Articles
Obtain Citizenship in Spain
Updated on Friday 26th March 2021 Rate this article
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Foreign investors or natural persons who want to relocate in Spain and obtain a citizenship here have to know the local requirements imposed by the Spanish authorities. In order to obtain a citizenship in Spain, the person applying for it must have an age above 18 years old; it is also necessary to have lived in Spain for a period of 10 years, if the person is a foreign national. Still, several exemptions are allowed under specific situations, which can be presented by our team of Spanish company formation specialists.
Apply for Spanish citizenship in 2021
As a foreigner applying for citizenship, it is necessary to be a resident of the country for at least 10 years. The citizenship can also be obtained if the foreigner marries a Spanish citizen or if the person has parents that are considered Spanish citizens.
An important aspect is that the local legislation requires having a good understanding on the local culture, but also to be able to speak the Spanish language.
There are two ways of obtaining the citizenship in Spain:
• by option;
• via residence.
Persons are entitled to apply for a citizenship by option if the individual is the child of a Spanish citizen; at the same time, adopted children of Spanish citizens, who, at the moment of the adoption had an age above 18 years old, can apply for this type of permit.
The Spanish citizenship can also be obtained by a foreign person who has been living in Spain for five or ten years. Five years is the time period required for refugees, while a period of ten years is applicable to nationals from countries such as Andorra or Portugal; our team of Spanish company formation agents can offer more details.
The legislation on immigration in Spain for 2021 states that persons who want to become Spanish citizens by naturalization will first have to become permanent residents. One can become a permanent resident after having lived here for 5 years, this being a compulsory requirement in the long process of becoming a citizen. Please mind that the application can be finalized in a period of 2-3 years in general, but one can go through this process in a shorter period of time, of 1.5 years.
Spanish nationality
The main body processing citizenships applications is the Civil Registry, to which persons can address to in the place of residence. Spanish nationality is given to persons who have registered their citizenship at the Civil Registry for a period of at least ten years. It is important to know that those granted Spanish nationality shall not lose this distinction even in the situation in which the record of the Civil Registry is annulled.
Persons who need more information on the Spanish citizenship can address to our team of company formation representatives.
Meet us in Madrid and Barcelona
Call us now at +34 915 36 78 06 or +34 938 074 056 to set up an appointment with Federico Richardson, one of our specialists in company formation in Madrid and Barcelona. Alternatively you can incorporate your company without traveling to Spain.
As a Lexidy Law Boutique SLP client, you will benefit from the joint expertize of local lawyers and international consultants. Together we will be able to offer you the specialized help you require for your business start-up in Spain.
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