Spain is taking steps to formalize and expand its reliance on foreign labor, especially for seasonal work, wiht the recent approval of new regulations for 2026. The “Order GECCO,” published December 23, aims to streamline the hiring process while bolstering protections for migrant workers-a strategy increasingly vital to sectors like agriculture facing labor shortages. Building on the framework established by the May 2025 Foreigner Regulations (RELOEX), the new order offers multi-year work authorizations and expands accomplished regional programs like WAFIRA, which focuses on facilitating safe migration pathways for women from Morocco and other nations.
Migrant Workers
Spain is streamlining regulations for the hiring of foreign workers, particularly those engaged in seasonal employment, with the approval of new guidelines for 2026. The move comes as the country increasingly relies on international labor to fill critical roles in sectors like agriculture.
Enhanced Protections and Alignment with New Regulations
The updated order aligns with the new Foreigner Regulations (RELOEX), which came into effect in May 2025, incorporating worker rights and guarantees previously outlined in annual ministerial orders. This provides increased legal certainty for these workers. RELOEX addresses the collective management of origin contracts in Title VI, establishing a new model allowing for the joint processing of at least 10 job authorizations, provided the foreign nationals are not already in Spain.
The two contracting models outlined in the Order GECCO – stable and circular – can be implemented generically or specifically, and allow for both ordinary and unified processing methods. Similar to this year, the 2026 order further develops the nominative contracting modality, aiming to accommodate circular migration projects previously utilizing limited-duration residency permits, which were effectively revoked on July 27, 2023.
Additionally, the new ministerial order introduces Article 7, providing specific guarantees for circular migration, designed to protect the socio-labor welfare of program participants. Employers are now obligated to provide accommodation throughout the entire activity period and during any subsequent calls for work, and must report any changes to the processing authority.
The regulations as a whole aim to meet the specific demands of the Spanish labor market, ensuring workforce availability in essential sectors while offering employment and training opportunities to participating individuals. “These circular migration programs are a tool for mutual enrichment for all parties involved, and also promote migration in accordance with the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration,” Saiz stated.
Growth in Circular Migration Programs
Circular migration programs facilitated the arrival of 25,767 workers from 17 countries for seasonal work in Spain during 2025, a 25% increase compared to 2024. The majority of these opportunities are in the agricultural sector, with activities taking place across 21 Spanish provinces. Participation has grown steadily in recent years, exceeding 65,000 over the last three years (19,000 in 2023, over 20,000 last year, and more than 25,000 in 2025).
The growth highlights the importance of the GECCO Order, which provides for authorizations valid for four years, with the possibility of renewal if requirements are met. These multi-year authorizations allow for work for a maximum of nine months each calendar year through fixed-discontinuous contracts. Workers with seasonal activity authorizations are required to return to their country of origin immediately at the end of their work period.
The Order also stipulates the conditions for contracting, renewal, and management of these temporary authorizations for both employers and participants, seeking to extend the guarantees and flexibility of national legal frameworks to this type of employment. “Migration is a vital lever for the economic growth of our country, and this Order guarantees dignified and efficient treatment for circular migrants, providing them with the legal and labor security they deserve,” Saiz said.
WAFIRA Program to Continue in 2026
In 2025, 92% of participants in circular migration programs were women. Building on efforts to promote orderly circular migration, the governments of Spain, France, and Morocco agreed on December 16 to launch WAFIRA II in 2026, a regional circular migration program supporting 3,000 Moroccan workers – primarily women – employed seasonally in Spain and France.
Following an initial phase (2021-2025) that empowered 250 Moroccan temporary workers economically, WAFIRA II (2026-2028) expands in scope and volume, establishing the initiative as a successful example of circular migration programs. The new edition of WAFIRA is supported by the European Union and has been expanded to include six countries: Morocco, Spain, France, Portugal, Mauritania, and Cape Verde, aiming to make labor mobility safer, better organized, and more beneficial for migrants and the territories involved.
