Spanish citizenship requirements by route
This table keeps the main routes apart: the residence period, who can use the route, where the file is usually made and whether Spain normally expects a renunciation declaration.
| Route / category | Residence period | Who qualifies | Exam requirement | Apply from abroad? | Dual-citizenship position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General residence | 10 years | Most non-EU and EU residents without a reduced-period category | Usually DELE A2 + CCSE | No. It depends on legal residence in Spain | Usually renunciation declaration under Spanish law |
| Refugee residence | 5 years | People recognised as refugees | Usually DELE A2 + CCSE unless exempt | No. This is a residence route | Usually renunciation declaration unless another exception applies |
| Reduced 2-year residence | 2 years | Nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal; Sephardic Jews | CCSE usually; DELE may not be needed for nationals of Spanish-speaking countries | No. This is a residence route | Civil Code renunciation exception applies to listed nationalities and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin |
| Reduced 1-year residence | 1 year | Born in Spain, spouse/widow(er) of a Spanish citizen, missed option, Spanish guardianship, or Spanish-origin parent/grandparent cases | Usually DELE A2 + CCSE unless exempt | No. This is a residence route | Depends on nationality and exception category |
| Nationality by option | No standard residence clock | Parental authority of a Spanish citizen, a father or mother originally Spanish and born in Spain, later-determined birth/filiation or adult-adoption cases under Civil Code Article 20 | Case-specific, often not the standard residence-exam path | Often Civil Registry or consular channel | Depends on the file. Confirm before filing |
| Democratic Memory Law | No residence period under that temporary option route | Certain descendants of Spanish exiles and affected family-line cases. The option window closed to new applicants on 22 October 2025 after the one-year extension | No standard residence-exam path | Consular route during the window | Closed to new applicants on 22 October 2025 after the one-year extension |
Which Spanish citizenship route fits you?
The route matters because the clock, documents and filing channel change with the legal basis.
| Route | Typical applicant | Residence period | Main evidence | Exams | Where to apply | Main caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residence / naturalisation | Most foreign residents | 10, 5, 2 or 1 year depending on category | Residence card, padrón history, criminal records, integration evidence | Usually DELE A2 and CCSE | Ministry of Justice / Civil Registry route | Residence must be legal, continuous and immediately before filing |
| Marriage to a Spanish citizen | Spouse of a Spanish citizen living together and not separated | 1 year of legal residence while married | Spanish marriage registration, cohabitation, residence card | Usually DELE A2 and CCSE | Nationality by residence procedure | Marriage alone does not grant citizenship |
| Option | People with a qualifying Spanish-parent, later-filiation or adult-adoption case | Different from naturalisation; often no 10-year residence clock | Birth, filiation, adoption and parent-nationality evidence | Depends on the case | Civil Registry / consular channel | Spanish guardianship/acogimiento is a 1-year residence route, not nationality by option |
| Democratic Memory Law | Certain descendants of Spanish exiles or women who lost nationality before the 1978 Constitution | No residence period under that special option route | Ancestor records, exile/family-line evidence, consular file | No standard DELE/CCSE route | Spanish consulate during the window | The special window was temporary and is now closed to new applicants |
| Sephardic heritage | People who can prove Sephardic origin linked to Spain | Ordinary Law 12/2015 filing window closed in 2019; reduced 2-year residence can still matter | Heritage evidence plus normal residence file where relevant | Usually DELE A2 and CCSE for residence | Nationality by residence procedure | Do not treat the old fast-track law as open |
Source support: route periods and option cases come from the Civil Code; the historical-memory route comes from Ley 20/2022; and the direct Sephardic fast-track came from Law 12/2015.
What Spanish citizenship gives you
Spanish citizenship gives you Spanish nationality and EU citizenship. It brings permanent status in Spain, the right to live and work there, EU free-movement rights, voting rights where applicable and, in the cases set by the Civil Code, the possibility of passing Spanish nationality to children.
It is different from a residence permit. A residence card can expire or be lost; citizenship is a nationality status registered in the Civil Registry.
Main routes to Spanish citizenship
Citizenship by residency
Most applicants use nationality by residence under Civil Code Article 22. The standard period is 10 years, reduced to 5 years for recognised refugees, 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal and for Sephardic Jews, and 1 year for several family or Spain-born cases.
| Residence period | Who qualifies | Official basis |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years | General rule for most applicants | Civil Code art. 22.1 |
| 5 years | People recognised as refugees | Civil Code art. 22.1 |
| 2 years | Nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal; Sephardic Jews | Civil Code art. 22.1 |
| 1 year | Born in Spain; married to a Spanish citizen and not separated; widowed from a Spanish citizen; did not exercise option in time; two years under Spanish guardianship; born outside Spain to a Spanish-origin parent or grandparent | Civil Code art. 22.2 |
For every residence route, the residence must be legal, continuous and immediately before the application. Tourist time does not count. Student stays usually do not count as residence for nationality; convert to a qualifying residence permit before starting the naturalisation clock.
