Citizenship

How to become a Spaniard

Once resident in Spain for a certain time period, you have the right to apply for the Spanish nationality. The general requirement is a legal and continuous residency for 10 years.

In many cases, however, this period can be reduced to 5, 2 years or even 1 year. These cases include persons granted asylum, certain nationalities like South Americans, spouses of Spaniards and people born in Spain.

The public body in charge of citizenship is the Ministerio de Justicia and the place to apply is the Registro Civil. You must technically renounce nationality with your country of origin (unless you're from Latin America, Portugal, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Andorra). Anecdotal evidence points to the fact that countries do not generally exchange this information, so some people retain their old nationality, but there are obvious risks attached to this course of action and definitely don't try and show both passports at entry!

In order to apply for Spanish nationality, you need to bring the following documentation:

your birth certificate
a consular certificate which states your former nationality, your criminal records and your military status in your home country
a certificate of Spanish criminal records
a police certificate stating the time of your residency in Spain
your registration at the Spanish town council

The main advantages of Spanish nationality are a Spanish passport and the right to vote. You will also have the right to work and live in any country of the European Union, plus some minor advantages such as EU citizen rates for museums and other institutions.

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