⛔ APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED. The period to apply through this route ended on 30 June 2026, and no extension has been published in the BOE. New applications are no longer accepted. If you filed yours in time, your case continues as normal. If you did not, see the ordinary arraigo routes under RD 1155/2024. This page is kept as a historical reference.
In short: RD 316/2026 opened, until 30 June 2026, two routes to regularise people already in Spain before 1 January 2026. It did not apply to Temporary Protection (Ukraine) holders. The permit granted residence + work for 1 year.
Royal Decree 316/2026, of 14 April (in force since 16 April 2026) amends the Immigration Regulation (RD 1155/2024).
Who is NOT eligible: people who held Temporary Protection status (Ukraine conflict) — they already have a protected status.
Route 1 — international-protection applicants (Additional Provision 20): applied for international protection before 1 Jan 2026 (case unresolved) and 5 continuous months in Spain. On grant, you must withdraw the asylum claim (proof within 1 month).
Route 2 — extraordinary arraigo (Additional Provision 21): present in Spain before 1 Jan 2026 + 5 continuous months, meeting at least one criterion:
- Employment: work history, a job offer (≥90 days/year), or a self-employment declaration.
- Family: living with minors, disabled adult children, or dependent first-degree ascendants.
- Vulnerability: certified by social services or a registered third-sector entity.
What you get (both routes): residence + work (employee and self-employed), nationwide, 1 year renewable. Provisional work from the comunicación de inicio (notice that processing has started); the final permit is backdated to the application date.
Key warnings
- Administrative silence = REJECTION after 3 months (not approval). Don't wait passively. But silence alone does not end your provisional work authorisation: it stays valid until an express decision is notified. Only an EXPRESS refusal ends it. Details: Provisional authorisation: silence does not end it.
- After grant: request the TIE within 1 month.
- General requirements: 18+, no other permit, clean criminal record, fee paid.
- Where: public offices nationwide (incl. Correos), with official forms and electronic filing.
Family reunification (art. 97): adult children and first-degree ascendants of Spanish citizens can now apply from within Spain (previously from abroad).
Official source: BOE-A-2026-8284.
Informational only, not legal advice. Conditions are specific and consequences significant: check the official source and an immigration lawyer or gestor before applying. You can file for free through a registered NGO.
Frequently asked questions
I hold Temporary Protection status as a Ukrainian: can I use these new regularisation routes?
No. The decree explicitly excludes people who held status under the Ukrainian Temporary Protection Directive. You already have a protected status (residence and work); these routes were created for other categories. More relevant for you: the TIE extension until 04.03.2027.
I'm in Spain without documents: can I still apply under this decree?
No. The RD 316/2026 application window closed on 30 June 2026 (Additional Provisions 20 and 21: «hasta el 30 de junio de 2026»), and no extension was published. New applications under this decree are no longer accepted. The ordinary arraigo routes under RD 1155/2024 remain (social, sociolaboral, socioformativo, familiar, segunda oportunidad); they have their own conditions and no application window. Check your case with a professional.
What happens if there is no answer to the application within 3 months?
The application counts as REFUSED (silencio negativo), not approved. This is unusual; don't wait passively, track the status. But if you have received the comunicación de inicio, the silence itself does not end your provisional work authorisation: only an express refusal does (Migraciones criterion, 22 July 2026).
Can I work while the application is being decided?
Yes, once you have received the comunicación de inicio (notice that processing has started). It grants the provisional work authorisation (employee and self-employed, any sector), which stays valid even after 3 months with no answer; only an express refusal ends it. The final permit is backdated to the application date.
Is the 2026 extraordinary regularisation window still open?
No. The window closed on 30 June 2026 and no extension appears in the BOE. Those who applied in time continue their procedure as normal and, if they have received the comunicación de inicio, keep the provisional work authorisation until an express decision, even if 3 months pass with no answer (negative silence, by itself, does not remove it). Those who did not apply can use the ordinary arraigo route under RD 1155/2024.
I filed my application by 30 June: what happens with my case now?
The closed window does not affect applications already filed: they continue as normal. Remember that administrative silence here is NEGATIVE (after 3 months with no decision it counts as refused), so it is worth tracking your case and not waiting passively. Even so, if you have received the comunicación de inicio, that silence does not remove your provisional work authorisation: only an express refusal does.
General information, not individual legal advice. Check the official source and consult a professional for your case.
