Residence permits increased by 7.8% in 2025 due to applications from Venezuela, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom

The Diplomat The number of residence permits in Spain increased by 7.8 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year due to authorizations granted for humanitarian reasons to Venezuelan nationals, temporary protection for people arriving from Ukraine, and the modification of Foreigner Identity Cards (TIE) for UK nationals. This is according to statistics from the Permanent Immigration Observatory (OPI) for 2025, published this Monday and released by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration. According to the report "Flow of Residence Documents Granted to Foreign Nationals during 2025," the number of authorizations granted last year totaled 1,577,842, representing an increase of 7.8 percent (114,238 documents) compared to the previous year. This statistic, included in the National Statistical Plan, counts the total number of residence permits granted during the year, including initial permits, renewals, modifications, extensions, and reinstatements. The total number of permits is not equivalent to the total number of people granted a residence permit, since the same person may have obtained, for example, an initial permit and subsequently a renewal, which is equivalent to the same person having two permits granted during the same year. The Observatory highlights the increase in permits granted to UK nationals as relevant data. This group increased from 26,325 to 57,396 due to the conversion of temporary to permanent Foreigner Identity Cards (TIE) for UK nationals, more than five years having passed since the implementation of this type of documentation. Also noteworthy, with a 19.5 percent increase, is the number of residence permits granted to Venezuelan nationals and to Ukrainian nationals through temporary protection in 2025. Individuals of three nationalities—Ukrainian (244,579 permits), Venezuelan (224,341), and Moroccan (187,790)—received 42 percent of the residence permits issued in 2025. Regarding the autonomous communities where the residence permits issued during 2025 were requested, Catalonia and the Valencian Community stand out, with 311,038 and 282,897 permits granted, respectively. They are followed by the Community of Madrid with 275,607 and Andalusia with 232,201. These four autonomous communities accounted for 70 percent of the residence permits issued during 2025.

Related Content

Moncloa asserts that NATO's own data supports its position during the Ankara Summit

The AECID field hospital has already treated more than 200 people in Venezuela

The Permanent Court of Arbitration signs an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish a headquarters in Spain

Albares asserts that Spain “already meets the 2% target and has delivered all capabilities,” something “not all allies can say”

The Irish Embassy hosts Albares and EU ambassadors to discuss the Irish Presidency