Full List: Spain Publishes 4 Official Routes Foreigners Can Use to Get Spanish Citizenship
- Spain's government has confirmed four distinct pathways through which foreign nationals can acquire Spanish citizenship through naturalisation
- The routes cover family ties, exceptional service, legal residency, and long-term use of Spanish nationality in good faith
- Applications are open to anyone above the age of 14, with legal representation available for those under 18
Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!
Spain has officially outlined four routes through which foreign nationals, including those from outside the European Union, can obtain Spanish citizenship through naturalisation.
The Spanish government confirmed that all four pathways ultimately lead to registration in the Spanish Civil Register, which then entitles the holder to apply for a Spanish national identity card and passport.
Source: Getty Images
Applications are open to individuals above the age of 14. Those under 18 may proceed with the assistance of a legal representative.
The 4 routes to Spanish citizenship
1. Spanish citizenship by option
The first route is acquisition by option, which covers individuals with close family ties to Spanish citizens.
Those who are or have been under the parental authority of a Spanish national, individuals whose mother or father was Spanish and born in Spain, and adopted persons aged over 18 are all eligible.
Procedurally, applications are handled through Civil Registers and require documentary evidence of the relevant family connection.
Two additional procedures fall under this route. Law 52/200, known as the Historical Memory Law, extended eligibility to descendants of Spaniards forced into exile during the Civil War and the Franco dictatorship.
Law 20/2022 on Democratic Memory further widened the criteria to include individuals born outside Spain to parents or grandparents who were originally Spanish but lost or renounced their nationality due to persecution based on political, ideological, religious, or sexual orientation grounds.
2. Spanish citizenship by discretionary conferral
The second route is discretionary conferral, granted by Royal Decree on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must demonstrate exceptional circumstances in areas such as culture, sport, science, or humanitarian service.
A separate procedure under this route applies specifically to Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin under Law 12/2015, which requires documentary proof of Sephardic heritage and a demonstrable connection to Spain.
3. Residency route most accessible for Non-EU nationals
The third route, acquisition by residency, is the most widely used. It requires continuous, legally valid residency in Spain for a period that varies according to the applicant's nationality and personal circumstances.
Only residency permits issued under immigration legislation count towards the required period, and the residency must have been uninterrupted and legally valid immediately before submitting the application.
4. Citizenship by possession of status
The fourth route is acquisition by possession of status, a relatively rare option. It applies to individuals who have openly used Spanish nationality in good faith for at least 10 years, even if that nationality record is subsequently annulled in the Civil Register.
Eligibility criteria across all four routes are broad. Foreign nationals of any background may pursue the residency route, making it the most accessible option for Africans and other non-EU citizens who are legally living and working in Spain.
The Spanish government assesses each application individually based on the specific circumstances presented.
Source: YEN.com.gh
