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Article 30(1) of the Asylum Law provides that if they lack financial means, “applicants for international protection will be provided a shelter and social services in order to ensure the satisfaction of their basic needs in dignified conditions”. The system has an integral character, which assists the applicant / beneficiary from the time of the submission of the application for asylum until the completion of the integration process.

Right to reception in different procedures

Material reception conditions under national legislation on asylum are the same for every asylum seeker, no matter the profile of the applicant nor the type of asylum procedure they are channelled into. According to the reception regulation, the reception system foresees an 18-month period of accommodation, assistance and financial support generally in the same province where the asylum claim was lodged (apart from a few exceptions). This can reach a maximum of 24 months for vulnerable cases following the exceptional authorisation by the competent authority (see Special Reception Needs).

For applicants under an outgoing Dublin procedure, reception conditions are provided until the actual transfer to another Member State. Reception is offered for no longer than one month after the notification of the inadmissibility decision, subject to a possible extension.

Access to reception conditions is conditional to the applicant’s inclusion within official asylum reception places, which give access to all other services provided. This means that applicants who can afford or decide to provide themselves with independent accommodation are in practice cut off the system and have no guaranteed access to financial support and assistance foreseen in reception centres.

According to the 2022 Regulation, people who arrive in Spain from the Moroccan border and have to be initially hosted within the Ceuta and Melilla’s Migrant Temporary Stay Centres (CETI) to be later transferred to the Spanish peninsula. This provision represents a change of the previous situation as in practice persons applying for asylum in Ceuta and Melilla started benefitting the full services provided within the reception system only when transferred to mainland, but not during their stay in the CETI.

Cases of asylum seekers living on the streets because of the saturation of the reception system and the delays in the formalisation of the asylum applications continued to be reported in 2025. In May, more than 400 persons were sleeping at the Madrid Barajas Airport, many of them being asylum applicants.[1] In June, 22 out of 61 persons living in the streets in Zaragoza were applicants of international protection. This number increased during the following months until September, when the Government-Delegate started to refer 60 asylum applicants to asylum facilities.[2] Despite that, the situation continued in the following months: in November, the municipality reported that 29 persons in need of international protection were living on the streets of the city.[3] In July, tens of Malians asylum seekers were living on the streets in Donostia (País Vasco) due to administrative obstacles to access asylum.^[4] During the same month, a family with two children and one baby with Down syndrome experienced the same situation due to the denial of their asylum application.[5] Since July, a group of almost 20 refugees from Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana were living on the streets in Segovia while waiting to receive an appointment to apply for asylum.[6] In January 2026, part of a group of Malians living on the streets of Vitoria (País Vasco) were transferred to reception facilities.[7]

In January 2023, the EU Commission started an infringement procedure against Spain for not having transposed completely and correctly the EU norms on reception conditions, giving to Spain a 2-month deadline to address the deficiencies of its system.^[8] No further developments on the case were registered at the time of writing of this report, as the case remains pending.[9]

The assessment of resources

The latest publicly available Reception Handbook and the Reception Regulation specifies that the lack of sufficient resources is one of the requirements for receiving reception conditions.^[10] At any stage of the reception phase, asylum seekers have the obligation to declare the incomes they receive. Only actual incomes are verified, while savings are not, because it is expected that asylum seekers applying for reception conditions do not have sufficient economic resources to provide to their subsistence.

Three-phase approach to reception

The reception system is divided into three main phases, which the asylum seeker follows even if they obtain international protection in the meantime. The three phases are as follows:^[11]

1. “Initial assessment and referral phase” (Fase de valoración inicial y derivación): the aim of this phase is to assess the person’s profile and their needs, at to refer them to a suitable facility in the minimum time possible. The stay in such facilities should last the time necessary for carrying out the needs’ assessment and the referral to another facility and should not exceed 1 month. This phase does not count for the calculation of the duration of reception conditions;
2. “Reception phase” (Fase de acogida): applicants are provided with accommodation within: (a) a International Protection Reception Centre (Centro de Acogida de Protección Internacional, CAPI); (b) or NGO-run reception facilities located all over the Spanish territory; or (c) reception facilities under the humanitarian assistance system (acogida para la Atención Humanitaria de personas inmigrantes). More details are provided in Types of Accommodation. During these months of temporary reception, applicants receive basic cultural orientation, language and job training which aim to facilitate their integration within the Spanish society. The stay in such facilities should last until the end of the international protection’s or statelessness’ procedure (that according to the Asylum Law is 6 months). For vulnerable asylum seekers, such timeframe can be extended for another 6 months;
3. “Autonomy phase” (Fase de autonomía): applicants move out of reception centres and receive financial support and coverage of basic expenses to start their autonomous life. Intensive language courses and access to employability programmes are offered at this stage. It is also possible to offer the person financial support for certain expenses (ayudas puntuales) such as health, education, training, birth. The duration of this phase is 6 months that can be extended for another 6 in case of vulnerable applicants.

