Citizenship in Spain
Naturalisation timelines, tests, and dual nationality
Ten years for most nationalities, but only two for citizens of Latin America, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, and Equatorial Guinea, and one year for those married to a Spaniard. Two exams are required, and Spain formally requires renouncing your previous nationality — with large exceptions.
| General requirement | 10 years of legal residence source |
| Ibero-American nationals | 2 years |
| Married to a Spaniard | 1 year |
| Exams | DELE A2 Spanish and the CCSE constitutional and cultural test |
| Dual citizenship | Formally renunciation is required, with major exceptions |
The two-year rule is the whole story for some applicants
Nationals of Latin American countries, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, and Equatorial Guinea qualify after two years of legal residence, and they are also exempt from the renunciation requirement. For a Mexican, Colombian, or Argentine citizen, Spain is among the fastest routes to an EU passport anywhere.
For everyone else the wait is ten years, with reductions to five for recognised refugees and one for spouses of Spanish citizens after a year of residence and marriage.
The exams
DELE A2 is an elementary Spanish exam. CCSE is a twenty-five question test on the constitution, institutions, geography, and culture, drawn from a published question bank of three hundred items — it is memorisable and the pass rate is high. Applicants over a certain age or with disabilities may be exempted.
Both are administered by the Instituto Cervantes and can be taken abroad as well as in Spain.
Renunciation, in practice
The law requires renouncing your prior nationality at the oath, and this is a real deterrent for Americans and Britons. In practice the declaration is made to Spanish authorities and many countries do not treat it as effective loss of their nationality, so people frequently hold both in fact.
This is a question with genuine legal consequences in your home country and it is precisely the kind of question a publication cannot answer for you. Take advice from a lawyer in both jurisdictions before the oath.
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Official sources
Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.