The 2026 extraordinary regularisation process is already under way, and town halls will have an important role to play. Not because they decide on applications—that falls under the responsibility of the State Administration—but because many people will first go to their town hall for information, to register as residents, to prove cohabitation, to provide evidence of their daughters’ and sons’ schooling, or to seek social support.
For municipal staff, this means something very specific: they will need to provide clear information, identify correctly who may qualify for the process, give guidance on the basic documentation, and prevent mistakes that could delay or complicate the application. The Royal Decree was published on 15 April 2026. The online route opened on 16 April. The in-person route begins on 20 April, although appointments also open from 16 April. The general application deadline is 30 June.
What town hall staff need to know first
This regularisation is intended for two very specific groups:
1. People seeking international protection who submitted their application before 1 January 2026.
2. People in an irregular administrative situation who arrived in Spain before 1 January 2026.
In addition, there are two general requirements for both routes:
- To be in Spain before 1 January 2026 and to prove continuous residence of at least five months at the time of application.
- To have no criminal record and not pose a threat to public order, public security or public health.
Municipal services should convey a clear message here: this is not a process open to every foreign national, but rather to people who fall within these specific cases. In fact, the official information states that it is not intended for people who already hold a valid authorisation or are renewing one, for people covered by temporary protection because of Ukraine, or for stateless people, who have their own procedures.
What role do town halls play in this process?
The town hall does not grant the authorisation, but it can be decisive in ensuring that people arrive at the procedure well prepared. In practice, its role can be focused on six functions:
1. Provide correct initial guidance
Many people will not know whether they should use the asylum route or the irregular-status route. This is where the first municipal screening is essential.
2. Help identify evidence of residence
The person will need to show that they were in Spain before 1 January 2026 and have remained here for at least five consecutive months before submitting the application. The official information accepts any legally valid evidence that makes it possible to identify the person.
At this point, town halls are often key because useful municipal documents may exist, such as registration certificates, reports or administrative records, depending on the case.
3. Provide documentation on cohabitation or schooling
For the extraordinary regularisation route based on family unity, the family relationship and cohabitation will need to be proved. Where there are minors, evidence of their schooling may also be required.
4. Activate social services when there is vulnerability
In cases involving vulnerability, the information sheet requires a certificate from the competent authority or a collaborating organisation proving that situation. The EX-32 form itself states that this certificate may come from the competent bodies responsible for social assistance or from Third Sector organisations registered in the Electronic Register of Immigration Collaborators.
This means that municipal social services may have an important role, provided that they are the competent body in that territory.
5. Explain the submission channels clearly
Many people will go to the town hall simply to ask “where do I submit it?”. It is worth having a very clear answer to that question.
6. Refer cases when they are complex
If there are identity problems, criminal-record issues in the country of origin, a complex family situation or doubts about other, more suitable regularisation routes, referring the person to specialist advice or collaborating organisations will be the most prudent option.
Requirements for people seeking asylum
People seeking international protection may qualify if their application was submitted before 1 January 2026. For this group, the basic documentation includes:
- Official EX-31 form.
- A complete copy of the passport, even if expired, or a registration certificate or travel document recognised in Spain.
- A criminal-record certificate from the country or countries where the person lived during the five years before entering Spain.
- A document proving that the application for international protection was submitted before 1 January 2026.
- A document proving residence in Spain for at least five consecutive months before the application.
- Proof of payment of the fee.
For municipal staff, the most important point is this: if the person had already applied for asylum before that date, they do not also have to prove employment, family ties or vulnerability. That additional requirement applies to the irregular-status route, not to the specific route for applicants for international protection. This makes initial guidance much easier.
Requirements for people in an irregular administrative situation
People in an irregular situation follow the route under Additional Provision 21, using form EX-32. In addition to the general requirements, they must prove at least one of the following three situations:
- To have worked as an employee or self-employed person during their residence in Spain, or to prove an intention to work through a job offer or a declaration of responsibility for self-employed activity.
- To remain in Spain with their family unit, consisting of minor daughters and sons, adult daughters and sons with disabilities, or first-degree ascendants who live with them.
- To be in a vulnerable situation, certified by the competent authority responsible for social assistance.
This point is very important for municipal services: being in an irregular situation is not enough on its own. The person must also fall within one of those three situations.
Documentation for each situation
A) Si acredita actividad laboral
They must provide:
- EX-32 form.
- Passport, registration certificate or travel document.
- Criminal-record certificate.
- Documentation of the work carried out or of the job offer.
The form itself adds that a declaration of responsibility may also be provided if the intention is to work as a self-employed person.
B) If a family unit is proved
They must provide:
- Passport, registration certificate or travel document.
- Criminal-record certificate.
- Documentation proving the family relationship.
- Documentation proving cohabitation with the family unit.
- Proof of payment of the fee.
The form adds that the schooling of minors or of adults with disabilities with whom the person lives must be documented.
C) If vulnerability is proved
They must provide:
- Passport, registration certificate or travel document.
- Criminal-record certificate.
- Documentation proving residence in Spain.
- A vulnerability certificate from the competent authority or collaborating organisation.
- Proof of payment of the fee.
