POSTERN

Spain

Two-year naturalisation for Ibero-American and related nationalities. Nationals of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin can naturalise after 2 years of legal residence instead of the usual 10.

Free, with the law behind every answer

Two-year naturalisation for Ibero-American and related nationalities

Spanish citizenship directly, once the naturalisation decree is granted (no separate residence-permit step beyond the 2 years of prior legal residence).

Who qualifies

  • Two years of legal, continuous residence in Spain immediately before applying, for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, or Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin.
    Código Civil, Art. 22
  • Passing the DELE A2 Spanish-language exam (waived for native Spanish speakers from qualifying countries) and the CCSE exam on Spanish constitutional and civic knowledge.
    Instituto Cervantes — DELE and CCSE for Spanish nationality
  • Good civic conduct and a clean criminal record in Spain and the country of origin.
    Código Civil, Art. 22

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

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Not on these numbers.

Two-year naturalisation for Ibero-American and related nationalities is only for citizens of certain countries, and US is not one.

Options that fit your family →

Not legal advice.

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What it takes.

Time
1–3 years for the naturalisation decision once the 2-year residence is complete, given Ministry of Justice backlogs.
Cost
About $300–700 in application fees, exam fees and certified documents.
The hard part
Accumulating 2 unbroken years of legal residence first — this option only starts the clock once you already hold a residence permit such as the non-lucrative or digital-nomad visa.
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Citizens by 2030.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

  1. 2027
    Residence begins

    No permit term of its own; the clock runs on legal residence.

  2. 2029
    Apply for citizenship

    With a language test and a civics test.

  3. 2030
    Citizenship

    The decision usually takes 12 months.

Language
Spanish at A2, the DELE A2 exam run by the Instituto Cervantes. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt.
Civics
The CCSE, an Instituto Cervantes multiple-choice test on the Constitution and Spanish society and culture. Everyone takes it, including Spanish speakers.
Time away
Residence must be legal, continuous and immediately before the application. The Civil Code sets no day count; a long break in residence or a lapse in permit can restart the clock.
Two passports
It depends on the rules at the time and on your home country.
  • Not a permit: two years of legal residence on any permit, then the nationality application; Spanish speakers skip the DELE but still sit the CCSE, and these nationals keep their old passport.
  • Whether you can keep your current citizenship depends on the rules at the time and your home country.
The law behind these dates
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Living there.

Time you must spend there
The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax
Naturalisation itself has no direct tax effect; Spanish tax residence depends on days present and centre of economic interests as with any resident.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

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Start today.

  1. File the naturalisation application with the Ministry of Justice once 2 years of legal residence are complete.Open mjusticia.gob.es ↗
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Postern can’t run this for you yet.

The official application forms, submission and recovery specification are not complete. Postern cannot run this application yet.

Options open to you today →
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ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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