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🇪🇸 Spain

Spanish Citizenship by Residence

From Spanish residence to Spanish and EU citizenship

← Back to Spain

Spanish citizenship by residence is a separate nationality procedure for qualifying foreign nationals who complete the applicable period of legal, continuous and immediately prior residence.

Successful applicants become Spanish citizens and citizens of the European Union.

CETO Global assesses each case and coordinates the process with qualified Spanish legal and immigration professionals.

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Residence Periods

General Route

10 years

Qualifying Refugees

5 years

Certain Nationalities & Sephardic Origin

2 years

Can include nationals of origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal.

Specific Statutory Categories

1 year

Can include certain people born in Spain and qualifying spouses of Spanish citizens, among other defined cases.

Central Requirements

  • Legal, continuous and immediately prior residence
  • Good civic conduct
  • Sufficient integration into Spanish society
  • CCSE where required
  • DELE where required
  • Civil-status and background documents

Residence time alone does not make citizenship automatic.

Important Distinctions

  • Marriage does not automatically grant citizenship
  • Study status should not automatically be counted as ordinary residence
  • Long-Term Residence is not citizenship
  • Dual-nationality consequences require individual assessment
  • Approval is followed by oath or promise and Civil Registry steps

Our Process

  1. 01

    Residence History

    Review the complete Spanish immigration record.

  2. 02

    Applicable Period

    Identify the 10-, 5-, 2- or 1-year basis.

  3. 03

    Continuity

    Assess travel and absences.

  4. 04

    Integration

    Review CCSE, DELE and possible exemptions.

  5. 05

    Application

    Coordinate the Ministry of Justice filing.

  6. 06

    Completion

    Coordinate oath, registry, DNI and passport steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does five years automatically give citizenship?

No. The general period is ten years, while shorter statutory periods apply only to qualifying applicants.

Can some applicants apply after two years?

Yes, qualifying nationalities and persons of Sephardic origin can benefit from the statutory two-year period.

Do I need Long-Term Residence first?

Not universally. Citizenship has its own statutory residence periods.

Do I become an EU citizen?

Yes, after Spanish nationality is fully acquired and registered.

Assess Your Spanish Citizenship Pathway

We review your residence history, statutory period, continuity, conduct and integration requirements.

Start Your Assessment