In short: the Resolution of 3 June 2026 of the Secretariat of State for Migration (SEM) publishes the Council of Ministers Agreement of 2 June 2026 approving the procedural instructions to authorize the temporary residence of minors of Sahrawi origin and the stay of monitors in Spain, under the «Vacaciones en Paz 2026» programme.
What the programme is: the BOE refers to minors of Sahrawi origin from the refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria) who spend the «summer season» (época estival) in Spain with a host family. According to the organizing associations (CEAS-Sáhara), these are usually children aged 8 to 12 who come in July and August (the exact age and dates are not stated in the BOE: confirm with the association in your region). A family wishing to host contacts the association of friends of the Sahrawi people in its region or the CEAS-Sáhara federation (the process includes interviews and a negative certificate of sexual offences).
Who pays what: the BOE only states that the administrative procedure is exempt from fees (free) and that neither the stay nor the return may entail any cost to the public treasury. How the rest is split does not appear in the BOE; according to the usual practice of the programme (confirm with the association), the flight and transfers are covered by the organizing association and the minor's daily expenses (food, clothing) are borne by the host family as volunteering, without payment. The minor's healthcare is handled by the association: confirm with it how it is arranged.
In person or by representative? The application is filed by the organizing entities (not by host families individually); for the visa, the interested parties or their duly accredited representatives may act, and communication to the consulate is made by electronic means.
What the procedure establishes (per the text): the application is made on form EX-25, ticking section 5.6 «Otros» (Other) with the note «Programa Vacaciones en Paz», before the competent Subdelegación del Gobierno (or the Delegación del Gobierno in single-province autonomous communities). A prior favourable report from the Subdelegación/Delegación is required (issued within 10 days maximum). The organizing entity provides a list of the minors planned, identifying each one's host family, and a negative certificate of sexual offences. The host family submits a written statement declaring it knows the minor's arrival and stay has no adoption purpose and its commitment to favour the return.
Visa and entry: the visa is processed by the Consulate General of Spain in Algiers and includes an express mention of the «Vacaciones en Paz 2026» programme; minors may travel on a passport, which may be collective. Deadlines in the text: 1 month maximum to apply for the visa after approval and 15 days maximum for its resolution.
Duration and return: temporary residence is for a maximum of 91 days, not extendable once the programme ends, except to complete specialized medical care (extension of up to one additional year, which may only be extended again where clearly justified). The promoting entity must notify the return, within a maximum of fifteen days, to the Provincial Brigade of Immigration and Borders and ensure that neither the stay nor the return entails any cost to the public treasury. The procedure is free of charge.
Official source: BOE-A-2026-12169.
Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.