Spanish law uses the term nationality, but most applicants search for dual citizenship in Spain. The practical question is simple: will Spain let you become Spanish without giving up your previous nationality, and will your other country treat Spain's renunciation declaration as effective? Those are two separate tests.
Spain is not a general dual-citizenship country. It has specific exceptions, shorter residence periods for some nationalities, and a separate conservation rule for Spanish citizens who acquire another nationality while living abroad.
Key points
- Do not read Spain's rules as a general permission to hold two passports. The exception depends on your nationality and route.
- Article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code sets the main residence periods: 10 years for most applicants, 5 years for refugees, 2 years for specified nationalities, and 1 year for several family or birth-based cases.
- Article 23 sets the renunciation requirement when acquiring Spanish nationality, with exceptions for the groups Spain recognizes.
- Article 24 creates a separate risk for Spanish citizens abroad: after acquiring or exclusively using another nationality, they may need to declare conservation of Spanish nationality within three years unless an exception applies.
- France is different from most other EU countries because Spain and France have a bilateral nationality convention.
In 2026, do not treat the Democratic Memory Law route as a normal new application path. Law 20/2022 created a temporary, proof-heavy option; use it only if your facts, appointment or filing history, and current consulate instructions still support it.
Who can usually keep another nationality with Spain?
| Country or group | Spain-side treatment | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela | Usually Ibero-American analysis | Often eligible for the 2-year residence period and the Article 23 renunciation exception, but birthplace, descent, and document facts still matter. |
| Portugal | Expressly named in the Civil Code | Usually 2-year residence period plus the renunciation exception, subject to the rest of the nationality file. |
| Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea | Expressly named in the Civil Code analysis | Usually 2-year residence period plus the renunciation exception. |
| France | Separate bilateral convention | The Spain-France convention lets French and Spanish nationals acquire the other nationality while keeping the previous one if national requirements are met. |
| Sephardic persons of Spanish origin | Specific Article 23 exception | Not the same as the old closed fast-track Sephardic application program. Confirm the route and proof basis. |
| U.S., UK, Canada, Australia | Not named Spanish exceptions | Expect a Spanish renunciation declaration if naturalizing, then separately check whether the other country treats that act as nationality loss. |
| Germany, Netherlands, and most other EU countries | No general EU exception | EU citizenship alone does not create a Spanish dual-nationality exception. France is the major treaty exception. |
| Applicants with two non-Spanish nationalities | Fact-specific | A second passport from an eligible country can change the residence-period or renunciation analysis, but not automatically. |
Residence routes to Spanish citizenship
Dual citizenship and the residence period are linked in practice, but they are not the same rule. A nationality may qualify you for a shorter residence period, a renunciation exception, both, or neither.
| Applicant route | Minimum legal residence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Most applicants | 10 years | The general route requires legal, continuous residence before applying. |
| Refugees | 5 years | This is a separate Civil Code category. |
| Nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, or people of Sephardic origin | 2 years | The applicant still needs a valid residence basis, clean documentation, and the nationality application itself. |
| Married to a Spanish citizen | 1 year | The applicant must normally have one year of legal residence and still be married, not legally or de facto separated. |
| Born in Spain | 1 year | This applies to the nationality-by-residence route for people born in Spanish territory. |
| Born outside Spain to a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish | 1 year | This is a narrow Civil Code route and depends on proof of the family link and original Spanish nationality. |
| Other one-year Civil Code cases | 1 year | Includes certain option, guardianship, and widow or widower cases. The facts need checking before filing. |
| Democratic Memory Law or other option routes | Not an ordinary residence route | These are proof-based or time-limited routes, usually handled through a consulate or Civil Registry rather than as standard residence naturalization. |
What Spain's renunciation declaration means
When Spain requires renunciation, the applicant normally makes that declaration before the Civil Registry as part of acquiring Spanish nationality. For Spain, this is a condition of the grant. For the other country, the effect depends on that country's law.
This is where many weak guides become misleading. They say an American or British applicant must give up citizenship, full stop. The more accurate answer is that Spain may require the Spanish-side declaration, but the other country may require its own formal loss process, intent test, or administrative recognition before nationality is actually lost.
If keeping the other nationality matters, get advice before the oath appointment. Do not wait until after approval, because the oath and Civil Registry inscription are late-stage steps.
Common scenarios
U.S. citizens
Spain does not list U.S. citizens as a formal dual-nationality exception. A U.S. citizen usually uses the 10-year residence route unless they qualify for another one-year route, such as marriage to a Spanish citizen, or have another nationality that changes the analysis.
At the Spanish oath stage, the Spanish side will generally expect a renunciation declaration. That does not by itself settle U.S. nationality status. U.S. loss of nationality has its own rules around voluntary acts and intent, so anyone trying to preserve U.S. citizenship should check U.S. law before proceeding.
