 days), you can legally work.
The "Family Pack"
Apply for your residence and that of your minor children (or adults with disabilities) at the same time. Children will be given a 5-year card.
Suspension of deportations
If you have a deportation order for not having papers, as soon as you submit the application, that order is frozen.
Who is left out?
The draft clearly defines who CANNOT apply for this regularization:
With a valid permit
People who already have a valid residence or stay permit.
Ongoing procedures
Those who are currently renewing or modifying their papers.
Ukrainian citizens
They have their own temporary protection regime.
Entry ban
People with a firm entry ban in force.
Facilities with criminal records
Getting a criminal record certificate from some countries is a bureaucratic nightmare. The draft brings a brilliant solution:
The Responsible Declaration
If the Spanish Administration requests your records from your country and it does not respond within a month, you can sign a declaration swearing that you are clean. This prevents your procedure from being blocked due to the slowness of other countries.
Do you meet the requirements to regularize?
Don't waste time or money. Use our free simulator and find out in 1 minute which permit corresponds to you.
⚠️ Attention! If you already have papers "in process", read this carefully
If you currently have a residence authorization in process, or are in the middle of a modification, the February 18 text leaves you, in principle, out of the process.
Does it mean all is lost?
No, but you have to know how to play your cards well.
The option to withdraw
Legally, you can "withdraw" from the half-done procedure to try this new route.
Tread carefully!
We do NOT recommend giving up anything yet. It would be reckless to let go of what you already have for sure for a promise that has not yet been published in the BOE.
"In immigration, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Wait until the law is official and final."
FAQ
About the second draft of the regularization.
Firm Analysis
This second draft is much more technical and solid. We like that it includes people in a situation of statelessness and that the regularization of children is facilitated. However, we are concerned about the saturation of the offices.
Do you want us to notify you when it becomes official law?
Leave us your details and we will be the first to inform you to decide what to do with your file.