Overview
- The application window closes Tuesday, June 30, after the government process drew far more demand than expected with about 900,000 submissions and roughly 360,000 cases admitted to trámite for one-year provisional residence and work rights.
- Many people who received provisional approval still have not been sent physical NIE cards or Social Security numbers, and employers are rejecting job offers because those numbers are required to sign contracts.
- Municipal councils and social groups became essential intermediaries by issuing vulnerability reports used when applicants lacked a signed pre-contract or dependent-care proof; Catalonia alone supplied more than 60,000 such reports with Barcelona reporting at least 34,123.
- The government has proposed a targeted extension of up to three months for applicants who can prove bureaucratic delays obtaining foreign criminal records, while advocacy groups demand broader deadline relief and reinforced appointment capacity for identity cards.
- Local demand varied widely and exceeded forecasts in many places, for example Córdoba recorded about 9,800–10,000 applications, and the surge has sharpened political debate over electoral effects and highlighted longer-term labor and public-service planning challenges.