Spain’s snap election on 29 November: what changes for Moroccans in Spain
Pedro Sánchez announced on 5 October that the Cortes are dissolved and a vote will be held on 29 November. The extraordinary regularisation, which received about 156,000 Moroccan applications, stays in force. The reform of the immigration law lapses with the legislature.
In short
- •On Monday 5 October 2026, Pedro Sánchez announced the dissolution of the Cortes and an early general election on Sunday 29 November.
- •The announcement follows the rejection by Congress of two housing decree-laws.
- •The 2026 extraordinary regularisation is not affected: it is a decree already in force, not a bill. About 156,000 applications were filed by Moroccans.
- •The reform of the immigration law and the new asylum law, still before Parliament, lapse with the legislature.
- •Only Spanish citizens vote in general elections. Moroccans who also hold Spanish nationality can vote, including by post.
What happened
Last week the Congress of Deputies rejected two government decree-laws on housing. On Monday 5 October, the Prime Minister announced the dissolution of the Cortes. The decree calling the election is due in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on Tuesday 6 October, and electoral law then sets the vote 54 days later: 29 November 2026.
Until a new government is formed, the current team stays on in a caretaker capacity and handles day-to-day business.
The extraordinary regularisation stays in force
The regularisation rests on Royal Decree 316/2026 of 14 April 2026, a text adopted by the government and already published. Dissolution ends the bills still before Parliament. It does not cancel decrees in force.
| Official figure | |
|---|---|
| Application window | 16 April to 30 June 2026 (closed) |
| Applications received | 1,174,978 |
| Moroccan share | 13.3%, about 156,000 applications (2nd nationality after Colombia) |
| Files processed by 2 July | 609,737 |
| Permit granted | residence and work, initially valid for one year, nationwide and in any sector |
Source: Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, press releases of 21 April and 2 July 2026.
Applications filed before 30 June are still being processed by the administration. No new application is possible: the window closed on 30 June.
What lapses with the dissolution
Texts still before Parliament stop with the legislature. Two of them directly concern foreign residents:
- •the new asylum law,
- •the reform of the immigration law (Ley de Extranjería), drafted to apply the EU pact on migration.
They will have to be tabled again before the next Parliament. The current immigration rules therefore keep applying.
Who can vote on 29 November
General elections are reserved for people of Spanish nationality. A residence permit, even a long-term one, does not give the right to vote in this election. Moroccans who also hold Spanish nationality vote like any Spanish citizen.
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Decree published in the BOE | 6 October 2026 |
| Postal vote request | until 19 November |
| Postal vote deposit | until 25 November |
| Election campaign | 13 to 27 November |
| Polling day | Sunday 29 November 2026 |
| New chambers constituted | by 24 December at the latest |
Further reading
- •Our Moroccans in Spain page gathers the guides useful to MRE living in Spain.
- •Tax between the two countries: Spain-Morocco double taxation.
- •Retirement: Combining a Spanish and a Moroccan pension.
Sources
- •Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (La Moncloa): regularisation procedure, 21 April 2026; results of the application window, 2 July 2026.
- •Electoral calendar published on 5 October 2026 (RTVC).
- •List of texts lapsing with the dissolution (Última Hora, 5 October 2026).
- •Cover photo: Congress of Deputies, Madrid, by Roberto García, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Related articles
Related practical guides
Are you an MRE?
Join the platform and reach verified professionals in Morocco. Free.
Have a project in Morocco?
Find a LesMRE-verified expert to guide you through your steps.
Find an expert →