Spanish citizenship by residence is the route most foreign residents end up taking. The requirement everyone knows is the number of years — but the years themselves depend entirely on where you are from.
The default for most nationalities: ten years of legal and continuous residence in Spain.
Nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and people of Sephardic origin, qualify after only two years.
People granted refugee status apply after five years of legal residence.
Including people married to a Spanish national, those born in Spain, and children or grandchildren of a Spanish national in certain circumstances.
Filing is done electronically or at the Civil Registry, depending on your province. Once the application is granted you need an appointment at the Civil Registry for the oath of allegiance, and that is where the appointment system gets involved. Waiting times vary widely between provinces.
Last reviewed: 26 August 2026.
Sources: current Spanish immigration legislation and the electronic offices of the National Police and the Ministry of the Interior. Always check the official information for your own office before attending.
General information only; this is not legal advice. Requirements and timeframes can change.
Ten years of legal and continuous residence under the general rule, but only two years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for people of Sephardic origin. Five years applies to recognised refugees, and one year to several specific cases such as marriage to a Spanish national.
It depends on your country. Spain has dual nationality agreements with most Ibero-American countries, so those applicants keep their original nationality. Where there is no agreement, a formal renunciation is required — although what that means in practice also depends on the law of your own country.
The CCSE test on constitutional and sociocultural knowledge, and the DELE A2 Spanish language exam. If Spanish is an official language of your country, you are exempt from the DELE.
The filing-to-decision time varies considerably and there is no guaranteed timeframe. After a favourable decision you still need an appointment at the Civil Registry for the oath, which adds more waiting depending on the province.
Time spent as a student generally counts towards residence, provided it was legal and continuous. Confirm your own case, as the treatment has changed over the years.
No. We are not a law firm and we do not process applications. What we do is manage the appointments the process needs, including the Civil Registry appointment for the oath.
We monitor the official system continuously, and you only pay once the appointment is confirmed.
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