The demand for registration of Spanish citizenship is growing every year. For example, in 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics, 32.3% more foreigners received a passport here than in 2023. The reason for the interest of immigrants lies in the rights and benefits that the status of EU citizen provides them. The main ones are visa-free travel around the world, prospects for career development and personal business within the EU, access to modern medicine, social benefits and prestigious education at the expense of the state.

In general order to obtain Spanish citizenship can be those who have lived in the kingdom as a resident for 10 years, learned the national language and successfully passed the integration exam. Some people, such as recognized refugees, spouses of local citizens and those who were born on the territory of the state, will have to wait less. The simplest procedure for obtaining a passport is for people of Spanish origin. They do not need to have previously resided in the country and do not need to demonstrate integration into society.

Check your chances of obtaining all the rights of a Spanish citizen in just one year without additional requirements. Immigration lawyers at Relocation Compass company will explain this to you in detail during a free consultation.

Migration legislation of Spain

The policy of the Kingdom of Spain combines loyalty to immigrants and high requirements for those wishing to obtain a Spanish passport. Local law 4/2000 “On the rights and freedoms of foreigners and their social integration” provides for the issuance of residence permits on a large list of grounds. You can move here to live at your own expense or as a digital nomad, through the purchase of real estate or investment in the economy. As an exception, residency is granted even to well-integrated illegal immigrants (on sedentary status).

The basic law on citizenship in Spain is the Código Civil with its complementary Royal Decrees. According to the documents, any law-abiding foreigner can obtain a passport in the country, but for this he needs to have family ties in the kingdom or live here for 10 years (under standard conditions). In 2022, the law “On Democratic Memory” was also issued, which provides for simplified restoration of citizenship for those whose ancestors were Spanish and lost their status against their will. Spain is one of the few EU countries that maintains a ban on multiple citizenship (but there are exceptions).

Who is eligible to apply for Spanish citizenship?  

To apply for a Spanish passport can:

• those who have an ethnicity of the local people;
• immigrants who have fulfilled the conditions of residence and adaptation;
• recognized refugees and stateless persons;
• spouses of Spanish passport holders;
• citizens of states from the former colonies of the Kingdom.

The general conditions for potential Spanish citizens are a good reputation (no criminal record and no actions against the country), refusal of a passport in the home country, and subsequent registration of the status in the local registry office. It is necessary to documentally prove the fulfillment of all procedural requirements, be capable and over 14 years old (children are represented by their parents). Among the documents, you may need for the immigration file, are:

• a valid passport;
• state duty payment receipt;
• citizenship application form;
• certificate of criminal record in the home country;
• language and integration certificates (in case of naturalization);
• metric documents (birth, marriage/divorce certificates).

If you are eligible for the simplified procedure, this must also be proven, for example with a refugee certificate, a marriage certificate to a citizen of the Kingdom or documentary information about your Spanish ancestors.

Ways to obtain Spanish citizenship  

All options for foreigners to acquire a Spanish passport can be reduced to three main ones: naturalization (including investment), optation (restoration) and marriage. Naturalization is suitable for everyone, optation – for descendants of Spaniards, marriage – for husbands and wives of local citizens. When choosing an immigration program, you should consider your capabilities (including financial) and biography.

Buy Spanish citizenship is impossible even for a large amount. But you can get a residence permit as an investor, including purchase of real estate. It is impossible to get a passport through childbirth as well, but there is a “double right of soil”. A child born on the territory of the kingdom can immediately become a citizen, if his mother or father was also born here. There are some privileges for children of foreigners born in Spain – parents can issue them a passport after only 12 months of residence in the country.

Optation: Spanish citizenship by roots

The Democratic Memory Act entitles those who apply before October 21, 2025 to obtain a Spanish passport by roots. The optation applies to people who were born abroad and have at least one Spanish ancestor up to and including grandparents. The right continues even if the relative concerned has lost citizenship against his or her will, for example, due to exile in the past for political/ideological reasons.

Obtaining citizenship by repatriation (optation) does not require you to move to Spain with a residence permit and comply with the period of inhabitancy, as in the case of naturalization. In addition, it is not necessary to pass a language and integration exam or to renounce your previous passport. It is sufficient to take the oath and demonstrate law-abiding behavior. You must prove your ancestry through documentation, such as the birth certificate of a Spanish ancestor.

