In short: voluntary return is a free and voluntary programme for migrants who want to go back to their country of origin and lack the means to do so. It is not handled at a state office: in Spain it is run by IOM (International Organization for Migration) through its PREVAP project.
In person or by representative? Mixed: first contact can be by phone or through the form on IOM's website; after that, whoever handles your case provides the support.
What the support covers. According to IOM Spain, the programme offers "psychosocial support, as well as administrative, logistical and economic assistance", and the page stresses that "the entire process is free and voluntary".
How much money and what else is paid for. Under the 2025 agreement between the Ministry and IOM, each person in the project receives €450 before leaving Spain for immediate basic needs. Minors with the nationality of an EU country who return with their family receive it too. It is paid by cheque or bank transfer and, exceptionally, in cash.
On top of that payment, IOM handles:
- tickets within Spain and to the country of origin;
- help obtaining travel documents when needed, working with consulates and embassies;
- support at departure, transit and arrival;
- internal transfers and accommodation, if needed.
Help to start a business. In the 2025 project, people from Colombia, Honduras and Senegal could also apply for reintegration support to set up their own business back home. IOM selects those best placed to start a business; before travelling, they take free business-management training and prepare a business plan. The agreement does not state the amount of this support. For any nationality, the same agreement provides extra support for people with specific vulnerabilities: for example, temporary accommodation, medicines or food on arrival.
What about 2026? The 2026 agreement allocates €1.65 million to voluntary return, but the BOE does not publish the project breakdown (it refers to the Ministry's website). It is not confirmed that in 2026 the payment is still €450 or that the business support is still for Colombia, Honduras and Senegal: ask IOM.
Who it is for. IOM describes it as being for "migrants who want to return to their countries of origin and lack the economic means to do so", without setting an administrative-status requirement on that page. Projects funded by the Ministry of Inclusion target non-EU migrants in social and/or economic vulnerability, according to Order ISM/820/2023. Confirm your own case with IOM.
Two types of projects. The 2026 grant call (now closed) distinguished: (1) assisted voluntary return and reintegration, for third-country nationals in situations of special vulnerability, with individual pathways; and (2) sustainable reintegration projects supporting entrepreneurial skills through self-employment and business-management training, technical assistance and follow-up of the initiative. Each call and each project sets the specific conditions.
Where to go. IOM Spain: C/ Fernando el Católico 10, 1ºB, 28015 Madrid; phone +34 915943670; there is a contact form on their website.
How it is funded (and why you see it in the BOE). The Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration funds these projects through agreements with IOM published in the BOE and through grant calls for non-profit NGOs and international organisations with a permanent seat in Spain, not individuals (art. 4 of Order ISM/820/2023). The 2026 call is exactly that, and it is already closed. You do not apply to that call: you contact IOM.
⚠️ A weighty decision. Return means leaving Spain. Before deciding, check how it affects your situation (residence, open files, the possibility of coming back) with a professional or with IOM itself.
Official sources: IOM Spain — Voluntary return projects; Order ISM/820/2023, BOE-A-2023-16807; 2026 call, BOE-B-2026-18853; 2025 Ministry and IOM agreement, BOE-A-2025-1387; 2026 agreement, BOE-A-2026-558.
Informational only; confirm requirements and conditions with IOM for your specific case.