How daughters and sons can also be regularised
This is one of the most relevant points for town halls, because many enquiries will focus on minors.
The official documentation provides that, when the applicant has minor daughters or sons, or adult daughters or sons with disabilities who require support, they may simultaneously apply for a residence authorisation for them under Articles 159 and 160 of the Immigration Regulations. Both applications will be decided together.
If the minor was born in Spain
Article 159 applies. The general rule states that authorisation may be requested for minors born in Spain who are children of foreign parents with residence, and that it lasts for five years. Normally, it must be requested within six months of the birth or from the time the parent obtains residence. Under this extraordinary regularisation, that requirement is relaxed: the six-month limit does not apply.
If the minor was not born in Spain
Article 160 applies. During this extraordinary process, important requirements are relaxed: the prior two-year residence requirement is not imposed, nor is proof of the financial means and adequate housing normally required for family reunification.
What municipal staff need to know
In simple terms:
if the mother, father or guardian applies for extraordinary regularisation, they can also process the residence of their minor daughters and sons at the same time. The requirements have been eased in this process precisely to provide better protection for children. The Royal Decree itself stresses that these authorisations for minors may be granted for five years, guided by the best interests of the child.
Channels for submitting the application
The application can be submitted through two routes: online and in person.
Online (telematic):
It has been open since 16 April and operates 24 hours a day through the MERCURIO platform. It can be done:
- With the person’s own electronic certificate.
- Through a registered power of attorney.
- Through authorised professionals.
- Through organisations registered in the Register of Immigration Collaborators.
In-person route
In person
It begins on 20 April, always with a prior appointment, which can be requested from 16 April. In-person submission can be made at authorised offices of:
- Immigration offices.
- Social Security offices.
- Post offices.
The official information adds that Correos has been authorised to provide support and management through assisted online submission, precisely to facilitate territorial access to the procedure.
How to request an appointment
According to the questions-and-answers guide, the appointment can be requested:
- On the regularisation portal using Cl@ve.
- On the portal using the web form.
- By calling 060.
What town halls should say to prevent mistakes
There are several messages that municipal staff should repeat clearly:
First: proof of submission is not the same as the communication that proceedings have begun. The authorisation to work takes effect with that communication from UTEX, not with the simple submission receipt.
Second: the initial authorisation lasts one year and allows residence and work only in Spain, not in the rest of the European Union.
Third: after a favourable decision, the TIE must be requested from the Policía Nacional within one month.
Fourth: if the person cannot obtain the criminal-record certificate from their country of origin in time, there is an exceptional route to request that it be obtained through diplomatic channels, but this does not automatically replace the certificate. They must prove that they requested it and submit a declaration of responsibility and specific authorisation.
FAQ for town hall staff
1. Can the town hall process or decide on the regularisation?
No. The decision belongs to the General State Administration. The town hall can provide guidance, facilitate municipal documentation and, where appropriate, involve social services if it is the competent body to certify vulnerability.
2. Who can qualify for the process?
People seeking asylum whose application was submitted before 1 January 2026 and people in an irregular situation who arrived before that date, always with at least five months of residence and no relevant criminal record.
3. Should a person with a valid residence card apply for this regularisation?
No. The official information states that this process is not intended for people with a valid authorisation or one undergoing renewal or extension.
4. Do people seeking asylum have to prove employment, family ties or vulnerability?
Not through this specific route. They must prove that they were applicants for international protection before 1 January 2026, their residence in Spain and the general documentation.
5. Can people in an irregular situation apply even if they do not have a job?
Yes, but only if they fall within one of the other situations: family unit or vulnerability. If they cannot prove any of the three situations, they would not meet the requirements.
6. Can the whole family submit their applications at the same time?
Yes. The official guide states that, in a single in-person appointment, applications from people in the same household can be handled together. In addition, minor children can be processed at the same time.
7. How is a minor daughter or son regularised?
Together with the application of the mother, father or guardian, applying Articles 159 or 160 of the Regulations, depending on whether the child was born in Spain. This process includes important relaxations to protect children.
8. Which municipal documents may be useful?
Especially those that help prove residence, cohabitation, schooling or social circumstances. Residence can be proved through any legally valid evidence.
9. Where can a person without a digital certificate submit the application?
In person with a prior appointment, or online through a representative, authorised professional or collaborating organisation.
10. Can the application also be submitted through Correos?
Yes. The in-person route includes authorised post offices, and the Royal Decree also provides for Correos’ participation in supporting and managing the procedure.
11. When can the person start working?
Not from the simple submission receipt. They may do so once they receive the communication that the administrative procedure has begun.
12. Where can updated official information be found?
On the Ministry’s dedicated regularisation website, where the online route, prior appointments and information about collaborating organisations are brought together.
Conclusion
For town halls, the key is not to become an immigration office, but to be a reliable gateway. Good municipal support can prevent common mistakes: confusing the asylum route with the irregular-status route, forgetting proof of residence, failing to process daughters and sons at the same time, not activating social services in cases of vulnerability, or assuming that the submission receipt already authorises someone to work.
Put simply: the town hall does not decide, but it can make the difference between a well-prepared application and one that gets off to a bad start.
