If you are wondering, “how long does it take to get Spanish citizenship?”, then the answer ranges from one year to ten, plus processing times. Most individuals can acquire Spanish citizenship by naturalization after ten years of legal and continuous residence in the country.
This timeframe is reduced to only two years for citizens of Ibero-American countries, as well as a few select others. Additionally, those married to a Spaniard can acquire citizenship after one year of living in the country. Our guide breaks down the time it takes to get Spanish citizenship by route, as well as realistic processing times.
Minimum Stay for Citizenship in Spain: Key Takeaways
Top 5 Benefits of Spanish Citizenship
When you get Spanish nationality, you unlock all kinds of perks, including the right to apply for a Spanish passport and access to Spanish healthcare. Here’s the breakdown of the five most important benefits of being a Spanish national:
- Spanish passport: Once you get Spanish nationality, you can apply for a Spanish passport, and it is one of the strongest passports in the world. The Spanish passport visa-free countries number 123, and this increases to 184 when you include visa-on-arrival, and eTAs, according to our Global Intelligence Unit’s Global Passport Index .
- Freedom of movement with the European Union: As a Spanish national, you can live, work, and study in any EU country without any restrictions.
- Access to Spanish healthcare: As a Spanish citizen, you have access to the universal healthcare system in the country.
- Education opportunities: As Spanish citizens, you and your children get free access to the Spanish educational system unless you decide to enroll in private schools.
- Voting rights in Spain: This way, you can actively participate in the political scene by voting in Spanish, and EU elections.
Basic Spanish Citizenship Requirements
The basic requirements for most Spanish citizenship applicants are ten years of legal and continuous residence in the country, passing the CCSE and DELE A2 exams, and proving integration. To qualify, your residence must be legal and continuous. Short trips abroad are accepted, but prolonged absences can break continuity in the eyes of the authorities. Spanish law assesses this case by case.
How Long Does It Take to Get Spanish Citizenship
The following durations apply for acquiring Spanish citizenship by naturalization according to Article 22 of the Civil Code:
| Route to Spanish citizenship | Legal residence required | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|
| General rule | 10 years | Most foreign nationals |
| Refugee route | 5 years | People granted refugee status in Spain |
| Reduced route | 2 years | Nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and persons of Sephardic origin |
| One-year route | 1 year | People born in Spain; those who have not yet exercised the right to citizenship by option; persons under guardianship/custody/foster care of a Spanish citizen or institution for two consecutive years; spouses of Spanish nationals after one year of marriage and without separation; widows/widowers of Spanish nationals without separation at the time of death. |
Processing times commonly take between one and three years depending on where you submit and the caseload of your consulate, even though the official deadline to be resolved is 12 months. Timelines vary case by case, and proper preparation goes a long way toward efficiency.
List of countries qualifying for Spanish citizenship within two years
If you are a citizen of any of the below countries, you will be eligible for the two-year Spanish nationality fast-track:
| Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Costa Rica |
| Cuba | Dominican Republic | Ecuador | El Salvador | Guatemala | Guinea Equatorial |
| Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | Paraguay | Peru |
| Philippines | Portugal | Puerto Rico | Uruguay | Venezuela | Andorra |
Instead of the standard ten years of legal residency requirement in Spain, citizens of these nations will need to spend just two years in the country. After that, they can directly choose the fast-track application for Spanish nationality for Latin American citizens and nationals of other former Spanish colonies.
How to Obtain Spanish Citizenship: The Routes
Spanish citizenship is obtainable even for those who do not have Spanish heritage. There are several routes to this desirable passport including descent, marriage, and naturalization:
Spanish Citizenship by descent
Spanish citizenship by descent is the main route for people who have a Spanish parent, and in some cases an adopted Spanish parent. It is based on jus sanguinis, citizenship through bloodline, so the main issue is proving the family link, not meeting a residence period.
This route can often be claimed from abroad through the Spanish Civil Registry or a Spanish Consulate, depending on your circumstances. In practice, applicants need civil-status documents, proof of lineage, and, in some cases, supporting records showing how Spanish nationality was transmitted through their family line.
Spanish citizenship by marriage
Spanish citizenship by marriage is not automatic, but it does create a fast-track route to nationality through residence. In general, a foreign spouse of a Spanish citizen may apply after one year of legal, continuous residence in Spain while the marriage is valid and properly recognized in the country.