The total duration of reception phases cannot exceed 18 months, subject to a prolongation to 24 months for vulnerable persons.^[12]

In December 2022 the SEM issued new instructions^[13] regarding the access to and stay in the asylum reception system establishing, for example, applicants whose asylum claim has been denied can access the reception system if they have lodged a second asylum application or have challenged the denial with an administrative appeal.

Since the 2015 increase of available places for refugees’ reception, the Spanish government has reformed the system regarding financing for NGOs service providers for asylum seekers and refugees. In 2025, the asylum reception system counted 24 organisations, which were granted direct funding for the reception of asylum seekers:^[14]

The list can undergo changes, as NGOs can enter or exit from the asylum reception system based on available funding, decisions taken by the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, individual decisions to be part of the system, etc. According to available data, the Spanish reception system counted with 34,062 reception places for asylum seekers and 24,532 within the humanitarian assistance program as for June 2025.[15]

The Reception Regulation has introduced a new mechanism for funding NGOs’ reception facilities, by establishing a concerted action between the SEM and NGOs for the duration of 4 years, both for the asylum reception system and humanitarian assistance.^[16] Positive aspects of this new form of funding have been highlighted, especially in terms of the stability of the system in front of the increase in arrivals, its transparency, as well as its ability to adapt to the needs of asylum seekers and migrants.[17]

In July 2025, a new handbook for the reception and assistance within the humanitarian assistance program has been adopted.[18] The EU funded with €38 million the humanitarian assistance for migrants arriving in Spain during 2025.[19]

In June 2023, a new operational plan for 2023-2026 was agreed between Spain and the EUAA, which foresees a set of measures aiming at supporting and reinforcing the national reception authorities in the context of the international protection, temporary protection and the humanitarian assistance systems. In addition, compared to the previous operational plan, the new one foresees support to national authorities to foster common action in reception of unaccompanied migrant children in the Spanish territory, and to enhance the capacity of authorities and practitioners through training and professional development.[20]

In 2025, the EUAA provided Spain national reception authorities with one container for other reception and asylum use.[21]

In March 2026, the Council of Ministers authorised the use of the contingency fund for the amount of €286,715,807.32, as well as the granting of a supplementary loan and an extraordinary loan to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, to fund measures for the reception of migrants and refugees.[22] During the same month, Spain received an additional €244 million from the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund to strengthen its migration management model. So far, AMIF Fund has funded various projects in Spain, such as the running of the CREADE centres, the collection and analysis of data on racism and xenophobia through OBERAXE, voluntary return programmes, and the National Resettlement Plan. This budget increase brings the total allocated to the Spanish national programme to €812 million, representing a 68% increase on the initial allocation received from the AMIF fund in 2022.[23]

[1] El Diario, ‘El miedo cunde entre quienes duermen en Barajas en pleno choque institucional: “¿A dónde quieren que vayamos?”’, 17 May 2025, available here;  Europa Press, ‘Migraciones no ha recibido comunicación del Ayuntamiento de Madrid de la presencia de solicitantes de asilo en Barajas’, 14 May 2025, available here; El País, ‘El censo ‘secreto’ del aeropuerto de Barajas revela que viven 412 personas: más de la mitad empadronados en Madrid y el 38% trabaja’, 16 May 2025, available here; 20 Minutos, ‘El Ayuntamiento exige al Gobierno que se haga cargo en el plazo de un mes de los solicitantes de asilo en centros municipales’, 19 May 2025, available here;  El Periódico de Aragón, ‘”No piden asilo, muestran su pobreza”: Gabilondo reclama una respuesta coordinada en Barajas’, 27 May 2025, available here; 20 Minutos, ‘El Ayuntamiento da diez días al Gobierno para descolapsar los centros de solicitantes de asilo antes de demandarles’, 11 June 2025, available here; El Día, ‘El colapso en Barajas pone en evidencia las carencias del sistema de asilo español’, 17 June 2025, available here; Pueblos Unidos, ‘Desde la Mesa por la Hospitalidad pedimos una respuesta justa y humanitaria para las personas que pernoctan en el Aeropuerto’, 19 May 2025, available here.