Residency mechanics: what decides the file
For nationality by residence, the year count is only one part of the file. The Ministry also checks legal, continuous residence immediately before filing, good civic conduct and integration into Spanish society. The legal basis is Civil Code Article 22 and the residence procedure is governed by Royal Decree 1004/2015.
| Issue | What the file should show | Useful evidence | Where files get risky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal residence | You held qualifying residence status for the required period | TIE/residence-card history, approval letters, renewal records | Relying on tourist time or student stay as if it were residence |
| Continuity | Spain was your main place of residence through the qualifying period | Historic padrón, passport stamps, travel history, lease/mortgage, tax or work records where relevant | Long or repeated absences that make Spain look secondary |
| Immediately before filing | Your qualifying residence continues up to the application date | Valid card/renewal evidence and no unresolved status gap | Letting a permit expire before filing |
| Good civic conduct | No unresolved criminal/public-order issue that undermines the file | Spanish and foreign criminal-record certificates, court-resolution documents if needed | Missing records, undeclared convictions or inconsistent identity details |
| Integration | Language/civic-knowledge evidence or a clear exemption | DELE A2, CCSE, exemption or waiver evidence | Booking exams too late or assuming an exemption without proof |
Online filing and status tracking
Residence applications are normally filed through the Ministry of Justice electronic nationality procedure when possible. The Ministry Sede page for nationality by residence is the official starting point for the online route, fee references and status follow-up links. If the Ministry requests more evidence, answer inside the deadline rather than waiting for a refusal.
Royal Decree 1004/2015 gives the administration 1 year to resolve and notify nationality-by-residence applications. If there is no express decision after that period, the application is treated as rejected by negative administrative silence, which can then be challenged. Source: Royal Decree 1004/2015.
Citizenship by marriage
Marriage to a Spanish citizen does not automatically make you Spanish. It can reduce the residence requirement to 1 year if, at the time of application, you have been married to the Spanish citizen for at least 1 year and are not legally or factually separated. In practice, prepare evidence that the marriage is registered and that you live together.
Citizenship by option
Nationality by option covers specific Civil Code Article 20 cases: people who are or were under the parental authority of a Spanish citizen, people whose father or mother was originally Spanish and born in Spain, and later-determined birth, filiation or adult-adoption cases. Spanish guardianship or acogimiento belongs to the 1-year nationality-by-residence route, not nationality by option.
Citizenship by descent under the Democratic Memory Law
Ley 20/2022 created a temporary option route for certain descendants of Spanish exiles and for children of Spanish women who lost nationality by marrying a foreign citizen before the 1978 Constitution. The law set a 2-year window from entry into force and allowed the Council of Ministers to extend it for 1 more year. After that extension, the Ley de Nietos window closed to new applicants on 22 October 2025. Source: Ley 20/2022, additional provision eight, and the Council of Ministers extension reference.
Sephardic origin
The ordinary Law 12/2015 Sephardic filing window closed in 2019. The law still leaves room for narrow exceptional or humanitarian requests, so do not treat it as a normal open route. Sephardic origin can still matter because the Civil Code keeps Sephardic Jews in the 2-year residence category. Sources: Law 12/2015 and Civil Code Article 22.
Citizenship by investment
Spain does not sell citizenship and the former Golden Visa was a residence route, not a nationality route. Investment does not remove the normal residence, conduct, integration and oath requirements.
Requirements and documents
The procedure regulation confirms that the residence application uses electronic processing, fee payment, Instituto Cervantes exams where applicable, a 1-year resolution deadline and negative administrative silence if no express decision is issued. Source: Royal Decree 1004/2015.
