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Getting Spanish citizenship is a big dream for many people from other countries because that has many advantages and the good news is that in Spain is easy to be achieved.

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In this guide we give you some guidelines.​

 

What is Spanish Citizenship?

 

Spanish Citizenship is a privilege that lets you live in Spain forever and be equal to another spanish person who was born in Spain. There is not difference from born spanish to achieving it later.

 

The easiest way to become a Spanish citizen is by being born Spanish. That measn that the parents are already spanish so you are spanish citizen right away.

 

Luckily the spanish law allows you to become spanish even if you were not born in Spain or not born from spanish parents, the Spanish law also says there are other ways for foreigners to become spanish citizens. 

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Advantages and dissadvantages of becoming spanish

 

Posibility to work anywhere in the world as spanish

No need todo any more renewals of your residence permit.

Be able to vote in Spain

Be able to work in Spain as a civil worker (funcionario) for example as police. 

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Depends on your country, you might lose your original nationality if you choose to become spanish.

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​How to become spanish?

There are different ways to become spanish. The most common and the one that we will explain is by residencia (living in Spain a certain amount of years) but there are others.

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• Nacionalidad por opcion. This one is commonly done when a father/mother obtaines the spanish nationality then their children can opt to also become spanish.

• Nacionalidad por nacimiento. If a child is born from spanish parents (one or both) the child will be authomatically spanish.

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Spanish citizenship by residency

 

Citizenship by residency is becoming eligible for Spanish citizenship by continuously being a legal resident in Spain for a certain number of years. This type of process encompasses different situations, and each situation has a different required amount of time. This brings us to the next question:

 

How long do I need to live in Spain to get citizenship?

 

The exact length of time will depend on your circumstances, your family ties and your country of origin:

 

10 years is the general rule

5 years if you are a refugee

2 years if you are from a Latin American country, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, the Philippines or Portugal.

1 year if born in Spain or married to a spanish person.

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Does the time that I had student visa counts for the time of residence?

 

Unfortunatelly no. The time of estancia is not considered residence so that time doesnt count. It will start counting once you convert your estancia into residence permit for example into a working permit.

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Losing your original nationality?

 

The general rule is that obtaining the Spanish nationality means that you give up your original nationality.

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There are some countries however that have an agreement with Spain allow you do the so called dual citizenship (or doble nacionalidad) so you keep both, your origina nationality plus the spanish .

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• Latin american countries

• Philippines

• Andorra

• Portugal

• France

• Ecuatorial Guinea​​​​