Most expats acquire Spanish citizenship by naturalisation after a period of legal residence. The standard period is 10 years, but it's much shorter for some nationalities — notably 2 years for citizens of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin. You generally must show continuous legal residence, good civic conduct, and pass two exams: the DELE A2 Spanish language test and the CCSE test on Spanish culture and constitution. The big catch: Spain generally requires you to renounce your previous nationality — except for those favoured nationalities (mainly Ibero-American), who can hold dual nationality. So citizenship is most attractive to those who qualify quickly and/or can keep their original passport; for others, long-term residency may be enough.
Routes to Citizenship
There are several ways to become Spanish, but for expats the main one is citizenship by residence (nacionalidad por residencia) — naturalising after living legally in Spain for the qualifying period. Other routes exist but apply to narrower situations: by origin (for those with Spanish parents or, under special laws, grandparents — the "democratic memory" provisions have allowed many descendants to claim Spanish nationality), by marriage to a Spanish citizen (which shortens the residence requirement to one year), and by option in certain defined cases.
This guide focuses on the by-residence route, which is how most expats who move to Spain and settle eventually become citizens if they choose to. It builds on the residency journey: you arrive on a visa (temporary residency), reach long-term residency at five years, and can pursue citizenship once you've met the citizenship residence period. If you might qualify by origin or marriage instead, those routes can be faster, so it's worth checking your specific situation — but for the typical settled expat, naturalisation by residence is the path.
The Residence Periods
The required period of legal residence before you can apply varies dramatically by nationality — this is the single most important factor in how attractive citizenship is for you:
| Who | Residence required |
|---|---|
| Most nationalities (UK, US, etc.) | 10 years |
| Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal | 2 years |
| Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin | 2 years |
| Refugees | 5 years |
| Married to a Spanish citizen | 1 year |
| Born in Spain (certain cases) | 1 year |
So a British or American expat generally needs ten years of legal residence, while someone from Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and most of Latin America (and the other listed countries) needs only two. This difference, combined with the dual-nationality rules below, is why citizenship is a quick and obvious step for some and a long, more complicated one for others. The residence must generally be continuous and legal right up to the application, similar to the long-term-residency requirement.
Requirements & Exams
Beyond the residence period, naturalisation by residence requires:
- Continuous legal residence for the qualifying period, right up to application — gaps or excessive absences are a problem, as with long-term residency.
- Good civic conduct and integration into Spanish society — broadly, a clean record and evidence you've genuinely settled.
- The DELE A2 exam — a Spanish language test at A2 level (basic competence), taken through the Instituto Cervantes. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt.
- The CCSE exam — a test of knowledge of the Spanish Constitution and society/culture, also through the Instituto Cervantes.
- Supporting documentation — including, typically, a birth certificate and criminal-record certificate from your home country, apostilled and sworn-translated.
The two exams (DELE A2 and CCSE) catch some people out — they require preparation, especially the language test for non-Spanish-speakers. They're passable with study, but they're a real requirement, not a formality. Most of the supporting documents need the same apostille and sworn translation as other Spanish processes. Assembling a complete, correctly-legalised file is much of the work, and the process can take a long time to resolve once submitted, so patience and accuracy both matter.
The Dual-Nationality Catch
This is the issue that most shapes the citizenship decision. As a general rule, Spain requires you to renounce your previous nationality when you naturalise as Spanish — you formally declare that you give up your former citizenship. The major exception is for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal (and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin), who are permitted to hold dual nationality and keep their original passport alongside the Spanish one.
For everyone else — including British and American citizens — Spain's rule is that you renounce. In practice the picture is more nuanced: the renunciation is a declaration to the Spanish authorities, and whether your home country actually strips your nationality depends on its rules (the US and UK, for example, don't automatically remove citizenship merely because you've declared renunciation to another country), so some end up effectively dual in fact. But you should not assume that — the formal Spanish requirement is renunciation, and the interaction with your home country's law is exactly the kind of thing to get specific advice on before pursuing citizenship. For many non-Ibero-American expats, this renunciation requirement is precisely why they stop at long-term residency rather than naturalise.
Dual nationality is the dividing line
If you're from an Ibero-American country (or the other favoured nations), you can become Spanish in just two years and keep your original passport — citizenship is very attractive. If you're British, American or most other nationalities, you generally need ten years and face the renunciation requirement, which makes long-term residency the more popular endpoint for many.
What Citizenship Gives You
Spanish citizenship is the fullest status, with advantages that residency can't match:
- A Spanish (and EU) passport — full freedom of movement, living and working rights across the entire EU/EEA, not just Spain.
- Unconditional right to remain — you're a national, so no residency cards, renewals or absence rules can ever threaten your status.
- Full political rights — voting in national elections, standing for office, and the complete set of citizen rights.
- Security for the future — immune to changes in immigration policy that could affect residents.
- EU citizenship for the family line — passing Spanish/EU nationality to descendants in many cases.
The EU dimension is significant for non-EU expats in particular: a Spanish passport restores (for Britons, post-Brexit) or grants free movement across all of Europe, not merely the right to live in Spain. Weighed against the renunciation requirement and the long residence period for most nationalities, that's the trade-off at the heart of the decision — which is why it's worth comparing carefully with simply holding long-term residency. Our permanent residency vs citizenship comparison sets out that choice.
