Ukrainians who are in Spain under temporary protection will have the opportunity to switch to other types of residency in 2026. Among the available options are legalization through employment, self-employment, education, Digital Nomad, and arraigo procedures. This is reported by Visit Ukraine.
The new opportunities are related to the instructions from the Spanish Ministry of Migration, which define the conditions for transitioning from temporary protection to other migration statuses. In certain cases, the period of stay in the country under temporary protection may be counted towards long-term statuses and residency procedures.
How Ukrainians can obtain work residency in Spain
One of the main options is to transition to residency through employment. According to specialist Kateryna Udovichenko, Ukrainians who have lived in Spain for more than a year and have employment can apply for residency for a period of four years.
The key document for an employee will be the employment contract. At the same time, as the expert notes, no additional proof of the employer's financial viability is required.
For Ukrainians who have been in Spain for less than a year, there is also an option to change their status if they have a job. However, in this case, it will be for residency for a period of one year.
A separate mechanism is available for the self-employed. A Ukrainian who has lived in the country for more than a year, registered as an autónomo, and is actually conducting activities, can consider applying for four-year residency. For this, proof of registration and tax declarations may be required.
What other options are available for Ukrainians
In addition to employment and self-employment, residencies through education and the Digital Nomad program are also being considered. Another path could be the arraigo system, which allows for legalization based on long-term residence and ties to Spain.
In particular, there are arraigo social and arraigo socioformativo. The conditions depend on the specific situation: work, education, family ties, financial support, and the degree of integration into Spanish society.
For arraigo social, having relatives in Spain may be taken into account. If there are no relevant family ties, a report on social integration, which includes an interview, may be necessary.
For minors, there is also a separate procedure that may allow for residency for a period of five years.
At the same time, experts advise checking the current requirements before submitting documents. The new opportunities are defined by the instructions from the migration authority, rather than by a separate law, so the practice of its application and the list of required documents may vary for each specific case.
It should be noted that in Spain, nearly a million illegal migrants have applied for legalization under the state program, the deadline for which is June 30.