Immigration for investment: how it differs from naturalization

There is no direct issuance of a passport for investment in Spain. However, there are programs for granting residence permits for those who are ready to invest a significant amount of money in the economy of the kingdom. The cheapest way to immigrate – buying real estate in the country worth 500 000 EUR. You can invest a million euros in a commercial company or investment fund, it is also allowed to place this amount on deposit in a local bank. If you do not want to invest in a business, consider buying debt securities (bonds) for 2 million EUR or more.

Investment residence permit in Spain is issued immediately for 3 years (ordinary – up to 12 months) and can be extended without restrictions. However, it does not give you any privileges in terms of naturalization. Even key investors must live in the kingdom for 10 years or more before they can apply for citizenship.

General naturalization

A Spanish passport is granted as a standard procedure to those who have lived in the country legally for at least 10 years, have no criminal record, and have successfully passed the integration (CCSE) and language (DELE) exams. For the recognized refugees it is necessary to live in the Kingdom for only 5 years. After 24 months, citizens of a number of countries in South America and Africa, formerly Spanish colonies, as well as descendants of Sephardic Jews, are granted citizenship.

To begin the naturalization procedure, you open a Spanish residence permit – this can be done for one of the following reasons:

• Official employment.
  You can move to Spain by getting a job in a local company. It is also possible to transfer to a branch of an international organization, to participate in a long business trip or to be a researcher. Foreigners are usually employed after approval by the National Employment Service.
• Obtaining education.
  It is possible to immigrate to Spain as a student of a local university. A residence permit is also granted to participants in advanced training courses, interns, those who come to participate in a volunteer mission or a student exchange program between countries. After receiving a diploma, a residence permit can be opened to find a job or run a business.
• Family reasons.
  Residency is granted to relatives of Spanish citizens and holders of residence permits. A resident of the kingdom must provide the invited family members with housing and have an income to support them – not less than 75% of the subsistence minimum for the first person and another 50% for each subsequent person. In 2025, the basic settlement rate is 600 EUR per month.
• Running a business.
  It is possible to move to Spain to conduct business activities. The country does not impose conditions on you regarding the amount of authorized capital and the scope of employment. However, the authorities make a decision on granting a residence permit after assessing the prospects of the business plan, checking the financial solvency of the candidate and whether he/she has the necessary experience and education.
• Financial independence.
  Those who do not have professional or family ties in Spain can also naturalize. This applies to foreigners with a remote or passive source of income in the amount of 400% of the monthly subsistence minimum (2400 EUR). The residence permit is issued without the right to work, but with the possibility of later obtaining a residence permit and passport.
• Other options.
  Spain grants residence permits for humanitarian reasons to refugees, victims of human trafficking or sexual exploitation and other categories requiring protection. It is also possible to open a residence permit for self-employment, for example as a foreign journalist or religious missionary.

Citizenship by marriage

Spouses of Spanish citizens can apply for a passport in an accelerated procedure. The document is issued after 12 months of permanent residence in the country. The main requirements are official registration of the marriage and its reality, for confirmation of which the authorities may request evidence (family photos, common address registration, personal correspondence).

The best way to get all the rights of a citizen of Spain – is to acquire a second passport in another EU country in a simplified program. With it you will move to the kingdom without additional requirements and get access to the labor market, business, education, medicine and social benefits. Learn about EU passport programs in as little as 4-12 months at a free legal consultation.

To determine the price of Spanish citizenship, you need to add up the rates of administrative fees for the different procedures. The basic rates of government fees are shown in the table below.

Procedure for obtaining Spanish citizenship

1. Visa and residence permit registration.
   Naturalization begins with finding a reason to move and applying to the Spanish consulate/embassy in your home country for a D visa. You need to provide documents, leave your passport, wait for the decision and collect it, after which you can immigrate to the kingdom. Upon arrival, it is necessary to apply for a residence permit to the Immigration Service or the police department with the appropriate file. This should be done at least 2 months before the entry visa is canceled.
2. Renewal of the residence permit and opening of a permanent residence permit.
   A residence permit is usually valid for 1 to 3 years, depending on the reason for immigrating to Spain, and will be renewed if you still meet the conditions for its issuance. To re-issue a residence permit, you must re-apply to the migration authorities or the police. After 5 years you have the right to become a permanent resident of the kingdom if you have a stable source of income and health insurance.
3. Submission of a request for citizenship.
   After complying with the period of residence in Spain for naturalization, you will enroll to take two tests, DELE and CCSE, which are held at the offices of the Instituto Cervantes. You will also need to prepare an application and other procedural documents. You can request citizenship online on the Ministry of Justice website or apply for it at the nearest civil registry office (by appointment).
4. Entry into citizenship and passport issuance.
   If your request is approved, you will be invited to take part in the oath of allegiance to Spain. Next, you will need to write a renunciation of citizenship in your home country and visit the civil registry office to enter information about your new status in the national registers. Then you can apply for an internal eID-card and a passport by contacting the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs by appointment.

