The overall rule is that if you wish to apply for Spanish citizenship, you’ll have to reside legally in Spain with out lengthy absences for ten years.
There are different necessities to use, together with a Spanish language examination and a normal information take a look at about Spain, in addition to not having a legal file.
There additionally used to a lengthy and arduous ready time in your software to be processed, however this has reportedly been vastly improved in 2024, now taking round six months on common.
General, it takes between 10 and 11 years so that you can lastly get your palms on a Spanish passport and ID.
That’s a really lengthy watch for most individuals, particularly in the event that they need to consolidate their proper to reside in Spain now and sooner or later.
Nonetheless, there are a selection of circumstances during which the wait to get citizenship by way of residency will be as much as 4 occasions shorter, even when factoring within the lengthy processing occasions in Spain.
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Being married to a Spanish nationwide – one 12 months to use
It’s best to clearly be getting married for love, however one of many quickest methods to get Spanish citizenship is by being married to a Spanish nationwide. On this case, you’ll solely be required to reside legally in Spain together with your Spanish partner (in the identical house that’s) for one 12 months.
A standard-law partnership isn’t accepted for this fast-track citizenship software, and once more we should stress that ‘inexperienced card’ marriages only for the sake of getting nationality are under no circumstances recommendable, because the citizenship software will embody an interview during which you’ll be quizzed at size about your relationship.
A widow or widower also can declare Spanish nationality if their accomplice was Spanish and on the time of their passing they have been nonetheless married.
Having the suitable nationality – two years to use
None of us get to decide on which nationality we initially have, however life’s circumstances might imply that you simply’re in a greater place to use for Spanish nationality sooner.
Nationals from Ibero-American international locations the place Spanish or Portuguese is spoken (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela), in addition to nationals of the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra or Portugal, can apply for Spanish nationality after legally residing in Spain for 2 years.
It might be that you simply’re initially from certainly one of these international locations, that you’ve got blood ties in certainly one of them which subsequently means that you can declare citizenship there, that you simply’ve resided lengthy sufficient in a kind of international locations to have the ability to declare citizenship and so forth. It would all rely in your circumstances and the citizenship legal guidelines of stated nations, however know that having a passport from certainly one of these international locations with historic and linguistic ties to Spain is a approach to shorten the residency interval earlier than the citizenship software.
There are a few different circumstances to say – folks with Sephardic Jewish ancestry also can apply for Spanish citizenship after two years. Refugees also can accomplish that after 5 years of residency in Spain.
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Being married to the individual with the suitable nationality – three to 4 years to use
On an identical notice to the part above, if you’re married to an individual from an Ibero-American nation, Philippines, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, it is possible for you to to use for Spanish citizenship a 12 months after they gained Spanish citizenship themselves. This once more is determined by each of you legally residing in Spain for the related time intervals in accordance with Spanish legislation.
Though it’s a must to consider that the Spanish citizenship software course of takes between one and three years in accordance with most sources (which implies that earlier than you apply you would need to wait for 3 to 5 years in your partner to change into a Spanish nationwide) it nonetheless cuts the ready interval for many nationals by greater than half.
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Being born in Spain – one 12 months to use
In case you have been born in Spain to overseas dad and mom, you may apply for Spanish nationality after one 12 months of authorized residency in Spain.
This may occur at any level in your life, so even in case you have been born in Spain however your dad and mom then left to return to their house nation or elsewhere, you may transfer to Spain for a 12 months as an grownup and apply for Spanish nationality (you’ll nonetheless must show authorized residency).
Usually talking, a toddler that’s born in Spain to overseas dad and mom doesn’t mechanically get Spanish citizenship, however there are 14 international locations which don’t mechanically give nationality to the youngsters of their nationals who’re born overseas.
These are Argentina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guinea-Bissau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe in addition to Uruguay. If each dad and mom are from certainly one of these international locations, Spain will mechanically give nationality by presumption to the kid to ensure that them to not be stateless.
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Having Spanish blood ties – one 12 months to use
If one or each or your dad and mom in Spanish, or certainly one of your dad and mom was born in Spain, you may apply for Spanish citizenship after one 12 months of authorized residency in Spain.
If certainly one of your grandparents was Spanish, then their son or daughter (your father or mom) can apply for Spanish citizenship and go it right down to you.
The identical guidelines apply to folks adopted by these with Spanish nationality or shut Spanish blood ties.
There have additionally been some current authorized modifications which permit the grandchildren and nice grandchildren of Spanish nationals to instantly get Spanish citizenship from their aged relations, however this could solely be in particular circumstances equivalent to in the event that they’re the grandchild/daughter of a Spanish girl who married a foreigner earlier than 1978, or the grandchildren of Spanish nationals who renounced their Spanish citizenship.
READ MORE: Spain’s new ‘grandchildren’ citizenship legislation – What you have to know
Naturalisation letter – probably zero years to use
La Carta de Naturaleza, as it’s known as in Spanish, permits overseas nationals who’ve carried out one thing “distinctive” for Spain to change into Spanish residents instantly, with the ready occasions that every one different candidates need to endure additionally non-existent.
Some well-known names to have been ‘awarded’ categorical Spanish nationality embody British pianist James Rhodes and FC Barcelona footballers Lionel Messi and Ansu Fati.
The naturalisation letter is controversial and thought of unfair by those that have to attend over a decade to get Spanish citizenship, and with good purpose. Take the most recent instance of actually fast-tracked Spanish citizenship: US basketball participant Lorenzo Brown, who having by no means lived in Spain, was granted Spanish citizenship instantly simply so he might play for the nationwide staff.
This fast-track Spanish citizenship possibility shouldn’t be thought of until you’ve got associates in excessive locations within the Spanish authorities, as it’s awarded by Royal Decree by Spain’s Council of Ministers.
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