Eligibility quiz
Were you born in Spain?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Spanish passport and ID
Spanish citizens can have a passport and identity card.
The identity card normally lasts 2 years under age 5, 5 years from age 5 to under 30, 10 years from 30 to under 70, and indefinitely after 70.
The passport normally lasts 2 years under age 5, 5 years under 30 and 10 years from age 30.
Live in Spain for life
Spanish citizens can enter, live and remain in Spain without a time limit, even after living abroad, and do not need to renew the right to live there.
Study in Spain
Spanish citizens can study in Spain.
Work in Spain
Spanish citizens can work in Spain for an employer or for themselves without an immigration or work permit.
Get help abroad
Spanish citizens can seek help from Spain when abroad.
Outside the EU, if Spain has no embassy or consulate, another EU country’s embassy or consulate can help with problems such as arrest, serious illness, a lost passport or emergency travel home.
Vote and run for office
Spanish citizens can vote and run for office, including in national elections, when they meet the rules.
Those living abroad can register with a consulate to help them vote in Spanish elections.
Those living in another EU country can vote and stand in local and European Parliament elections there on the same terms as its citizens.
Use public healthcare
Spanish citizens who usually live in Spain can generally use publicly funded healthcare, though citizenship alone does not make every treatment free.
Receive benefits and pensions
Spanish citizens may receive social security benefits and pensions if they meet the relevant conditions, which can include contributions, residence or financial need.
How to apply
Applying onlineApplying online
Get electronic identification
Get a digital certificate, Cl@ve Permanente or Cl@ve PIN to identify yourself when you apply online for Spanish nationality by residence.
Get electronic identificationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get electronic identification to apply online for nacionalidad española por residencia in Spain?”
Download the fee form
Download a fresh copy of form 790-026 to pay the application fee. Do not photocopy the form, as each one has its own code.
Get the fee formFill in the fee form
Fill in form 790-026 with the applicant's details. The payment must be in the applicant's name.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in form 790-026 for nacionalidad española por residencia in Spain?”
Pay the application fee
Pay the fee before you submit the application and keep the receipt. If you have a NIE or DNI, you can pay in person at a bank in Spain using form 790-026.
Find payment optionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the 790-026 fee for nacionalidad española por residencia in Spain?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your online application.
See required documentsFill in the application
Start a new online application for nacionalidad española por residencia, choose who is applying and complete the details. You can apply for yourself if you are 18 or older or legally independent; if you are over 14, your legal representative assists you, and if you are under 14, your legal representative applies for you.
Start the applicationSubmit your application
Upload your documents and payment receipt, then sign and submit the application within two months of starting it; save your receipt and case number. You can also submit the application on paper through an authorised registration office.
Submit your applicationWait for the decision
Follow your application's progress online and respond if the office asks questions or requests more documents.
Check your applicationFind your civil register
Once approved, find the civil register for the address shown in your decision. You may use a different address if you provide a registration certificate showing you registered there before the decision.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which civil register in your city handles the oath and registration for nacionalidad española por residencia in Spain?”
Register your citizenship
Within 180 days of being notified of approval, go to the civil register to complete the required declaration and have your citizenship registered. If you are over 14 and able to make a declaration, swear or promise loyalty to the King and obedience to Spain's Constitution and laws, and declare that you renounce your previous nationality unless an exception applies; once registered, you can apply for a Spanish passport.
Arrange your registrationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I arrange the oath and civil registration after approval of nacionalidad española por residencia in Spain?”
Documents needed
Required to applyRequired to apply
Birth certificates
Get your Spanish birth certificate to show you were born in Spain. Also provide your birth certificate from your country of origin, as required by the application checklist.
Copy of your passport
Provide a copy of your complete, valid passport and, if needed to cover your period of residence, your previous passport. If you do not have the previous passport, you can provide an employment history, a school attendance certificate for a child, or other proof that you lived continuously in Spain.
Application form
Use the Spanish citizenship by residence application form. You can complete it online or submit the signed paper form.
DELE language certificate *
Provide your DELE Spanish language certificate. Get it from the test provider.
* Only if you are 18 or older and Spanish is not your first language.
Police certificate *
Get a police certificate from your country of origin. It must be valid when you apply; if it has no expiry date, it is valid for six months from the date it was issued.
* Only if you are 18 or older.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationCCSE test certificate *
Provide your CCSE test certificate. Get it from the test provider.
* Only if you are 18 or older.
Proof of representation *
Provide the document showing that the person applying for you can represent you. This may be proof of their legal role or a mandate or power of attorney authorising them to act for you.
* Only if someone applies on your behalf.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Citizenship can be lost
Abroad, emancipated citizens risk loss three years after gaining or solely using another citizenship without declaring they want to keep it; exceptions apply.
Those born and living abroad to a Spanish parent also born abroad risk loss without that declaration within three years of adulthood or emancipation.
Citizens not Spanish by origin risk loss for fraud, prohibited foreign service or office, or solely using a citizenship they gave up.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Ciudadania española, cordoba (argentina)
Spanish Facebook group for people interested in Spanish citizenship
Request to joinCiudadanía española desde Mendoza
Spanish Facebook group for people interested in Spanish citizenship
Request to joinCiudadania española en Rosario (Argentina)
Spanish Facebook group for people interested in Spanish citizenship
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
Adavia doesn't provide advice, but we're building a directory of professionals who do. If you'd like, we can notify you when help is available.
Updated