Visas / Spanish Citizenship
Spanish Citizenship · by residence
A Spanish passport takes years. Losing the file to a 3-month deadline shouldn't be one of them.
Citizenship by residence is the longest process we run: 12 to 24 months at the Ministry of Justice, on top of the years you've lived here. Miss the 3-month correction deadline and your application counts as withdrawn. We check your exemptions, coordinate every legalization and translation, and watch every deadline.
Government and consular fees are included in your service fee.
Who it's for
Is this your visa?
A good fit if
- 10 years of legal residence, or 5, 2 or 1 on a reduced route
- You can pass the CCSE and DELE A2, or you're exempt
- Clean criminal record in your country of origin
Look elsewhere if
- You'd rather keep your nationality and skip exams (Long-Term Residence)
- Your residence years were mostly on a student visa
Not sure? Your case manager confirms the route before you pay anything.
Everything in your fee
Most visa services stop at approval. We don't.
Stage 1
Before filing
- Your route confirmed: 10, 5, 2 or 1 year
- Exam exemptions checked before you book anything
- Birth certificate and criminal record legalization coordinated
- Sworn translations included, up to €200 per adult
Stage 2
The long wait
- File submitted to the Ministry of Justice, with the €104.05 government fee included
- The 3-month correction deadline tracked
- Every update in your dashboard
- Your dedicated immigration lawyer for the whole 12–24 months
Stage 3 · After approval
Becoming Spanish
- 180 days to swear in at the Civil Registry
- Renunciation explained, if it applies to you
- DNI and passport next steps
- Dual-nationality check for your country
Honest note: biometrics and TIE fingerprints are in person. We tell you exactly what to bring, so you only go once.
Main requirements
What you'll need to show, and when to look elsewhere.
Main requirements
- Legal, continuous residence on your route: 10, 5, 2 or 1 year
- CCSE civic exam and DELE A2 Spanish exam, unless exempt
- Legalized and translated birth certificate
- Legalized and translated criminal record from your country of origin
- Good civic conduct and integration, assessed in your file
Probably not for you if…
We'll say so before you pay.
- Your years in Spain were mostly on a student visa
- You can't renounce your nationality and your country has no dual-nationality agreement
- You expect a decision within a year
- You're looking for citizenship by investment (Spain closed the Golden Visa)
Your route
10 years for most. Far less for some.
How long you need to have lived in Spain legally and continuously depends on who you are. We confirm your route before anything else. You also need to show good civic conduct and integration into Spanish society; that's assessed in your file, not a separate test.
10 years
Most applicants
5 years
Recognised refugees
2 years
Nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and people of Sephardic origin
- They also keep their original nationality.
1 year
Close ties to Spain
- Married to a Spanish citizen for at least a year and not separated
- Widowed from a Spanish citizen (not separated at the time)
- Born in Spain
- Under the legal guardianship of a Spanish citizen or institution for 2 consecutive years
- Didn't exercise the right to Spanish nationality by option in time
- Born abroad to a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish
The permit
What it gives you
- Filed with the Ministry of Justice: the legal decision period is a year, 12–24 months is typical
- A request for corrections must be answered within 3 months
- After approval you have 180 days to swear in, then get your DNI and passport
- You may have to give up your current nationality, unless you're exempt or a treaty allows dual nationality
Documents
What you'll usually need
- Passport and TIE card
- Birth certificate, legalised
- Criminal record certificate from your country of origin, legalised
- Padrón certificate
- CCSE and DELE certificates
Your dashboard gives you your own checklist, with instructions for each document. Requirements can differ per consulate.
What the fee covers
In your €2,699, and not in it.
We'd rather you see the exclusions now than on an invoice later.
Included
- Route and exemption check
- Legalization and translation coordination
- Official sworn translations, up to €200 per adult
- A dedicated immigration lawyer from Spain who knows your case
- Government appointment booking when it applies
- Full document review and checklist built for you
- Application submission and follow-up
- Your own dashboard, with an AI assistant
- Government fee (€104.05)
- 3-month correction deadline tracking
- Swearing-in guidance
Not included
- CCSE and DELE exam fees at the Instituto Cervantes
- Translations beyond €200 per adult
- Legalization fees in your home country
Government and consular fees are included in your service fee.
Pay as things happen
The biggest part waits for your approval.
- 1
Start
You sign up
Route and exemptions confirmed. First payment.
- 2
Filed
Submitted
Government fee included. Second payment.
- 3
Waiting
12–24 months
Correction deadline tracked. Nothing due.
- 4
Approved
Nationality granted
Then 180 days to swear in. Third and last payment.
How you pay
3 payments, tied to progress
- 1First paymentWhen you start€675
- 2Second paymentWhen your file is submitted€1,269
- 3Final paymentOnce nationality is granted€755
Prices are per person: €2,699 per adult, €1,400 per child. You see your fee and every instalment before you pay anything.
Get startedThe honest version
What we can't promise, and what we do instead.
12 to 24 months is the Ministry's pace.
Not ours, and we can't change it. We make sure your file is never the reason it stalls.
Three months to fix a problem.
Miss it and your application is treated as withdrawn. We track it from the day a request arrives.
You may have to give up your passport.
Unless you're from a dual-nationality country. We check this before you start, not at the swearing-in.
The exams are on you.
We check exemptions first. If you need them, we tell you which and when.
Questions
Spanish Citizenship questions
Something else? Ask us.
Do I need to pass exams?
Generally the CCSE and the DELE A2, both run by the Instituto Cervantes. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the DELE, and a Spanish ESO diploma can replace it.
Do I have to give up my current nationality?
Not if you're from an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, are of Sephardic origin, or your country has a dual-nationality treaty with Spain. Otherwise renunciation is generally required.
How long does it take?
Your residence period, plus typically 12–24 months of processing at the Ministry of Justice.
What happens after approval?
You have 180 days to appear in person at the Civil Registry, swear allegiance, renounce prior nationality if required, and register.
What if documents are missing?
You have 3 months to correct the file, or your application is treated as withdrawn. We track that deadline.
Is there a citizenship-by-investment route?
No. The Golden Visa programme has been discontinued. We'll show you the residence routes instead.
What does it cost, and when do I pay?
Three payments: the first when you sign up, the second when your file is submitted, and the last once nationality is granted. Sworn translations up to €200 per adult are included. The €104.05 government fee is included too. Each family member is billed separately.
Also consider
Check your route and your exemptions.
You see your fee before you pay anything. We confirm your route and check your exam exemptions before you file.