In November 2024, the Spanish government approved the Regulations of the Immigration Act (Royal Decree 1155/2024).
Approved on 19th November and published in the Official State Gazette on 20th November, the new regulations are scheduled to come into effect in 6 months – meaning updated immigration rules will apply from 20th May 2025.
While there were previous updates to Spanish immigration laws in 2022 which brought several improvements to the system, there were also issues that still needed to be addressed. The newest reforms aim to tie up loose ends and make immigration processes more efficient for migrants and employers who hire them.
The latest changes aim to improve the rights of foreigners in Spain in three key areas: employment, education, and family.
Here’s a quick summary of the upcoming changes to Spain immigration laws in 2025.
Residence permits
With the intention of reducing bureaucracy and making administrative procedures more efficient, the new regulations state that initial residence authorisations will be valid for 1 year and the permits can be renewed for 4 years (except for family visas, which will be valid for 5 years) – providing greater stability for migrants.
The Spanish government estimates that the new system will allow around 300,000 people to gain regular residence in Spain every year over the next few years – removing problems such as having to leave the country or falling into an irregular situation after the expiration of a temporary permit. There will also be new permits available to tackle such irregularities.
Work permits
A new social arraigo will be introduced – the sociolaboral arraigo. This follows a similar format as the traditional version, but applicants must only have been living irregularly in Spain for 2 years instead of 3 years. It also doesn’t require a social integration report, but it is necessary to have at least one job offer paying the minimum wage or higher.
Foreigners in irregular situations who haven’t been able to find job offers after 2 years will now have the option of the arraigo socioformativo pathway. This is a reworked version of the arraigo para la formación, which now allows such foreigners to start professional training in a wider range of courses and work up to 30 hours a week. It can be extended for a second year, too, but each application requires a social integration report.
Asylum seekers excluded from the arraigo laboral, who have lived in Spain for at least 2 years and made authorised Social Security contributions by working for a minimum of 6 months to 1 year, will be able to apply for the new ‘second chance’ arraigo – the arraigo de segunda oportunidad – to gain a residence permit.
In addition to these new arraigo procedures, simpler guidelines for hiring workers from abroad are designed to make this process easier with reduced paperwork. Seasonal employees will also have greater legal protections.
Education permits
In the hope of training and retaining educated foreign students to boost the economy in Spain, Spanish student visas will undergo significant changes next year. For example, if there is no response within 1 month of submitting a student visa application, it will automatically be accepted via ‘positive administrative silence’.
Additionally, the hassle of having to renew every single year will be a thing of the past, as study permits will now be issued to cover the entire duration of the approved course. While students must still communicate with the immigration office to confirm they’re maintaining the requirements, they won’t have to re-apply for the same visa.
The new student visa in Spain will also improve the process of obtaining a work permit upon completion of their studies. Regardless of their course, foreign students will be authorised to work for up to 30 hours a week during their studies, with a fast-track option to transfer to a work permit as soon as their course comes to an end.
This means international students no longer need to worry about disruptions to their employment and earnings when their course ends. If the duration of study is less than a year, the student can apply for a 1-year work permit, or if it is longer than a year, they can apply for a 4-year work permit, with temporary authorisation available in the meantime.
Family reunification permits
Previously, family members of Spanish citizens joining them in Spain would either need to apply for the family arraigo or the family member of an EU citizen card. These will be unified into a single permit with residence authorisation for 5 years, with temporary authorisation to work from the time of submission until the application is approved.
This will make it much easier for foreigners who obtain Spanish nationality to bring their dependant family members to Spain – providing simpler processes and better legal support for relatives of Spanish nationals, with greater flexibility for a family to demonstrate their capacity to meet the eligibility requirements.
Advantages of the expanded requirements include a greater number of eligible relatives, as dependants can automatically qualify as such if they are descendants up to 26 years old or ascendants over 80 years old. The age of dependent children was previously capped at 21 years old, so this is good news for families with adult children hoping to relocate together.
In some cases, it may be more beneficial to wait for the new regulations to take effect for family reunification, but other circumstances may make the current rules more preferable – so it’s best to consult Spanish immigration lawyers like Manzanares Abogados if you intend to move your family to Spain in the first half of 2025.
Need legal help with immigrating to Spain in 2025?
These major changes to Spanish immigration rules offer a range of improvements, but they don’t take effect until mid-2025, and won’t apply retroactively. If you intend to move to Spain to study or work next year, especially if you plan to bring family members with you, then it’s essential to seek professional advice from immigration lawyers in Spain.
The team at Manzanares Lawyers would be more than happy to guide you, so don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation.
Either call us at one of our offices in Spain (Andalucía or Ibiza) or send an email to clientservices@manzanareslawyers.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible with more information.
