Citizenship
Make Spain Officially Yours
After years of building a life here, Spanish citizenship gives you a full Spanish passport, EU rights, and no more residency renewals. We prepare your file, coordinate your language and culture exams, and guide you through to your swearing-in.
Bureaucracy is an independent private service, not affiliated with or acting on behalf of the Spanish Government.
The Facts
Residency Required
10 years for most applicants; as little as 1-2 years for some nationalities and family situations (see below)
Exams
CCSE and DELE from the Instituto Cervantes — many applicants qualify for exemptions
Key Benefit
A full Spanish passport, EU freedom of movement, voting rights, and no more permit renewals
How Long Do You Need to Have Lived in Spain?
If you're from an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, or Portugal — or are of Sephardic origin
Your required residency period is just 2 years, not 10. You're also exempt from renouncing your original nationality when you swear allegiance — you can hold both.
| Residency required | Who it applies to |
|---|---|
| 10 years | Most applicants |
| 5 years | Recognized refugees |
| 2 years | Ibero-American, Andorran, Filipino, Equatorial Guinean, or Portuguese nationals; people of Sephardic origin |
| 1 year | Born in Spain; didn't exercise the right to Spanish nationality by option in time; under legal guardianship of a Spanish citizen or institution for 2 consecutive years; married to a Spanish citizen for at least 1 year and not separated; widowed from a Spanish citizen (if not separated at the time of death); born abroad to a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish |
You'll also need to show good civic conduct and a sufficient degree of integration into Spanish society — this is assessed as part of your file, not a separate test.
| Long-Term Residence | Citizenship | |
|---|---|---|
| Time required | 5 years | 10 years (as little as 1-2 for some cases above) |
| Keep your original nationality | ✓ Yes | Depends — exempt if you fall into one of the categories above |
| Exams required | No | CCSE and DELE (with exemptions) |
| Document | Renewable residence card | Full Spanish passport |
| Voting rights | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| View Long-Term Residence | Check My Eligibility |
The Process
How It Works
Four clear steps from your first check to your swearing-in — managed through your dashboard.
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01
We Confirm Your Path and Timeline
We check which residency requirement applies to you — 10 years, or one of the shorter paths above — and calculate exactly where you stand.
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02
We Prepare Your Documents and Exams
Your file needs a legalized and translated birth certificate, a legalized and translated criminal record certificate from your country of origin, and — unless you qualify for an exemption — the CCSE and DELE exams from the Instituto Cervantes. We check your exemption eligibility first (Spanish-speaking-country nationals and ESO diploma holders often qualify) before assuming you need to sit either exam.
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03
We File Your Application
We pay the €104.05 government fee and submit your complete file. If anything needs correcting, Spanish law gives you 3 months to fix it — we track that deadline closely, since missing it means your application is considered withdrawn.
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04
Your Swearing-In and Registration
Once approved, you have 180 days to appear in person before the Civil Registry to swear or promise allegiance to the Constitution, formally renounce your prior nationality (unless you're exempt), and register your new nationality. This final step has to be completed by you in person — we prepare you for it and make sure you know exactly what to expect.
Why Bureaucracy Is Different
We combine expert case management with a digital dashboard to keep your path to citizenship clear, structured, and stress-free — as an independent private service working on your behalf, not the government's.
Many applicants don't realize they're exempt from the DELE exam, or qualify for a 2-year residency path instead of 10. We check this before assuming you need the long route.
Your birth certificate and criminal record certificate both need to be legalized and translated correctly — a common source of delay. We handle the full chain, included in your flat fee.
If the Ministry requests a correction, you have exactly 3 months to respond, or your case is closed. We monitor this deadline so it never catches you off guard.
Every document, message, and milestone lives in one place, so you always know what's done and what's still needed.
Manage Your Entire Visa Journey in One Place
Manage documents, track progress, communicate with your case manager, and stay organised throughout your application process.
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Application Progress Tracking
See exactly where you are in the process, what's been completed, and what actions may be required next.
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Secure Document Uploads
Upload and store your application documents securely in one central location.
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Personalised Task List
Receive a checklist tailored to your visa type and application stage.
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Direct Communication
Stay connected with your case manager and receive important updates through your dashboard.
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Everything in One Place
Keep your documents, messages, tasks, and application progress organised in a single platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally yes — the CCSE (a test on Spanish constitutional and cultural knowledge) and the DELE (Spanish language proficiency), both from the Instituto Cervantes. You may be exempt from the DELE if you're a national of a Spanish-speaking country, and you may not need to separately request an exemption if you hold a Spanish ESO diploma — you can simply submit it instead.
It depends on where you're from. If you're a national of an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, or Portugal, or of Sephardic origin — or your country has a dual-nationality treaty with Spain — you can keep your original nationality. Otherwise, renunciation is generally required as part of the swearing-in step.
This has two separate clocks: the residency period you need before applying (10 years for most, shorter for some cases above), and the processing time after you apply, which typically runs in the range of 12-18 months but is ultimately set by the Ministry of Justice, not by Bureaucracy.
You have 180 days to appear in person before the Civil Registry to swear or promise allegiance, renounce your prior nationality where required, and register your new nationality. This step can't be completed on your behalf — it has to be you, in person.
By law, you get 3 months to correct or complete your file once notified. If that window passes without a response, your application is treated as withdrawn — this is exactly the kind of deadline we track closely on your behalf.
No. Long-term residence takes 5 years and lets you keep your original nationality, but your card still needs periodic renewal. Citizenship takes longer for most people but gives you a full Spanish passport with no further renewals. Many clients pursue long-term residence first and citizenship later.
Get the 2026 Spanish Citizenship Document & Exam Checklist
Everything you'll need — documents, exam exemptions, and the residency paths that apply to your situation.
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Our service fee for this pathway includes the government processing fee (€104.05) and required document translations.
Carlos is an AI assistant. For critical decisions, always verify with an official source or speak to an advisor.