Spanish citizenship by marriage

lucia lagunas reyes - Our Spanish citizenship by marriage lawyer expert

How to Get Spanish Citizenship By Marriage?

Obtaining Spanish citizenship by marriage is possible. You get citizenship rights, a passport, and the option to maintain permanent residency if you lived in Spain. Citizenship by birthright can happen if you were born in Spain, and your parents are Spanish. As a legitimate citizen of Spain you have voting rights. The Spanish Civil Code is set up to allow one to vote in Spanish elections, to move freely around the country, and even to work within the EU. Foreigners who have lived in Spain for ten years are allowed Spanish citizenship because of the fact they have lived in Spain.

In order to begin acquiring spanish nationality immigration lawyers have to be consulted. Marrying someone with Spanish citizenship gives you Spanish citizenship. You become a Spanish citizen because you have residency in Spain for one year but only if you marry a Spaniard. You do not need to wait 10-years to officially apply for Spanish citizenship. Spanish citizenship obtained in a legal fashion can bring many expanded career opportunities, lifestyle changes, and the education of your children if you have them. You have to seek the opportunity to have legal residence in Spain.

Entitlement to obtain Spanish nationality by marriage?

Spanish citizenship by marriage

These days you only obtain Spanish citizenship by living in a Spanish territory for a year with your spouse, offering proof of cohabitation for a whole calendar year. Spanish citizenship in three years can be obtained by marriage if you want to become a Spanish national as a foreigner regardless of country of origin. You also become an eu citizen as Spain is part of the European Union. Having earned Spanish citizenship, you will be given a Spanish residence permit, passport and ID card with work authorization included. It becomes possible to maintain dual citizenship because you have succeeded at living in Spain with your spouse for a year.

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It used to be that Spanish citizenship was conferred on someone when they managed to become a citizenship upon marrying a Spaniard. This is how you apply for spanish citizenship today, by looking into required documents. Required documentation is necessary for the Ministry of Justice to evaluate what necessary requirements you have attained to become a Spanish citizen. If you are not initially a Spanish speaker, you have to pass the CCSE and DELE exams. The CCSE exam is the Constitutional and Sociocultural Aspects of Spain also called (Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España).

There are multiple parts to this test including Spanish government, law and citizenship. There is also the Spanish culture, history and society portion. This exam is available the last Thursday of every month, except the months of August and December. Each correct answer is one point. Results are obtained within 20 days. You have to have lived in the spanish territory of choice for a year to become a full-fledged Spanish citizen. You get a full passport and a birth certificate of your spouse and the main applicant. You have to pass a criminal background check.

How to accredit Spanish nationality by marriage?

marriage spanish citizenship

Both partners must be registered in the town hall with proof provided of continual coexistence for a year. If you marry outside of Spain, it must be a marriage registered in Spain before the legal application procedure is put together. To have citizenship in spain, you have to make sure that you have lived there for one year with your spouse. You cannot have a civil union or a “pareja de hecho” or be a divorced couple, therefore you must be legally married. You also have to prove a certain element of integration with the Spanish culture. You have to prove you can make money such as € 800 per month

Spanish citizenship requirements?

All foreign documentation must be made valid legally in Spain. A Spanish nationality takes two years to be fully documented and processed although the attempt to earn documented citizenship in Spain can be expedited, because a response time is factored into were you live in Spain, taking months after registration is filed and submitted. The application fee is 100€ (Please contact us for the exact price, taxes vary from year to year.) which is nonrefundable. If your application is successful, you need to swear loyalty and take a pledge of allegiance to the King, promising to follow the Spanish constitution including its laws.

In order to successfully get the application through, you have to prove you share an address with your spouse. You also have to submit your marriage certificate with your marriage being formally registered in Spain. What your spouse gets is a citizenship by marriage, although the finalization of this process requires a marriage certificate, a complete passport, NIE, both parties’ birth certificates, a receipt for payment of the application process, current census and historic pardon, current residency permit, any evidence of criminal record, DELE A2, and CCSE certificate. And lastly, it is required to have a document referring to your current financial status.

This is all that is needed to obtain citizenship by marriage. It is not that hard to get citizenship by marriage if you live in Spain, in the same territory for a year and can prove you can make money. Being a Spanish speaker is necessary to prove you can handle the culture and the vote that you get obtaining citizenship by marriage. The United States allows for dual nationality, unless you are from Spanish-American country such as Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, or are a Sephardic Jew. You could also get Spanish citizenship as the widower or widow of a Spaniard, although you have to be married before the spouse dies.

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The main requirement to get Spanish citizenship

spanish citizenship for marriage

The main requirement to get Spanish citizenship is to reside in Spain for a year while cohabitating with your spouse. Spain requires you give up your other nationality to gain full Spanish citizenship unless you come from a Spanish mother with Spanish citizenship, in which case you retain dual nationality. If you are born to parents with Spanish nationality, you get Spanish citizenship by parentage. You becoming a national because of your parent’s citizenship statuts, in particular if they already live in Spain.

If you are born to non-Spanish parents with at least one parent born in Spain. Some by birth with non-Spanish parents have Spanish citizenship if both have no nationality, thus being a stateless person. A form needs to be submitted at the local Civil Registry near your place of residence can have Spanish nationality conferred on them. There is more than one way to obtain spanish citizenship. Children under the age of 18 who are adopted by a spanish national are considered of Spanish origin, and are able to apply for citizenship within two years after the legalization of adoption.

Spanish nationality is not lost when the Civil Registry has it annulled for whatever reason. There needs to be proven an active attitude of possession of Spanish nationality, which essentially means you must consider yourself Spanish. Having a parent who is a citizen of Spain means that the child has Spanish citizenship conferred to them in an automatic way. If your mother is Spanish, you have Spanish citizenship. If you are born in Spain, you also have Spanish citizenship. Nationality by residence involves living in Spain for more than one year. Refugees need to have residency in Spain for five years.

Other situations to obtain Spanish nationality

Other situations are two years for those from Ibero-American countries. One year of residency is for those born in Spanish territory, people who have not chosen to use their right to Spanish citizenship, by option. Those who have been married to a spanish national for one year, without being legally separated or having a common law separation. However, Spanish nationality can be lost if a citizen of Spain resides abroad using a nationality other than a Spanish one. Some Spanish citizenship can be voluntarily renounced.

citizenship by marriage in spain

Being born in a country other than Spain and reaching the legal age, while you do not declare your wish to preserve your Spanish nationality, can mean you can lose your Spanish citizenship. However, Spanish nationality can be recovered by being a legal resident of Spain before the Registrar of the Civil Registry. To recover a Spanish nationality, one must go to Spanish consulates abroad to deal with any and all citizenship issues. If a marriage dissolves, the partnership is no longer considered legal and the parties applying for Spanish citizenship can lose it. The act of being able to obtain spanish citizenship is really easy if you marry a Spanish person.

Spanish natinoality cannot be lost if you have a Spanish parent. Losing Spanish nationality can occur through divorce, enter the Armed Forces in another State, or proof is found that fraud was utilized to gain a Spanish nationality. Spanish nationality can be recovered if hte person is a legal resident of Spain, althogh this does not apply to children of emigrants. Interest in recovering Spanish nationality must be declared in front of the Consulate where the recovery of nationality must be registered and documented. You have to show both passports to use Dual Citizenship to its fullest. You have to show both passports when entering either Spain or the US.

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FAQ Spanish citizenship by Marriage

Can I get residency in Spain if I marry a Spanish citizen?

If you can obtain Spanish residency if you marry a Spaniard. You will need to demonstrate that you have some requirements such as a private health insurance… We can help you through the whole process.

If you have any doubts you can leave a comment or ask us a question about your situation.

39 thoughts on “Spanish citizenship by marriage

  1. Erika |

    I am married to a Spaniard, can I obtain Spanish nationality? We do not live in Spain.

    1. My Spain Visa |

      Yes, you can obtain the Spanish nationality if you reside in Spain for one year and you have a good level of Spanish. If you are interested we can help you in the whole process.

  2. Sam |

    I am married to a Spanish woman and we are thinking of moving to Spain, we are currently living in Singapore, how can we get the Spanish nationality?

    1. My Spain Visa |

      You first need to live in Spain for one year in order to apply for Spanish nationality by marriage. We can help you through the whole process to obtain the residence as an EU family member.

  3. Sooraj |

    We got married in the United Kingdom. My wife is a spaniard and we work and live in London, UK. Is it possible to get Spanish citizenship without living inside Spain.

    1. My Spain Visa |

      You cannot obtain Spanish nationality by marriage if you have not lived in Spain for at least one year. Let me know if you need our help to obtain Spanish nationality by marriage.

  4. DANIEL ADAM |

    Hey there… I am romanian, living in Romania(EU citizen), my girlfriend is spanish. We want to get married in Spain.
    1. How long it will take to get citizenship as a EU-member married with another EU-member?
    2. Do I have double citizenship at the end of the process?

    1. My Spain Visa |

      The Spanish nationality only allows to obtain the double nationality with some countries, here you have the list of countries that allow the Dual Spanish Citizenship.

      Moreover, to obtain the Spanish nationality you have to get married and live in Spain for one year and learn Spanish.

  5. William Chin |

    I am a US citizen and my wife (married in US in 1990) is a Spanish citizen. We both live in the US though we have been in Spain a lot over the past year including for the last 76 days. How should I proceed to get a residence permit to avoid the 90-day rule?

    1. Anna |

      William,

      We can help you to obtain Spanish residency through marriage.

      Kind regards

  6. Dirk |

    Hi there,

    I am a Spanish Resident, but not a Spanish National. My gay partner is neither of the two.

    Can we get married in Spain, and if so, how does he obtain Residency (he is from a non EU Country.

    Thank you.

    1. Anna |

      Dirk,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about Spanish citizenship by marriage

      Regards,

  7. Louiza |

    Can my husband (English) get Spanish citizenship through me (Spanish) but we live in another EU country?

    1. Anna |

      Louiza,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about Spanish citizenship by marriage.

      Regards,

  8. Duke |

    I am about to be married to a spanish american with dual citizenship. We have a home in spain but it is only under her name. We plan to spend a portion of time there in the future and would have no problem spending 1 full year there in the next 10 years. Would I be able to apply for citizenship? Do I have to give up my american citizenship to do so?

    1. Anna |

      Duke,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about the Spanish citizenship by marriage.

      Regards,

  9. Jake Barrett |

    Hi Anna, My situation sounds exactly the same. what do I need to do? we have a daughter now also.

    Many thanks

    1. Anna |

      Jake,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about Spanish Citizenship by Marriage.

      Regards

  10. Asma |

    Hello, I am Palestinian and just got married to my Spanish husband in UAE. Can he apply for family reunion before the civil registry? Or the civil registry first?

  11. Nael |

    Hi,

    I am a Jordanian citizen married to a Spanish citizen since 2003, I have obtained a 3 years residence initially and proven to have lived in Spain already. Afterwards I received my permanent 10 years residency which expires in 2023.
    Although my wife is originally from south of Spain, we have already obtained a mirage certificate directly from Medrid.
    I would like to know what are the remining requirements for me to obtain the Spanish citizenship and how long would it take from the date of application.

    1. Anna |

      Nael,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about the Spanish citizenship by marriage.

      Regards,

  12. Andrew Watson |

    I am British, my wife is Spanish, we both live in Spain and have a daughter. We have been in Spain since 2017 but my company is based in the UK where I also pay taxes. What are my rights to stay and travel in and out of Spain after BREXIT (without a visa)? What paperwork do I need to have to show I’m legally here?
    Many thanks in advance.

    1. Anna |

      Andrew,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about spanish citizenship by marriage

      Regards,

    2. Austria Ulloa |

      Hello,
      I’m from Dominican Republic and my fiancé is Spanish, we are looking into getting married as soon as possible.
      We both live and work in the US with work visas. How or when could I apply for residency after we get married?
      Can we get married in the US and register the marriage to Spain?
      Thanks in advance!

      1. Anna |

        Austria,

        One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about Spanish citizenship by marriage.

        Regards,

  13. Sebastin |

    I am an Indian Citizen married to a Spanish citizen, what is the procedure to apply for a spouce
    visa or dependant visa to move to Spain? Can I apply from India?

    1. Anna |

      Sebastin,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about spanish citizenship by marriage

      Regards,

  14. Bashar |

    I am married to a spanish lady and we live together in Russia because she works in the Spanish consulate in St. Petersburg. Do I have the right to apply for Spanish Nationality or do we have to reside for a whole year in Spain?

    1. Anna |

      Bashar,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to answer your questions about Spanish citizenship by Marriage

      Regards,

  15. Isabel Contioso |

    Hello, I am Spanish and my husband is English and we live in the Uk-can he get Spanish citizenship without living in Spain for one whole year? Thanks, Isabel

    1. Anna |

      Isabel,

      You should live in Spain for one year and have your husband take several exams (Spanish and Spanish culture) to obtain Spanish nationality through marriage.

      Regards,

  16. Robert Wagstaff |

    My fiancé is in the middle of applying for residencia (SWE) and I want to marry her in Spain. I am UK (have NIE and we have income of €2500 without work. Can I marry her in and move to Spain when her residencia is complete?

    1. Anna |

      Robert,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to explain about obtaing de Spanish citizenship by marriage.

      Regards,

  17. Jordan Sellars |

    Could I be contacted by one of the layers for some advice on my situation please?

    1. Anna |

      Jordan,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to explain about the Spanish citizenship by Marriage.

      Regards,

  18. Zhaun |

    Hello, I am an UK citizen and currently live here in the UK with my Spanish partner. We want to move to Spain permanently together. We are due to be married in 2023, but want to move to Spain next year in 2022. Post Brexit, what are the options for me to do this?

    Many thanks,
    Zhaun

    1. Anna |

      Zhaun,

      One of our lawyers will contact you to explain about the Spanish Citizenship by Marriage.

      Regards,

  19. Anna |

    Hello Cosmin,

    one of our lawyers will be in touch with you shortly to answer your questions about Spanish Citizenship by Marriage.

    Regards

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