Spanish nationality by residence: two-year route for Latin Americans

Spanish nationality by residence is how a foreign national living legally in Spain becomes a Spanish citizen. If you are a national by origin of Argentina, Peru, Colombia or another Ibero-American country, the Civil Code asks for two years of legal, continuous residence instead of the standard ten. The application goes to the Ministry of Justice and is filed through its online portal.

Who qualifies for Spanish nationality by residence after two years

Article 22.1 of the Spanish Civil Code sets the general rule at ten years of residence. It drops to five years for recognised refugees and to two years for nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews. Pay attention to the words by origin: if your Latin American nationality is not the one you were born with, check your case before counting on the short period.

Article 22.3 adds the condition people ask about most: in every case, residence must be legal, continuous and immediately prior to the application. In practice, what proves that residence is your TIE residence card, which the application asks for alongside your passport. The clock that matters for nationality is legal residence, so the residence permit has to come first.

Requirements for Spanish nationality by residence

Beyond the time requirement, article 22.4 asks you to show good civic conduct and a sufficient degree of integration into Spanish society. Royal Decree 1004/2015 spells out which document proves each point.

Every file is different. The Ministry can ask you for additional documents along the way, and the rules can change. Check the current list on the online portal before you file.

CCSE and DELE exams: who is exempt

The CCSE is the test of constitutional and sociocultural knowledge of Spain, written by the Instituto Cervantes. Under Royal Decree 1004/2015, sixty percent of its questions cover the Constitution and forty percent cover Spanish culture, history and society. The Cervantes publishes a preparation manual and a free practice app called CCSE Nacionalidad Española.

The DELE is the diploma of Spanish as a foreign language, and nationality requires at least level A2. Here is the good news for this reader: article 6.5 of the same decree exempts from the DELE the nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. That exemption does not cover the CCSE. You still have to sit and pass it.

As of November 2026, the Cervantes opens registration for the 2027 CCSE sessions on 23 November, with a session every month except August and December. Registration and payment run through its online shop, which shows the current price. People who cannot read or write, or who have learning difficulties, can request a waiver of the tests through the Ministry of Justice portal.

Home country documents: apostille and criminal record

From your home country you need two documents: your birth certificate and your criminal record certificate. The Ministry of Justice warns that legalising foreign documents is an essential condition for them to be accepted, and that getting it right avoids follow-up requests.

Argentina, Peru and Colombia are all parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, as is Spain. That makes life easier: instead of a chain of diplomatic legalisations, a single apostille stamp and signature on the document is enough, obtained in the country that issued it. The certificates are already in Spanish, so translation does not come into it.

A practical tip: request the certificates when everything else is nearly ready, and check on the portal how recent they need to be. Scan every page in full, with the apostille clearly legible, because the online application requires everything to be uploaded.

How to file for Spanish nationality by residence

1. Get a digital certificate and install AutoFirma. The Ministry of Justice portal needs both to sign the application.
2. Pass the CCSE. If you do not attach the result, the form lets you authorise a direct check of your record with the Instituto Cervantes.
3. Gather your full passport, TIE, and apostilled birth and criminal record certificates.
4. Pay the fee with form 790 code 026 before you file. Each printed form carries a unique number, so never photocopy one to reuse it.
5. Create the application on the portal, upload your documents and sign. You have two months from creating the draft to submit it, after which it is deleted automatically.
6. Keep the receipt with its registry number and follow your file. The portal shows which stage it is at, and official notices arrive through the DEHú electronic notification address.

A representative holding a mandate or power of attorney can also file for you. Be wary of anyone who promises a date. Royal Decree 1004/2015 sets a maximum of one year to decide and notify, and if that time passes with no express decision, the application is deemed refused.

What Spanish nationality by residence costs and how to move the money

As of November 2026, the application fee is 104.05 euros, according to the Ministry of Justice, which notes the amount can be revised under each year's Budget Act. You pay it with form 790 code 026, in your own name even if someone else pays, and the receipt goes in with the application.

Then come the costs the Ministry does not set: certificates and apostilles back home, CCSE registration in the Cervantes shop and, at the end, the DNI and passport fees. Check each amount at its source on the day you pay.

One thing people forget: the certificates are paid for back home, while the fee is paid in Spain, in euros. If part of the money comes from savings in your home country, plan the transfer with some slack. With BNKA you can see how each corridor works from Argentina, Peru and Colombia, and how to send and receive money so the funds are ready in Spain. If some of those savings are held in dollars, the dollar account page explains that side.

Dual nationality with Argentina, Peru and Colombia

Article 23 of the Civil Code sets three conditions for the acquisition to be valid: swearing or promising loyalty to the King and obedience to the Constitution and the law, declaring that you renounce your previous nationality, and registering the acquisition in the Spanish Civil Registry. The renunciation has an express exception for people from the countries named in article 24.1, which include the Ibero-American countries.

Spain also has a nationality agreement with each of the three countries, published in the BOE and later amended by a protocol.

The agreements cover registration in the country whose nationality you acquire and which country's law applies depending on where you live. How your home country records your new nationality is something its consulate confirms.

After approval: oath, DNI and passport

A favourable decision does not make you Spanish yet. Article 21.4 of the Civil Code says the grant lapses 180 days after notification if you do not meet the article 23 requirements before the competent official.

1. Oath or promise: taken before the Civil Registry officer or before a notary, who sends the deed to the Registry.
2. Registration in the Spanish Civil Registry: this is what records the acquisition.
3. DNI: for a first DNI as a naturalised citizen, the National Police ask for a full birth certificate from the Civil Registry issued for DNI purposes no more than six months earlier, a municipal registration certificate under three months old, a recent photo, and your TIE with its NIE number. You book an appointment first.
4. Passport: with your DNI in force, you go in person with a recent photo and pay the fee at the office or online.

Bring copies of everything to each appointment. Not every office has a photocopier, and one missing paper means booking again. More guides for life in Spain are on the blog.

Official sources

• Spanish Civil Code, articles 21 to 24 (BOE)
• Royal Decree 1004/2015 on the residence nationality procedure (BOE)
• Ministry of Justice: nationality by residence
• Ministry of Justice online portal: application
• Ministry of Justice: notice on legalisation and apostille
• Instituto Cervantes: CCSE exam
• Spain and Argentina nationality agreement (BOE)
• Spain and Peru dual nationality agreement (BOE)
• Spain and Colombia nationality agreement (BOE)
• National Police: first DNI

Worth stating plainly: BNKA is a technology platform. Financial services are provided by regulated partner institutions, and the terms in force for any given operation live in the app and in the terms and conditions.

This is not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.