Denial and revocation of citizenship

Not all applications for Spanish citizenship are approved. A common reason for rejection is failure to fulfill at least one of the conditions for granting the status, such as insufficient length of stay in the Kingdom or poor results in integration exams. A passport is also denied to those who have submitted an incomplete or incorrectly translated/formatted dossier.

Citizens of Spain cannot become foreigners recognized by its authorities as undesirable persons – this can happen, for example, because of cooperation with banned organizations. Even an already issued passport is revoked if it turns out that it was issued fraudulently. Decisions of state authorities are challenged in the court of appeal, but the chances of success are extremely low.

Benefits of Spanish citizenship

The main privilege that your Spanish passport gives you is free to live together with your family in Europe without time restrictions and without searching for a reason to move. You can immigrate not only to the kingdom, but also to any other EU country without additional conditions. As a Spanish citizen, you receive the following benefits (in the EU and abroad):

• work in a country with an average monthly salary of 2000 EUR, as well as in other EU countries;
• excellent entrepreneurial prospects, including international business development and grants/subsidies for project implementation;
• simplified EU passport processing for your children and descendants, as well as for your spouse under the optation program;
• obtaining prestigious education in Spanish and foreign universities at the expense of the state or scholarship programs;
• participation in the National Health Insurance Scheme to receive care in modern clinics without additional fees;
• protection from the state at different levels, including social/financial support and assistance with integration into society;
• favorable conditions of service in popular banks, including transfers abroad, opening foreign currency deposits and low-interest loans;
• free movement practically throughout Europe, as well as visa-free visits to more than 160 countries (including the USA and China).

Dual citizenship in Spain

Spain is one of the few countries in the world that has agreements on dual citizenship with other countries. Predominantly, this applies to territories that were former colonies of the kingdom – all of Latin America and some African republics. Dual citizenship is recognized mutually in both states, which means, you can pay taxes or perform military service only in one of them. The kingdom has a similar agreement with Portugal.

In matters of multiple citizenship, Spain is less loyal. Naturalized foreigners are obliged to renounce their former passport when applying for local documents. If this is not done, the citizenship granted in the kingdom will be canceled. There is an exception only for participants of the optation program with Spanish origin, but it concerns an extremely small number of immigrants.

Such EU countries as Romania, Slovenia and Bulgaria give foreigners the opportunity to obtain a second citizenship without renouncing their native passport. These states have simplified immigration programs, for participation in which it is not necessary to open a residence permit, in-depth study of the language and provide a certificate of income. You can get more information about this from a specialized lawyer at Relocation Compass company.

Reviews of those who have received a passport of a Spanish citizen

As immigrants say, obtaining a Spanish passport is a difficult and lengthy task. The process of naturalization here is delayed for at least ten years, and not everyone gets so long to keep the reason to live in the country to extend the residence permit. Citizenship is given to those who are well integrated into society and speak fluent Spanish, and it is not easy to achieve this.

Difficulties also arise at the stage of collecting the necessary documents and passing formal procedures. In their reviews, many people recommend moving to Spain only with professional legal assistance to save time, money and effort.

Assistance in obtaining a second citizenship

International law specialists offer qualified assistance in obtaining Spanish citizenship. Relocation Compass lawyers verify the information in your file and advise on the best ways to obtain a passport in the European Union. When cooperating with specialists, you do not need to delve into the legislative norms of another country, understand the nuances of immigration procedures, search, collect, translate and execute documents. Lawyers perform almost all tasks for you, and also give practical advice on communicating with the authorities.

With the support of Relocation Compass immigration specialists, you can obtain a second citizenship in the European Union in the shortest possible time – from 4-6 months to a year. You will not need to take an integration course, live abroad as a resident, renounce your passport in your home country, or invest in a foreign economy. As an EU citizen, you will be able to easily move to Spain and obtain all national rights. Sign up for a free legal consultation now and get your European passport as early as 2025.