Spanish Citizenship by Naturalisation: How the Process Works

How Long Do You Need to Live in Spain?

The required period of continuous legal residence varies by nationality and circumstances:

• 10 years: the standard requirement for most nationalities (including UK, US, Australian, Canadian)
• 5 years: for recognised refugees
• 2 years: for nationals of Ibero-American countries, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra, and Sephardic Jews
• 1 year: for those born in Spain, those married to a Spanish national for at least one year, those born to a Spanish parent or grandparent, and certain other specific circumstances

The Language and Civics Tests

Applicants for Spanish citizenship must pass two tests administered by the Instituto Cervantes:

DELE A2: a Spanish language test at A2 (elementary) level. This involves reading, writing, listening, and speaking components. Many applicants find this achievable after a few months of study.

CCSE: the Constitutional and Sociocultural Knowledge of Spain exam. This tests your knowledge of Spanish history, culture, politics, and society. It consists of 25 multiple-choice questions; you need to answer at least 15 correctly.

Both tests must be taken and passed before your application can be completed.

The Application Process

Applications are submitted online through the Ministerio de Justicia portal (formerly in person, now entirely digital). You'll need to provide:

• Valid passport and NIE/TIE
• Proof of continuous legal residence for the required period
• Birth certificate (apostilled and translated)
• Criminal record certificate from your home country (apostilled)
• Spanish criminal record certificate
• Proof of renunciation of your previous nationality (where required — Spain allows dual nationality with Ibero-American countries and some others, but not the UK or USA in most cases)
• DELE A2 and CCSE certificates
• Padrón certificate

Processing Times and What to Expect

Naturalisation applications in Spain are notoriously slow — processing times have historically ranged from 1 to 3 years. The application is reviewed by the Registro Civil and Ministry of Justice. During this time, there's limited visibility on progress.

Once approved, you'll be required to swear an oath of loyalty to Spain and renounce your previous citizenship (if applicable) before a judge or civil registrar. After the oath, you're officially Spanish and can apply for your Spanish passport and ID card (DNI).

Dual Nationality

Spain allows dual nationality with Ibero-American countries, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra, and Portugal. For nationals of other countries (including the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada), Spain requires you to renounce your original nationality to become Spanish. However, your original country may have different rules — for example, the US does not recognise renunciations for citizenship purposes, meaning in practice many Americans hold both nationalities despite technically renouncing.