Spanish citizenship for foreigners: complete guide to requirements and procedures in 2025

Types of Spanish citizenship: which one applies to you?

Spanish legislation provides several routes to obtain nationality. For foreigners residing in Galicia, the most common route is citizenship by residence:

For UK, US, German and other non-Ibero-American citizens, the 10-year general route is the norm. For Colombian, Argentine, Mexican and Brazilian citizens, the period reduces to 2 years.

Fundamental requirements for citizenship by residence

• Legal and continuous residence: cannot have been outside Spain for more than 6 months in total during the last 2 years.
• Good civic conduct: clean criminal record in Spain and countries of residence in the last 5 years.
• Sufficient integration: demonstrated through CCSE and DELE exams.
• Means of livelihood: economic capacity (not strictly required but valued).

The DELE A2 and CCSE exams

Exemptions: Spanish-speaking nationals are exempt from DELE A2. Under-18s are exempt from CCSE.

In Galicia, exams can be taken at the Instituto Cervantes in A Coruña or authorised centres in Santiago de Compostela.

Dual citizenship: can you keep your original passport?

Practical note: The «renunciation» of British, German or French nationality before Spanish authorities does not mean your home country strips you of citizenship. Many countries simply don't recognise the renunciation made in Spain, so you effectively keep both nationalities.

Processing time: the reality in 2025

The average processing time in 2025 is 1 to 3 years. The Civil Registries of A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela handle Galician applications.

Required documents

1. Official application form
2. Passport from country of origin
3. Residence card (TIE or NIE) in force
4. Birth certificate legalised and translated
5. Criminal record certificates from Spain and countries of residence in last 5 years
6. Municipal registration (padrón)
7. DELE A2 and CCSE certificates (if not exempt)
8. Fee receipt (€100, form 790 code 026)
9. Route-specific documents: marriage certificate, Ibero-American civil registry certificate, etc.

The Civil Registry in Galicia

• A Coruña: for residents of the province of A Coruña (including Costa da Morte).
• Lugo, Ourense, Pontevedra: for their respective provinces.

Since 2025, applications can also be submitted online through the Ministry of Justice platform using digital certificate or Cl@ve.

Citizenship by descent: the Grandchildren Law

The Democratic Memory Law (2022) allows grandchildren of Spaniards who were exiled during the Civil War and dictatorship to obtain Spanish nationality. Key requirements:

• Be a grandchild of someone born Spanish who was exiled between 18 July 1936 and 31 December 1955.
• Prove the grandparent's exile.
Application deadline extended to October 2025.

This route does not require residence in Spain and allows dual nationality.

Costs of the nationality process

Common mistakes in nationality applications

• Incorrectly calculating the residence period
• Criminal record issues
• Not legalising all foreign documents
• Letting documents expire (3-6 month validity)
• Not preparing for exams (CCSE has a 30% failure rate)
• Not updating municipal registration