| Document / evidence | Residence | Marriage | Option | Democratic Memory Law | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid passport and NIE / residence card | Yes | Yes | Depends on the case | Consular ID rules | Keep the card valid through the file |
| Birth certificate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Usually apostilled/legalised and translated if foreign |
| Criminal-record certificates | Yes | Yes | Usually not for minor option cases | Depends on the case | Spain and home-country checks may apply |
| Padrón / residence history | Yes | Yes | Usually no | No for the special option route | Use historic padrón where useful |
| Marriage certificate | No | Yes | No | No | Spanish marriage registration matters |
| Parent/grandparent Spanish nationality evidence | Only for 1-year ancestor route | No | Yes where relevant | Yes | Civil Registry, consular and family-line records |
| DELE A2 and CCSE certificates | Usually yes | Usually yes | Depends on the case | No standard residence-exam route | Cervantes exemptions and waivers are case-specific |
| Fee payment | Yes | Yes | Usually case-specific | Consular rules | Check the current 790-026 form before paying |
Applicant checklist by country group
| Applicant group | What changes | Extra documents to prepare | Pitfalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| US, UK, Canada, Australia and most non-exception countries | Standard residence path | Full criminal-record chain, apostilles/legalisation, sworn translations, travel evidence | Usually asked to declare renunciation under Spanish law; check the other country's rules separately |
| Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal | Reduced 2-year residence period and Civil Code renunciation exception | Proof of nationality by origin, not only later naturalisation where relevant | Route facts still matter; not every later-acquired passport gives the reduced period |
| France | Separate Spain-France nationality convention | French nationality evidence plus normal route file | The treaty affects nationality retention, not the residence period itself |
| Marriage to a Spanish citizen | Potential 1-year residence period | Spanish marriage registration, cohabitation evidence, spouse DNI/passport, padrón | Marriage alone does not grant citizenship and separation breaks the route |
| Sephardic-origin cases | 2-year residence category may still matter | Heritage evidence plus normal residence file | The ordinary Law 12/2015 filing window closed in 2019; narrow exceptional/humanitarian requests may be possible under the law |
| Democratic Memory Law / Ley de Nietos | Was a no-residence option route during the temporary window | Ancestor/exile/family-line records if already filed | The special window closed to new applicants on 22 October 2025 |
DELE A2 and CCSE exams
The DELE diplomas are official Spanish-language diplomas from Instituto Cervantes. For nationality by residence, non-Spanish-speaking nationals normally use at least DELE A2 unless exempt. Source: Instituto Cervantes DELE.
The CCSE test covers constitutional and sociocultural knowledge of Spain and is administered by Instituto Cervantes for nationality applicants. Source: Instituto Cervantes CCSE.
Absences from Spain
There is no single safe absence number for every case. The Civil Code requires residence to be legal, continuous and immediately before the application. Long absences, repeated trips that make Spain look secondary, or gaps in residence status can all weaken the file. Keep travel records and get advice before filing if your travel history is heavy.
How to apply
After approval: oath, Civil Registry, DNI and passport
A favourable resolution is not the final step. Under Royal Decree 1004/2015, the applicant must complete the oath or promise and related Civil Registry acts within 180 days of notification. Missing that step can make the grant ineffective.
| Step | Where it happens | What to prepare | Timing risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notification of favourable decision | Ministry electronic notification / file channel | Decision notice and identity documents | Track notifications so the 180-day clock is not missed |
| Jura or promise | Civil Registry or competent channel | Oath/promise, renunciation declaration if required, identity and file documents | Must be completed within the deadline after notification |
| Civil Registry inscription | Civil Registry | Spanish birth registration and nationality inscription details | Name or document mismatches can slow registration |
| DNI and passport | National Police appointment | Civil Registry registration evidence and current National Police requirements | Book only after Civil Registry registration is ready |
Processing time, denial and appeals
| Stage | Typical timing | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Document preparation | Weeks to months | Depends on foreign certificates, apostilles, translations and exam dates |
| Legal deadline for residence applications | 1 year | Royal Decree 1004/2015 says the procedure should be resolved and notified within 1 year |
| Administrative silence | After the 1-year deadline | No express decision is treated as rejection, which opens an appeal path |
| Oath / Civil Registry | Within 180 days after favourable notification | Missing the deadline can make the grant ineffective |
If denied, the Civil Code preserves the contentious-administrative court route, and Royal Decree 1004/2015 also provides for an administrative reconsideration appeal. Sources: Civil Code Article 22.5 and Royal Decree 1004/2015 Article 14.
Costs and fees
Use the figures below for planning only. Government and exam fees can change, and the application fee should be checked against the current Modelo 790-026 before payment.
| Item | Planning amount | Source or note |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality by residence application fee | Current Modelo 790, Código 026 fee | Pay the current amount shown by the official Ministry/Sede form |
| DELE A2 | Often around EUR 130-150 in Spain | Varies by level, country and exam centre |
| CCSE | Often around EUR 85 | Check Instituto Cervantes at booking |
| Apostille/legalisation and sworn translation | Varies widely | Depends on country and number of documents |
| Professional help | Often EUR 800-2,500+ | Not mandatory, but useful for complex travel, denial, criminal-record or family-line cases |
| DNI and passport | Police-station fees apply | After nationality registration |
Dual citizenship
Spain generally asks new citizens to renounce their previous nationality, but the Civil Code exempts nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin. A separate Spain-France convention lets Spanish and French nationals acquire the other nationality while keeping the first. Sources: Civil Code Articles 23 and 24 and the Spain-France nationality convention.
For other countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and most EU countries outside special treaty arrangements, Spain usually requires a formal renunciation declaration. Whether the other country treats that declaration as effective is a separate question under that country's law.
Practical next steps
Before filing, pin down the route and residence clock, then check whether your residence card, padrón and travel history support it. Book DELE/CCSE early if you need them, and order foreign civil and criminal records before they become the bottleneck. If the case involves long absences, a prior refusal, criminal-record issues, complex ancestry or a closed historical route, use a qualified immigration lawyer for the filing strategy.