When can I apply for Spanish nationality?

Choose the residence rule that applies to you and enter the date your legal residence began to see the date you reach the required years.

Work out your date

Which rule applies to you?

None of the groups below (the general rule) (10 years, Art. 22.1)Recognised refugee (5 years, Art. 22.1)National of origin of an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, or Sephardic (2 years, Art. 22.1)Born in Spanish territory (1 year, Art. 22.2.a)Did not exercise the right to opt for nationality in time (1 year, Art. 22.2.b)Legally under the guardianship, curatorship with full powers of representation, custody or fostering of a Spanish citizen or institution for two consecutive years (1 year, Art. 22.2.c)Married to a Spaniard and not legally or de facto separated (1 year, Art. 22.2.d)Widow or widower of a Spaniard, with no separation at the time of death (1 year, Art. 22.2.e)Born outside Spain to a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish (1 year, Art. 22.2.f)

Date your legal residence in Spain began

Before you rely on the date

The residence must be legal, continuous and immediately before the application (Art. 22.3). Source: BOE: Código Civil, articles 5 and 22.

la residencia habrá de ser legal, continuada e inmediatamente anterior a la petición

Count from the date your legal residence began. If you are unsure which date that is, or you spent long periods abroad, ask a lawyer.

Sources

BOE: Código Civil, articles 5 and 22

Last checked 26 October 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice.