How to Obtain Spanish Citizenship

In this article, we describe how to obtain Spanish citizenship in 2026, the available options, and briefly outline the application process and the needed documents. Discover below how our immigration lawyers in Spain can assist you in applying for citizenship.

Quick Facts
Residency options	Temporary and permanent residency
Ways to acquire citizenship	By naturalization, by birth, by marriage, by possession of status (there is no citizenship by investment)
Citizenship requirements for EU citizens	10 years of legal and continuous residence (2 years for Portuguese nationals)
Citizenship requirements for non- EU citizens	10 years of living in Spain uninterruptedly
Duration to obtain citizenship by marriage	One year
Citizenship by investment availability (YES/NO)	NO. Spain has no citizenship-by-investment programme, and the investor residence permit (golden visa, EUR 500,000 in real estate) was abolished from 3 April 2025.
Special citizenship options (YES/NO)	YES, for citizens of Ibero-American countries
Citizenship by descent requirements	Children of a Spanish parent born in Spain can opt for citizenship; grandchildren of Spaniards of origin qualify after only 1 year of legal residence (the Democratic Memory Law route closed on 22 October 2025)
Dual citizenship permitted (YES/NO)	Partly: people who obtain citizenship by residence must renounce their former nationality, except nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and France
Benefits of becoming a Spanish citizen	Access to performant healthcare and education systems, visa free travel to EU and Schengen countries, voting rights, EU residency.
Conditions for citizenship by marriage	The foreign spouse must have lived with the Spanish spouse in Spain for one year, proficiency of Spanish language, valid residence permit at the time of the application.
Fastest way to obtain citizenship	Marriage
Availability for citizenship for refugees (YES/NO)	Yes, refugees can apply for citizenship after 5 years of living in Spain.
Possibility to obtain citizenship as a widower of a Spanish national (YES/NO)	Yes, provided that the foreign citizen was married to the Spanish national at the time of his/her death.
Possibility to apply for citizenship while abroad (YES/NO)	No, the resident must be in Spain at the time of the application.
Best way to apply for citizenship in Spain	Naturalization by residence (legal and continuous residence; permanent residency is not required).
Authority in charge of citizenship issues	Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes (Directorate-General for Legal Certainty and Public Faith)
Loss of citizenship conditions (if any)	– criminal offenses; – fraud and acting against the best interest of the country can lead to loss of Spanish citizenship.
Support in applying for Spanish citizenship (YES/NO)	Yes, we can help with application filings for Spanish citizenship.
Other immigration services available (if any)	– verification for meeting citizenship requirements; – support in reapplying for citizenship in case of refusal; – support in relocating to other parts of the country.

What are the main ways to obtain citizenship in Spain?

There are 4 pathways to becoming a Spanish citizen:

by option;
by conferral;
by becoming a resident;
by possession of status.

What are some of the specific requirements for obtaining citizenship?

Each of the methods of acquiring citizenship is subject to a set of conditions, and applicants are advised to thoroughly understand these before they commence the application procedure.
For the nationality by residence, one of the commonly employed methods for acquiring this status, there can be certain cases in which the ten-year period can be reduced:

One year for widowers: the widow of a Spanish national can acquire this status if at the time of death, they were not separated.
Five years: when it is granted to those individuals who have obtained the status of refugees.
Two years: for those of Sephardic origin, those from Ibero-American countries, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, the Philippines or Portugal.
One year: for individuals who were born on Spanish territory or those who have not exercised their right to Spanish nationality.
One year for marriage: applies to individuals who, when making the application, have been married for one year to a Spanish national.

We invite you to read about the main ways of obtaining Spanish citizenship in the infographic below:

Is there a minimum age to obtain citizenship in Spain?

According to the law, any person aged 14 or over can apply for citizenship. Applicants aged 14 to 17 apply themselves assisted by their legal representative, while children under 14 apply through their legal representative (a parent or guardian).

What does Spanish citizenship by option mean?

Spanish citizenship by option implies having family ties to a Spanish national. You can apply for nationality through this pathway if:

you have a mother, father, or both parents who were born in Spain;
you were adopted by a Spanish national.

A special procedure (Democratic Memory Law) was available until 22 October 2025 for descendants of Spanish citizens who were banned from the country during the Civil War and the dictatorship.

How can I obtain citizenship by conferral in Spain?

This is a special route to Spanish citizenship, as it is conferred at the discretion of the Government. Applications are verified on a case-by-case basis, and nationality can be granted on grounds of exceptional merits related to:

culture;
sports;
science;
solidarity.

What are the main requirements to obtain citizenship in Spain?

There are several requirements to meet, and they are:

passing a Spanish language test, meaning you need to have at least an A2 level;
passing the Spanish citizenship test;
having a clean criminal record;
swearing allegiance to the King and obedience to the Constitution and laws of Spain;
giving a declaration of renouncing to the former nationality (exceptions apply for citizens of Latin American states, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, France, or Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin);
getting registered in the Spanish Civil Register as a national of this country.

What is the procedure to apply for Spanish citizenship like?

No matter the way one immigrated to Spain, the steps to citizenship are the same once all requirements are met. These are:

to prepare all the documents attesting to meeting the conditions for citizenship and filing them;
take the language test;
take the 25-question test on knowledge of the Spanish Constitution and social-cultural customs;
pay the application fee.

For foreign nationals whose native language is Spanish, the language test will not be required. For other applicants, a minimum A2 level is required.
Below, you can watch our video on how to obtain Spanish citizenship:

What are the documents to file when applying for citizenship in Spain?

The following:

proof of residency, if you apply for citizenship by naturalization based on legal residence;
proof of kinship, if you apply for citizenship by descent;
the criminal record certificate;
proof of financial independence through a legal source of funds in Spain;
a valid health insurance policy;
proof of a Spanish address (property title/rental agreement).

The Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes handles nationality matters. Interested individuals can reach out to us for details about the ongoing requirements and procedures set forth by the authorities.

How long does it take for a citizenship application to be approved in Spain?

At the level of 2026, application procedures are subject to a legal deadline of one year from filing (applications are normally filed online). In practice, files often take longer.

If you are interested in Spanish citizenship and need guidance, our lawyers are at your service. You can rely on our immigration lawyer in Spain for tailored support, so do not hesitate to contact us.