The marriage must be legally registered for Spanish administrative purposes, and the applicant must still meet the usual nationality requirements such as good conduct and integration. This route is often used by couples living together in Spain, and time spent abroad does not count toward the one-year residence requirement.
Spanish citizenship for people born in Spain
Being born in Spain does not automatically make someone Spanish, because the country does not grant nationality purely based on birthplace in most cases. However, a person born in Spain may qualify either through Spanish parentage or, in some situations, through the one-year residence route if they are born in Spain and later live there legally.
The main distinction is between children born in Spain to Spanish parents, who are Spanish by origin, and children born in Spain to foreign parents, who may need to rely on a later option or residence-based route. The residence route is one year according to article 22.2.a of the Spanish Civil Code. Special cases also exist for stateless children or children whose parents are unknown.
Closed routes: Sephardic Law 12/2015 and the Democratic Memory Law
Two routes are closed to new applicants. The Sephardic route under Law 12/2015 was time-limited and is no longer open, and the Democratic Memory Law/Grandchildren’s Law closed for new applications on 22 October 2025.
The Article 22 two-year residence route for those of Sephardic origin remains in place, allowing these individuals to acquire Spanish citizenship by naturalization in a much shorter timeframe. Additionally, the ordinary descent and by option rules are still available to those who qualify.
Is there still a Spanish Citizenship by Investment route?
Organic Law 1/2025 (BOE, 3 January 2025) abolished the investor residence program with effect from 3 April 2025. The permits that were already granted remain valid, and renewals follow the old rules. No new Golden Visa applications are possible.
If you do not qualify for a descent route, citizenship by naturalization is a viable option for Spanish citizenship. The Spain Digital Nomad Visa allows remote professionals to live and work in the country, provided they can meet income criteria. The Spain Non-Lucrative Visa is ideal for those with passive income, as it allows residency without the ability to work.
How to Apply for Spanish Citizenship
To be eligible for Spanish nationality by residency, you must have been legally residing in Spain for a minimum of ten years. During this period, you should not have traveled abroad for extended periods. However, holidays and work-related trips are permitted. In addition to meeting these basic requirements, there are other conditions that must be met before submitting your application to become a Spanish citizen.
- You must provide a clean character certificate that proves that you do not have a criminal record.
- You must not leave Spain for long time periods and should be able to show your registration of residency (empadronamiento) for the same period.
- You must show your commitment to Spanish society. Therefore, it is mandatory to pass a DELE A2 level Spanish basic language test. Nationals of countries where Spanish is an official language are exempt from DELE A2 only and the CCSE still applies to them.
- You must pass the Spanish citizenship test (CCSE), known as the Constitutional and Sociocultural Aspects of Spain (Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España).
Processing phases
Spanish citizenship applications move through four broad phases: Filing, ministry review, resolution, and oath. The pace depends on the applicant’s route, the completeness of the file, and administrative workload. As a result, it is best to think of the process as a sequence of legal steps rather than a fixed timetable.
In the filing phase, the application is submitted with the required identity, civil status, and supporting documents. During ministry review, the authorities check eligibility, verify documents, and may request corrections or additional evidence if anything is missing or unclear.
If the application is approved, the case moves to resolution, which is the formal decision that grants nationality. The final step is the oath, where the applicant formally swears allegiance and completes the last administrative stage before their nationality is registered.
The Spanish Citizenship Tests: DELE A2 and CCSE
To obtain Spanish citizenship, applicants must pass two important tests: The DELE A2 and the CCSE.
- The DELE A2 exam assesses basic Spanish language proficiency. This test includes reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Passing this language test proves that applicants can function at a basic level in Spanish, which is essential for citizenship approval.
- The CCSE is a cultural exam focused on Spain’s legal and cultural environment. This test covers topics like the Spanish culture, government, geography, and the Constitution.
The DELE A2 and CCSE are both run by the Instituto Cervantes. Citizens from countries where Spanish is an official language are exempt from DELE A2, but the CCSE still applies to them. Other narrow exemptions exist for the CCSE such as for minors.
How Can Global Citizen Solutions Help You?
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