UK, Canadian, Australian, and most EU citizens
These applicants should not assume Spain permits formal dual nationality. The general pattern is a normal residence period unless a separate family, birth, or option route applies, plus a Spanish renunciation declaration when nationality is granted.
French citizens
France is the major EU exception. The Spain-France convention allows French citizens to acquire Spanish nationality while keeping French nationality, and Spanish citizens to acquire French nationality while keeping Spanish nationality, if they meet the relevant national requirements.
Mexican, Colombian, Brazilian, Argentine, and other Ibero-American nationals
Many Ibero-American nationals can use the two-year residence period and may fall within Spain's renunciation exception. The applicant still needs legal residence, valid documents, criminal-record checks, exams unless exempt, and Civil Registry approval.
Spanish citizens naturalizing abroad
Spanish citizens who habitually live abroad face a different issue. Under Article 24, they can lose Spanish nationality after three years if they acquire another nationality or exclusively use a foreign nationality attributed before emancipation, unless they declare conservation of Spanish nationality or fall within a listed exception.
Application steps
| Item | What to prepare | Cost or timing note |
|---|---|---|
| Government filing fee | Pay the current Ministry of Justice nationality fee through the official filing and payment flow, then save the payment proof. | Confirm the live amount in the Ministry/Sede flow before filing; official fees can change. |
| CCSE exam | Book the constitutional and sociocultural knowledge exam through Instituto Cervantes unless an exemption applies. | The Cervantes price page says the CCSE registration price has been 85 euros since 2023 and includes up to two attempts in limited cases. |
| DELE A2 exam | Book DELE A2 Spanish unless exempt or already covered by accepted Spanish-language proof. | DELE pricing depends on the level and country. Cervantes publishes a 2026 price PDF and also shows the price during purchase. |
| Residence evidence | Prepare legal residence dates, TIE or residence cards, absence history, padrons where useful, and continuity evidence. | Match the file to the 10-year, 5-year, 2-year, or 1-year route before submitting. |
| Civil documents | Collect passport, birth certificate, criminal-record certificates, and marriage, descent, or prior-nationality records where relevant. | Foreign documents often need apostille or legalization and a sworn translation if not already accepted in Spanish. |
| Submission channel | Use the Ministry/Sede route for most nationality-by-residence cases; option, descent, and consular routes can use different procedures. | The correct channel depends on the route and current Civil Registry or consulate instructions. |
| Decision and oath | Track notifications, complete the oath or promise, make any required renunciation declaration, and complete Civil Registry inscription. | Check passport-retention risk before the oath stage, not after approval. |
| Timing | Plan for months and sometimes longer, especially where notices, extra documents, or appeals are involved. | Use official notifications and file status rather than blog timing estimates for a contested case. |
- Map the route first: residence naturalization, marriage, birth in Spain, descent, option, Democratic Memory Law, or another specific pathway.
- Check the dual-nationality position on both sides: Spain's renunciation requirement and the other country's loss or retention rules.
- Build the residence record: legal residence dates, absences, TIE or residence documents, padrons where relevant, and continuity evidence.
- Prepare civil documents: passport, birth certificate, criminal record certificates, marriage or descent records if relevant, apostilles or legalizations, and sworn translations where needed.
- Complete the Spanish nationality exams unless exempt. The usual exams for nationality by residence are DELE A2 Spanish and CCSE constitutional and sociocultural knowledge.
- Submit through the correct channel. Many residence applications use the Ministry of Justice online portal, while consular or Civil Registry routes can use different procedures.
- After approval, complete the oath or promise, any required renunciation declaration, and Civil Registry inscription within the required deadline.
Mistakes to avoid
- Calling Spain a dual-citizenship country without naming the exceptions.
- Using 'Latin American' as a substitute for the Civil Code's Ibero-American category.
- Assuming the Spanish renunciation declaration automatically cancels the other nationality.
- Treating the France convention as a general EU rule.
Treating the Democratic Memory Law as an open 2026 route without checking whether the temporary window, appointment history, and current consulate instructions still support the case.
- For Spanish citizens abroad, missing the three-year conservation declaration where it applies.
When to get help
Get professional help if the case involves U.S. nationality, a second passport from an Ibero-American country, France treaty planning, prior Spanish nationality in the family, long absences from Spain, criminal-record issues, or a Democratic Memory Law filing. These are the cases where the outcome often turns on documents, timing, and the exact legal route rather than the headline residence period.
Before starting the file, check whether your nationality and route let you keep the passport you care about. Movingto can map the Spanish route, organize the document plan, and hand specialist legal or tax questions to the right professional before you commit to exams, translations, and the oath-stage decision.