Spain: Reminder - Relaxed Family and Residency Pathways in Effect Soon
May 16, 2025
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At a Glance
- Various reforms to Spain’s immigration regulations will come into effect on May 20, 2025.
- These reforms will liberalize family-related immigration pathways; increase job seeker permit residency periods; and liberalize pathways to regularize the residency status of undocumented foreign nationals.
- These reforms seek to expand the country’s labor market in response to persistent labor shortages in many sectors.
The situation
As earlier reported, various reforms to Spain’s immigration regulations will come into effect on May 20, 2025.
A closer look
These reforms will liberalize family-related immigration pathways, including creating a new permit, and expanding eligibility for an existing reunification permit; increase the residency period of one of the country’s two job seeker permit pathways; and liberalize pathways to regularize the residency status of undocumented foreign nationals. A more complete summary of the reforms can be found here.
Impact
These reforms will increase the number of individuals eligible to work, and make Spain more attractive to certain foreign nationals by providing them with a longer timeframe to secure employment (through the jobseeker visa).
Background
Among other goals, these reforms seek to expand the country’s labor market in response to persistent labor shortages in many sectors.
Looking ahead
Residence permits and cards issued before May 20, 2025 will remain valid. Applications submitted prior to May 20, 2025 will continue to be processed under the current regulations after May 20, 2025, unless applicants opt for the new regulations to apply.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