[2] Heraldo, ‘Zaragoza cifra en 61 las personas que malviven en la calle junto al parque Bruil’, 9 May 2025, available here; El Diario, ‘Zaragoza registra 65 personas sin hogar en el parque Bruil ante la saturación del sistema de protección internacional’, 4 August 2025, available here; Europa Press, ‘El delegado del Gobierno dice que ha sacado a 60 refugiados del Parque Bruil: “Yo he hecho mi parte”’, 16 September 2025, available here;  

[3] El Español, ‘Zaragoza denuncia que hay 29 inmigrantes con derecho a protección internacional en la calle: “Es una crisis nacional”’, 30 October 2025, available here; El Periódico de Aragón, ‘Sin soluciones para el asentamiento de personas sin techo del parque Bruil: “Y dónde vivimos, ¿en el Ebro?”’, 17 October 2025, available here.

^[4] Diario Vasco, ‘Decenas de malienses solicitantes de asilo llevan semanas durmiendo en la calle en Donostia’, 11 July 2025, available here; Cadena Ser, ‘El Gobierno central ha trasladado este verano a centros de acogida a 400 refugiados que solicitaron asilo en Euskadi: “No estamos con los brazos cruzados”, 28 August 2025, available here; El País, ‘Vivir a la intemperie en Vitoria a la espera de una cita para pedir asilo en España: “Queremos ganarnos la vida”, 3 September 2025, available here.

[5] Levante, ‘Una familia con dos niños y un bebé con síndrome de down, a la calle tras su denegación de asilo’, 1 August 2025, available here.

[6] El Diario de Segovia, ‘Un grupo de africanos acampa desde julio en los Jardinillos’, 29 August 2025, available here; El Día de Segovia, ‘Mazarías no ve adecuado el albergue para solicitantes de asilo’, 26 September 2025, available here.

[7] Gasteiz Hoy, ‘Los malienses que duermen en la calle en Vitoria serán trasladados a recursos de acogida’, 8 January 2026, available here.

^[8] El Periódico, ‘Bruselas expedienta a España por no aplicar reglas de la UE sobre condiciones de acogida de demandantes de asilo’, 27 January 2023, available here.

[9] European Commission, ‘European Commission at work’, available here.

^[10] Boletín Oficial del Estado, ‘Real Decreto 220/2022, de 29 de marzo, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento por el que se regula el sistema de acogida en materia de protección internacional’, available here.

^[11] Ibidem

^[12] Article 11.7 of the Reception Regulation.

^[13] Migrar con Derechos, ‘Instrucción SEM de 15 de diciembre de 2022. Acceso y permanencia sistema acogida protección internacional’, 15 December 2022, available here.

^[14] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguiridad Social y Migraciones, ‘Sistema de Acogida de Protección Internacional y Temporal. Entidades Colaboradoras’, available here.

[15]  La Moncloa, ‘Informe del sistema de protección internacional en España hasta junio de 2025’, June 2025, available here.

^[16] Europa Press, ‘El Gobierno autoriza a CEAR, ACCEM y ACOGE, entre otras, a gestionar plazas de acogida a migrantes los próximos 4 años’, 31 October 2022, available here; Derecho.com, ‘Resolución de 8 de febrero de 2023, de la Dirección General de Atención Humanitaria e Inclusión Social de la Inmigración, por la que se modifica la de 14 de noviembre de 2022, por la que se establece la planificación de prestaciones, actuaciones y servicios que deben atenderse dentro del programa de atención humanitaria mediante acción concertada para los ejercicios 2023-2026’, 8 February 2023, available here.

[17] CEAR, ‘INFORME 2024. Las personas refugiadas en España y Europa’, June 2024, available here.

[18] Gobierno de Canarias, ‘Canarias consigue una excepción en la aplicación territorial del manual de gestión en atención humanitaria’, 30 July 2025, available here.

[19] La Moncloa, ‘La Unión Europea apoya con 38 millones de euros la atención humanitaria a personas migrantes llegadas a nuestro país en 2025’, 30 December 2025, available here.

[20] EUAA, ‘Operational Plan 2023-2026 agreed by the European Union Agency for Asylum and Spain’, 12 June 2023, available here.

[21] Information provided by the EUAA, 05 March 2026.

[22] Ministerio de Hacienda, ‘El Gobierno autoriza la aplicación del Fondo de Contingencia para programas de atención humanitaria a inmigrantes’, 17 March 2026, available here.

[23] Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones, ‘España recibe 244 millones de euros más del Fondo Europeo de Asilo, Migración e Integración para fortalecer su modelo de gestión migratoria’, 17 March 2026, available here.