How to Apply for Spanish Citizenship

1. Get a Residence Card

When you apply for Spanish citizenship, it all begins with legal residency. That has a few requirements:

• Get a visa: You’ll need a visa to enter Spain and stay here long term. We have a full guide to the Spanish Golden visa here, but there are options for students, retirees, freelancers, and more.
• Register: Let the local municipality (or empadronamiento) know that you are living in the area.
• Get Your Residence Card (Tarjeta de Residencia): This begins running the clock on your residency requirement for Spanish citizenship (which is a total of 10 years unless you are qualifying through other means, like marriage, descent, etc.).

2. Live in Spain for 5 Years

You are now on your way to long-term residency, but that first means 5 years of continuously living in the country (meaning you can’t be gone for more than 6 months out of each year).

You can radically reduce this timeline if you are a refugee or national of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, or Equatorial Guinea.

3. Become a Long-Term Resident

Now, it’s time to apply for permanent residency (what’s called a Residencia de Larga Duración). This application needs:

• Proof of your 5-year-long legal residency so far.
• A clean criminal record.
• Proof you can financially support yourself and your dependents.

4. Take the CCSE Exam

The CCSE (Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España) tests you knowledge of the country’s laws, government, and culture—making it a critical step when you apply for Spanish citizenship.

You’ll face 25 multiple-choice and true/false questions, needing to get 15 right to pass.

You register for the test at the Instituto Cervantes website. You can take it at authorized testing centers around Spain and even abroad.

5. Get a CEFR A2 Score on the DELE Language Test

You’ll also need to take a Spanish language exam (find out how to enroll here on the Instituto Cervantes website).

Called the DELE (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera), you only need to get a score of A2 or higher. This means you only need to understand basic, common expressions about familiar topics. It’s a low standard for anyone who has lived in the country for years, but if you don’t know any Spanish, you will definitely need to study.

Some applicants don’t need to do this at all—like those from Spanish-speaking countries and those with disabilities that make taking the exam impossible. But unlike some other countries, those getting citizenship by descent do have to take the language test.

6. Fill Out Your Application (Online or In-Person)

Spain makes the application easy. You can fill it out at a local Civil Registry office or online at Sede electrónica.

It should be noted that those who fill out the form online will almost certainly need to attend a meeting or two at their local Civil Registry office anyway.

7. Deliver Documents to Civil Registry and Pay Fee

If you submitted an electronic application, you’ll need to go to deliver documents at a local Civil Registry office (you’ll do this along with filling out your form if you elect to do everything in person).

During this visit, you will pay a €100 application fee.

8.  Wait for Processing

When you apply for Spanish citizenship, patience is key. You’ve already waited 10 years, and now they’ll have you wait a little while longer—processing times range from 18 months to multiple years.