How many years do I need to live in Spain to apply for Spanish citizenship?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Spanish law requires 10 years of legal, continuous residence immediately before you apply for citizenship by residence. It is 5 years for refugees and 2 years for nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and for Sephardi applicants. One year is enough in some cases, including marriage to a Spaniard.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
General rule	10 years of residence	Código Civil, art. 22.1
Refugees	5 years	Código Civil, art. 22.1
Nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and Sephardi applicants	2 years	Código Civil, art. 22.1
Born in Spain; married to a Spaniard for 1 year and not separated; widow or widower of a Spaniard; born abroad to a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish; and other listed cases	1 year	Código Civil, art. 22.2
What kind of residence counts	Legal, continuous and immediately before the application	Código Civil, art. 22.3
Other conditions	Good civic conduct and sufficient integration into Spanish society	Código Civil, art. 22.4
Who decides	The Minister of Justice, who can refuse for reasoned grounds of public order or national interest	Código Civil, art. 21.2

The residence periods

The Civil Code sets the clock. The general rule is 10 years. Refugees need 5. Nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and Sephardi applicants, need 2.

One year is enough for:

people born in Spain;
people who didn’t use their right to opt for Spanish nationality in time;
people legally under the guardianship, foster care or custody of a Spanish citizen or institution for two consecutive years;
people who, when they apply, have been married to a Spaniard for one year and are not legally or de facto separated;
widows and widowers of a Spaniard, if they weren’t separated when the spouse died;
people born outside Spain to a father, mother, grandfather or grandmother who was originally Spanish.

What “legal, continuous and immediately before” means for you

The law says the residence must be legal, continuous and immediately before the application in every case (Código Civil, art. 22.3). The regulation repeats that the applicant must prove legal residence in Spain for the periods and with the requirements set in the Civil Code (Real Decreto 1004/2015, art. 2). For the marriage case, a spouse living with a Spanish diplomat or consul posted abroad counts as legally resident in Spain.

Years are not the only test

You must also prove good civic conduct and a sufficient degree of integration into Spanish society (Código Civil, art. 22.4). The Minister of Justice grants citizenship by residence and can refuse it for reasoned grounds of public order or national interest (art. 21.2). A grant or a refusal can be taken to the administrative courts (art. 22.5).

Which exams prove integration: the DELE A2 Spanish exam and the CCSE test (Ley 19/2015, final provision 7).
Whether you must give up your current citizenship: Código Civil, art. 23.

Sources

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.