Residency renewals in Catalonia region to insist on Catalan language evaluation

Foreign residents in Catalonia are about to face a new language barrier when seeking to renew their legal stay in Catalonia. Salvador Illa, president of the Generalitat (regional government), has confirmed that basic knowledge of Catalan will become compulsory for renewing residence permits handled by the regional administration. The regional government is framing this step as a way to strengthen ties to local society and daily life. But not everyone is convinced.

At the moment, new arrivals who receive an initial authorisation, do so without any language test. After one year, however, applicants will have to provide proof of elementary Catalan skills. Failure to do so will result in denial of residence renewal. Illa presented the change during a radio interview, calling Catalan a practical means for smoother social contact and better job prospects in the region.

Pledge to give free Catalan classes

The Catalan regional government pledge to support learners through a major expansion of free classes. Places will rise to 150,000 for the 2026-2027 academic year. This increase is about removing cost obstacles so everyone who needs to study Catalan can access training easily. There are still questions about whether similar rules will apply in future to Spanish, still the most widely spoken language in the region.

Political reactions were just as controversial. The pro-separatist Junts party declared plans for even stronger action to include Catalan in the national extraordinary regularisation programme of undocumented immigrants led by the Spanish government. Illa expressed full backing for that and insisted the region holds authority to make its own conditions for permits it manages. He explained that after one year, individuals should show they have put down roots and learned Catalan.

Carlos Prieto, the Spanish government delegate in Catalonia, offered somewhat measured support. He said that language learning already counts as a positive element in existing integration assessments, known as “arraigo”, used for social and work residency granting.

Pedro Sánchez faces criticism over territorial language

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez courted fresh controversy during a parliamentary session on April 22 when he referred to both Catalonia and Spain as “countries” while defending the migrant regularisation plan. In reply to Junts spokesperson Miriam Nogueras, Sánchez stated that his government would recognise rights and make “Catalonia and Spain better countries”. Opposition parties interpreted the plural phrasing as placing Catalonia on equal footing with Spain. Sanchez claims the mention was a slip of the tongue.

This decision adds fresh intensity to ongoing discussions about how integration works, what powers different regions exercise, and how the national regularisation process actually operates in practice. Catalonia houses a large share of Spain’s foreign population, and local rules now place direct weight on linguistic ability in Catalan for continued legal stay. The majority of those seeking legal residence through the new regularisation plan are said to be of Latin American origin, most of whom already speak Spanish as their native tongue, but not necessarily Catalan.

Over nine million people speak Catalan across several areas, including the Balearic Islands, parts of Valencia, Andorra, and beyond. In Andorra it serves as the only official language. Proponents argue that requiring basic proficiency helps newcomers participate more fully in community activities and public services.

Castellano (Spanish) serves as the most common language for day-to-day interactions across Catalonia overall. Official data from the 2023 Survey on Language Uses of the Population (EULP), conducted by the Catalan government’s Department of Language Policy and Idescat, shows clear patterns. Catalan functions as the habitual or most frequent language for 32.6 per cent of the population aged 15 and over. Spanish acts as the habitual language for 46.5 per cent. Another 9.4 per cent report using both languages equally often as their main ones, while other combinations or languages account for the rest.