Spain issued more than 1.57 million residency documents to foreign nationals during 2025, an increase of 7.8% compared with the previous year, according to newly published figures from the Permanent Observatory for Immigration (OPI).
A total of 1,577,842 residence documents were granted during the year. The figures include first-time permits, renewals, modifications, extensions and recovered permits.
The Observatory notes that these statistics count documents rather than people, meaning one person may have received more than one residence document during the year.
UK nationals among the biggest increases
One of the most notable changes was the sharp rise in residency documents issued to British nationals.
The total increased from 26,325 in 2024 to 57,396 in 2025, largely because many UK citizens have now been able to exchange their temporary post-Brexit residency documents for permanent Foreign Identity Cards (TIEs), more than five years after the Withdrawal Agreement came into force.
The report also highlights a 19.5% increase in residency documents granted to Venezuelan nationals, while Ukrainians continued to receive permits under Spain’s temporary protection scheme.
Ukrainians, Venezuelans and Moroccans received the most permits
Three nationalities accounted for almost half of all residency documents issued during 2025.
Ukrainian nationals received 244,579 documents, followed by Venezuelans with 224,341 and Moroccans with 187,790. Together, these three groups represented around 42% of all residence documents granted.
Valencian Community among Spain’s busiest regions
The Valencian Community processed 282,897 residency documents during 2025, making it the second busiest region after Catalonia, which recorded 311,038.
Madrid issued 275,607 documents, while Andalucía granted 232,201.
Together, these four regions accounted for around 70% of all residency documents issued across Spain.
Most residence permits were temporary
Residence permits issued under Spain’s general immigration system represented 82% of all documents granted during the year, with 1,292,400 approvals.
Of these, 92% were temporary residence permits, while 6% were long-term permits and the remaining 2% related to international protection or stateless status.
Among temporary permits, the largest category was residence granted under exceptional circumstances other than arraigo, accounting for 479,527 approvals, or around 40% of the total.
Residence permits granted through arraigo represented the second largest category, with 221,802 approvals, equivalent to 19% of temporary permits.
More than 108,000 study permits approved
The Observatory also released updated figures on study permits.
During 2025, Spain granted 108,253 study residence authorisations to international students and their family members.
The average applicant was 27 years old, while women accounted for 54% of all permits issued.
Colombian nationals received the highest number of study permits, followed by applicants from Peru, Morocco, the United States and China.
The latest figures underline Spain’s continued appeal as a destination for both long-term residents and international students, while the Valencian Community remains one of the country’s main regions for processing new residency applications.
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