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Spain

Spain

Citizenship by Descent

Close to a hundred million Americans are eligible for Spanish citizenship by ancestry.

The program extends to those with a Spanish parent or grandparents and nationals from countries with a Spanish colonial past.

Spain also admits descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain during the inquisition to have their citizenship restored.

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Learn more about the Spain Citizenship by Descent Program

Capital City

Madrid

Visa free countries

Schengen Area

Total area

505,990 km2

Languages

Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Galician

Currency

Euro

Population

47,450,795

Time Zone

UTC⁠±0 to +1

globalrcg-map-spain

Freedom of movement within the Schengen zone

Ranked #1 globally for ease of doing business

Ibero-American nationals gain citizenship after two years

Considered one of the best places for retirees given its affordable cost of living

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Download the Country Factsheet

Application Process

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Submit Your Application

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Visit Spain

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Get Approved

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Receive your residency permit

Spain Citizenship by Descent
Application Process

To be eligible for fast-track naturalization, you need to have spent eight months a year in Spain. To be able to legally reside in Spain, you need to first apply for residency. You can obtain a Wealth Visa or a Golden Visa for that purpose. Sephardic Jews are not required to be physically present in Spain during those two years.

Requirements

  • Spanish citizenship by descent offers three distinct routes:
  • 1. If you have a Spanish parent born in Spain, you are Spanish by birth and can claim your citizenship by making an appointment at your nearest Spanish consulate.
  • 2. If you have a Spanish parent born abroad or a Spanish grandparent, you can apply for fast-track naturalization after one year of residence in Spain.
  • 3. If you are a national of Ibero-American countries or of Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, or a person of Sephardic origin, you can apply for fast-track naturalization after two years of residence in Spain.

Other requirements:

  • The process for Spanish citizenship by ancestry can take a few months to a few years, depending on the route and your eligibility
  • To be able to legally reside in Spain, you need to first apply for residency. You can obtain a Wealth Visa or a Golden Visa for that purpose. Sephardic Jews are not required to be physically present in Spain during those two years.
  • See all requirements in our factsheet
Week 1
Week 1
Verify eligibility
Week 1
Week 2
Week 2
Start client onboarding process with Global RCG
Week 2
Week 3
Week 3
Global RCG helps you gather the required documents with the help of our genealogist.
Week 3
Week 4
Week 4
Application for residency or citizenship is filed. Depending on your case, you might need to apply for residency first. The process to gain residency can take 1 or 2 months. After the one or two years of residency are met, you can apply for naturalization. The naturalization process can take 2 years.
Week 4

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Do you need more information about the Spain Wealth Visa program? Download the complete factsheet below:

Required & Non-Required Visa Countries

Taxation

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