News · Spain
Spain: 421,306 people regularised in the extraordinary process are registered with Social Security
On 2 October 2026 Spain's Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration published its September figures. The number of foreign nationals registered with Social Security exceeded 3.6 million for the first time, and 421,306 people granted a permit in the extraordinary regularisation process were registered on 30 September.
Summary
In brief
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The monthly average of all affiliates was 22,437,553.
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Foreign affiliates: 3,635,979, or 16.2% of the total; up 84,220 on August and 547,637 on a year earlier.
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People regularised in the extraordinary process and registered: 421,306 on 30 September, 83,389 more than on 31 August.
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The largest groups are Colombian (118,485) and Venezuelan (71,999) nationals.
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The release does not give the number of regularisation applications approved or refused.
Background
What happened
According to the La Moncloa release of 2 October 2026, the monthly average number of Social Security affiliates in September was 22,437,553. Affiliates from other countries numbered 3,635,979, or 16.2% of the total, up 84,220 on August and 547,637 on a year earlier.
The number of foreign nationals granted a permit in the extraordinary regularisation process ("proceso extraordinario") and registered stood at 421,306 on 30 September, 83,389 more than on 31 August. The largest groups came from Colombia (118,485) and Venezuela (71,999). 77.4% (326,256) are in the General Scheme and 5.4% (22,681) are self-employed.
The extraordinary process was governed by Royal Decree 316/2026; applications could be filed between 16 April and 30 June 2026.
For you
What it means for you
- Who it is for: the extraordinary regularisation was for people staying irregularly in Spain and the application period has closed; it does not affect the digital nomad visa or non-lucrative residence.
- Workload: the large number of regularisation cases also reflects the workload of immigration offices; allow for this when booking appointments and estimating decision times.
- Planning: if you plan to move to Spain, we review the timing of your filing and the preparation of documents together when you request a quote.
Sources
Sources
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