Citizenship vs Permanent Residency
Many expats reach a fork: stop at long-term (permanent) residency, or push on to citizenship. Long-term residency already gives you an indefinite, secure right to live and work in Spain — for many, that's enough, and it avoids the exams and (crucially) the renunciation requirement. Citizenship adds the passport, EU-wide free movement, full political rights and total security, but for most non-Ibero-American nationalities it costs ten years and the renunciation of your home nationality.
So the decision often comes down to: do you want EU-wide free movement and a passport (and can you accept, or work around, renouncing your current nationality), or is the secure right to live in Spain sufficient? Ibero-American nationals usually have an easy "yes" to citizenship (two years, dual nationality kept). Britons, Americans and others weigh it more carefully. There's no wrong answer — it depends on how much you value EU mobility and a passport versus keeping your original nationality cleanly. We help you make that call with your specific nationality and circumstances in view.
How to Apply
The naturalisation-by-residence application follows this shape:
Confirm your period and eligibility
Establish your required residence period (2, 5, or 10 years etc.) and that your continuous legal residence and conduct qualify.
Pass the exams
Sit and pass the CCSE (constitution/culture) and, unless exempt, the DELE A2 (language) through the Instituto Cervantes.
Assemble & legalise documents
Gather birth certificate, criminal-record certificate and supporting papers, apostilled and sworn-translated.
Submit the application
File the naturalisation application (largely online) with the complete file, then wait for processing — which can take a considerable time.
Swear allegiance & register
On approval, swear loyalty to the King and obedience to the Constitution (and make the nationality declaration), then register your new nationality and obtain your documents.
The process is document-heavy and the waiting times can be long, so accuracy in the file is what avoids delays and rejections. We confirm your eligibility, guide you through the exams and document legalisation, assemble and submit the application, and handle the process through to the final registration. See our sworn translation and apostille guides for the document steps.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the period is always 10 years. It's just 2 for Ibero-Americans and several others, 1 if married to a Spaniard — check your nationality.
- Overlooking the renunciation requirement. Most nationalities must renounce their previous nationality; only the favoured nations keep dual citizenship.
- Underestimating the exams. The DELE A2 and CCSE need real preparation, especially the language test for non-Spanish-speakers.
- Breaking continuous residence. Gaps and excessive absences during the qualifying period can derail the application.
- Mishandling document legalisation. Birth and criminal-record certificates need correct apostille and sworn translation.
- Pursuing citizenship when long-term residency would do. If you don't need a passport/EU mobility, residency avoids the exams and renunciation.
How We Help
We guide expats through naturalisation from start to finish — and first help you decide whether citizenship is right for you given your nationality (your residence period, and whether you'd keep or have to renounce your current passport). When you proceed, we confirm your eligibility, advise on the DELE A2 and CCSE exams, handle the document legalisation (apostille and sworn translation of your birth and criminal-record certificates), and assemble and submit the application, seeing it through the long processing period to the final swearing-in and registration. Because citizenship sits at the end of the residency journey, we also advise where it fits relative to long-term residency. It's part of our immigration and expat legal services, in English on a clear quote. Your consultation confirms your route and timeline.
Related Guides & Comparisons
Permanent Residency in Spain
The five-year milestone, and a popular endpoint short of citizenship.
Permanent residency →Permanent Residency vs Citizenship
Which to pursue, weighing passport vs renunciation.
PR vs citizenship →Residency & Visa Renewal
Keeping your residence clean through the qualifying years.
Residency renewal →Frequently Asked Questions
The standard period is 10 years of continuous legal residence. But it's much shorter for some: just 2 years for citizens of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal (and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin), 5 years for refugees, and 1 year if you're married to a Spanish citizen. Your nationality is the biggest factor in how quickly you qualify.
Generally only if you're from an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal (or a Sephardic Jew of Spanish origin) — those can hold dual nationality. For most others, including Britons and Americans, Spain requires you to renounce your previous nationality. In practice your home country may not strip your citizenship just because you declared renunciation, but the formal Spanish requirement is renunciation — get specific advice.
Two, through the Instituto Cervantes: the DELE A2 Spanish language test (basic competence; nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt) and the CCSE test on the Spanish Constitution and society/culture. Both need preparation — they're passable with study but they're real requirements, not formalities, especially the language test for non-Spanish-speakers.
No — Britons and Americans fall under the standard 10-year residence requirement (unless married to a Spanish citizen, which is 1 year, or qualifying by origin). They also face the renunciation requirement. This combination is why many British and American expats stop at long-term residency rather than naturalising, while Ibero-American nationals find citizenship far more accessible.
A Spanish (and EU) passport with full free movement to live and work across the EU/EEA, an unconditional right to remain (no cards, renewals or absence rules), full political rights including voting, and security against future immigration-policy changes. For non-EU expats, the EU-wide mobility a passport restores or grants is often the decisive advantage over residency.
Once you've met the residence period and passed the exams, the application itself can take a considerable time to be resolved after submission — processing times have historically been long. Accuracy in the document file helps avoid delays and rejections. It requires patience, which is why getting the application complete and correct first time matters.
In many cases yes — Spanish nationality can pass down the family line, and there are also routes by origin for descendants of Spanish nationals (including special "democratic memory" provisions that have allowed many descendants to claim citizenship). The specifics depend on your family circumstances, so it's worth checking whether a by-origin route applies to you or your children.
It depends on how much you value an EU passport and EU-wide free movement, and whether you can accept or work around renouncing your current nationality. Long-term residency already gives a secure, indefinite right to live and work in Spain without the exams or renunciation. Ibero-American nationals usually pursue citizenship easily; others weigh it more carefully. A consultation helps you decide for your situation.