Application steps: from applying to your DNI
Application, requests, decision, oath, registration and ID card, in order.
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The path to Spanish citizenship by residence has seven steps. Some depend on you and others on the authorities, so it helps to know what comes next and have everything ready.
1. Pass the CCSE and the DELE A2
Before applying you need the CCSE passed and, unless you are from a Spanish-speaking country, the DELE A2 or higher. Both are Instituto Cervantes exams. The exemptions are in each exam’s guide.
2. Gather the documents and pay the fee
Passport, residence card, birth and criminal record certificates from your country (legalised and translated) and payment of fee 790-026. Watch out for documents that expire, such as the criminal record certificate.
3. Submit the application
You can apply:
- Online, on the Ministry of Justice e-office, with a digital certificate or Cl@ve. Authorised professionals, such as lawyers or gestores, can also submit it for you.
- In person, at public administration registry offices.
Keep the receipt with the submission date: deadlines run from it, and it is the date you will check most often.
4. Requests for documents
If something is missing or needs clarifying, the Ministry sends you a request (requerimiento). You normally have 10 working days to answer. If you do not, the application may be closed. Check your electronic notifications often.
5. Decision
The decision is made by the Directorate-General for Legal Certainty and Public Faith, part of the Ministry of Justice.
- The legal deadline is one year.
- If that time passes without an answer, the application is considered refused by administrative silence. You can appeal or keep waiting: the Ministry is still obliged to decide.
- You can check the status of your application on the Ministry’s e-office.
6. Oath or promise
If the decision is favourable, you have 180 days from the notification to:
- swear or promise allegiance to the King and obedience to the Constitution and the laws;
- renounce your previous nationality, unless you are exempt (Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and countries with an agreement, such as France);
- apply for registration in the Civil Registry.
The oath is taken at the Civil Registry or before a notary. If you let the 180 days pass, the grant lapses.
7. Registration and ID card
After the oath, the Civil Registry registers your birth as a Spanish citizen. With your Spanish full birth certificate you book an appointment with the National Police to get your DNI (ID card) and then your Spanish passport. From then on you no longer need a residence card.
Summary
| Step | Who does it | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| CCSE and DELE | You | Depending on exam dates |
| Documents and fee | You | Watch the ones that expire |
| Application | You | — |
| Requests for documents | You, if asked | Normally 10 working days |
| Decision | Ministry of Justice | 1 year (legal deadline) |
| Oath or promise | You, at the Civil Registry or a notary | 180 days from notification |
| Registration and DNI | Civil Registry and National Police | Depending on appointments |
In the app’s My application you log the date of each step and see how long you have been waiting since you applied.