Spanish Citizenship: Detailed Guide on Acquiring Citizenship

You do not have to get Spanish citizenship after being a resident for ten years.

You may want to remain a resident, as there are fewer costs to consider, and you can avoid the complicated process of getting nationality (though you do have to renew your residence permit every five years).

However, some foreigners feel as though they can better immerse themselves in the Spanish way of life when they are a citizen, as they have the same rights as people born in Spain, such as the right to vote.

Essentially, foreigners with citizenship have the same status as citizens who have been living in the country for their whole life, are married to a Spanish citizen, and are experts in the Spanish language and culture.

Another benefit is that there are no travel restrictions, whereas you will be told to avoid long-term travel when you have Spanish residency.

Finally, if you are hoping to have children in Spain, being a citizen will give your children the right to Spanish nationality and residency.

This is not necessary if your partner is a Spanish citizen, but if you are marrying a non-Spaniard, having citizenship could establish security for your children as citizens of Spain.

If you want to become a Spanish citizen, you can apply for citizenship in Spain, but you must be willing to renounce your current nationality in favour of Spanish nationality.

The exceptions are if you are a Sephardic Jew, or your home country is Spanish-American.

Some examples of countries that do not exempt you from Spanish dual citizenship status are:

• The Philippines
• Andorra
• Portugal
• Equatorial Guinea
• Cuba
• Peru
• Honduras
• Mexico
• France
• Uruguay

Once you have researched the routes to Spanish nationality and chosen one that suits you, you will need to fill out a Spanish citizenship application form and take it to the Civil Registry Office in your area.

Alternatively, you can get involved with the application procedure online. You will answer the same questions, but you simply input the information digitally instead of on paper.

The Spanish Ministry of Justice has a tool that allows you to check on your application that you have made, at the time of submission and at any point after that. This can be useful for people who need their application to be approved quickly.

Whichever route you take, you will also need supporting documents including:

• Marriage certificate
• Proof of payment of the application fee
• Spanish language certificate
• Empadronamiento (resident register)
• Valid passport
• Evidence of working history in Spain
• Proof of finances
• Background records from your country of origin

If you live in Spain, there are many benefits of getting Spanish citizenship.

One advantage is that you have the same right to live in the country as someone who was born there, so you don’t have to worry about being deported for being out of the country for a long time, or breaking the law.

Another benefit is that it is much easier to work and study in Spain when you have Spanish nationality. Unlike residency, you do not have to keep renewing your citizenship, so you can focus on building a life in Spain without needing to deal with administration every few years.

When you get Spanish citizenship, you become a member of the Schengen region. This is an area without internal border controls, which means you can travel between different European countries without going through border control.

There are 26 countries in the Schengen area, including Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Finland, and Sweden.

If you are not from a country that is a member of the EU, obtaining Spanish citizenship will allow you to appreciate the benefits of the EU.

This includes having access to universal healthcare in all EU countries, being able to work in any EU country, and not being double taxed in your home country and your host country.

Finally, the Spanish passport has a reputation for being particularly powerful. This is because it allows access to so many other countries, making it easier for people to live and work all across Europe with a Spanish passport.

One drawback of getting Spanish citizenship is the fact that it costs money.

Not everyone can afford to pay the various fees included in the Spanish nationality application process, and some people would rather spend their money on other things that they deem more important.

Another potential drawback is the fact that it is very difficult to have dual citizenship when you apply for Spanish citizenship.

It is not easy for people to decide to renounce their current citizenship, and this can be quite an emotional thing to do. Some people would prefer to get a passport in a country that allows dual nationality.

It could be argued that Spanish residency allows you to integrate into Spain just as well as citizenship, as you can still live and work in the country, as long as you renew your residence permit every five years.

Though you are not able to vote, this is not a problem for some people, so Spanish nationality does not appeal to them.

Finally, the process of getting citizenship can be stressful. It isn’t always easy to find the information you want, and this can make it difficult to fill out a convincing application.

It also requires plenty of patience, as you may have to wait two years before you are considered a Spanish citizen.