Rejection rate for seasonal work permits falls to 8.6% after Entry/Exit rollout

Government spokesman Guillem Casal said the proportion of seasonal permit applications rejected for failing to meet the new Entry/Exit requirements has fallen to 8.6% of the total. He updated the figures on non‑EU seasonal workers under the quota and said the problems initially feared have not materialized.

Immigration has registered roughly 3,900 applications and validated nearly 3,700 permits, equivalent to about 74% of the planned seasonal contingent. By the same point last year approximately 78% of the quota had been used.

Casal described the recent Puríssima long weekend as a "trial by fire" and said "things have worked well," adding that "sectors have responded satisfactorily." He and the government say the Entry/Exit System's introduction has not caused notable incidents in recruitment and that establishments were able to cope with the heavy visitor flow.

While some reports note the share of rejected requests has historically been around 10%, the government presents the 8.6% figure as evidence that employers and authorities have adapted to the new procedures. Seasonal hiring for the winter season therefore remains on track, and monitoring of the situation will continue.