Information about applying for Spanish citizenship can be a bit confusing and filled with legal language, which makes it a bit hard to understand completely.

I usually get emails from people asking for information about the process and the documents that they need to translate to submit their applications. That’s why I decided to write this straightforward guide to list all available resources online and answer the most common question in my inbox.

This is by no means an official guide. This is intended to be a section where you can obtain information and links to official resources. Don’t hesitate to check each link included throughout this guide to access official information on applying for Spanish citizenship.

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Basic information on applying for Spanish citizenship

Firstly, we need to understand the difference between permanent residency and citizenship.

Permanent residency: It gives you access to live permanently in Spain while retaining your own nationality and most of the benefits available for Spanish citizens. However, some conditions must be met, for example, you need to prove that you’re financially stable.

Citizenship: To obtain the Spanish citizenship you’ll have to give up your own nationality and passport (exemptions may apply). You’ll have exactly the same rights as a Spanish person, you’ll be a citizen of the European Union and can move around the European Union and vote in European elections.

Here we’ll be focusing on how to obtain citizenship.

Requirements to obtain Spanish citizenship

The most common method to obtain Spanish citizenship is being a resident in Spain. The person applying for it should have lived in Spain in a legal and continuous way for 10 years.

However, there may be some exception to this 10-year period of time:

5 years: People who have obtain the status of refugee.

2 years: People from Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal or of Sephardic origin.

1 year:

• A person born in Spain.
• A person who voluntarily didn’t exercise the right of being a Spanish citizen.
• A person who has been in the care of a Spanish citizen or institutions.
• A person being married for 1 year with a Spanish citizen, and not being separated in the moment of the application.
• A widow or widower if the couple were not separated at the time of the death.
• A person born outside Spain with a Spanish father, mother, grandfather or grandmother.

In all cases stated above, the applicant should also prove good conduct and a certain degree of integration in the Spanish culture.

Who can apply for Spanish citizenship?

• Any person of legal age (+18).
• Any person over 14 year old with legal representation.
• Legal representative for any applicant under 14 years old.

It’s highly advisable to contact an attorney specialised in immigration before starting the application process.

Necessary documents to obtain Spanish citizenship

• Standard form, (available here).
• Foreign identity card.
• Passport.
• Birth certificate (duly translated and legalised).
• Criminal record (duly translated and legalised).
• Marriage certificate (duly translated and legalised) (if the applicant is married).
• Payment of corresponding fees. This fee may vary between €60 and €120.
• Census certificate.
• Instituto Cervantes diploma to prove constitutional and culture knowledge (find more information here).

If the applicant is under 18 years old:

• Identity card of his/her legal guardian.
• Certificate of his/her education centre to prove the degree of integration.

Necessary documents to translate and legalise to obtain Spanish citizenship

This applies when documents that you’re going to submit are not in Spanish:

• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Criminal records

If you need help to handle the certified translation of your documents, don’t hesitate to get in touch at david@circalingua.com

For a more detailed list of the necessary documents, check the official website of the Spanish Ministry.

How to start the process of applying for Spanish citizenship

To start your application online, you need a digital signature and a digital certificate. If you don’t have a digital certificate, you can still apply online by downloading the standard form. For more information on how to start your application, go to the official website of the Spanish Ministry here.

Resources

Official information about applying for Spanish citizenship

Start your online application here

Official list of necessary documents to apply here

Download the standard form here

Instituto Cervantes’ website with information about the CCSE exam

Do you need to translate and legalise your documents? Drop me an email at david@circalingua.com

If you have further questions about applying for Spanish citizenship, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and I’ll reply to you and add additional information to this post. Also, feel free to share any additional links and resources. I’ll make sure to add them to the post as well.