How long does Spanish citizenship take?
The legal deadline, how long it really takes and what to do if it is delayed.
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It is the question everyone asks once the application is in. The short answer: the law says one year, but in practice it usually takes longer.
The legal deadline: one year
The Ministry of Justice has one year to decide, counted from when the application reaches the competent office. If that year passes without an answer:
- the application is considered refused by administrative silence;
- you can appeal to the courts or keep waiting, because the Ministry is still obliged to issue a decision.
If you receive a request for documents, the time you take to answer can extend the deadline.
How long it really takes
The Ministry does not publish an average processing time. What is known is the volume:
- In 2025, 295,107 applications for citizenship by residence were filed, a record.
- On 30 June 2026 there were about 251,000 pending applications, around 30,000 fewer than three months earlier, according to Ministry data published by specialist law firms.
With those figures, immigration lawyers talk about waits of one to two years from the application, sometimes longer. It depends on the workload and on whether your file needs requests for documents.
After the decision
Once citizenship is granted there are still steps left:
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Oath or promise | You have 180 days from notification; an appointment at the Civil Registry or a notary can take weeks |
| Civil Registry registration | After the oath |
| DNI and passport | Depending on National Police appointment availability |
Including preparation for the CCSE and the DELE, the whole path usually takes two years or more.
What you can do while you wait
- Check the status of your application on the Ministry of Justice e-office.
- Check your notifications often: an unanswered request can get your application closed.
- Keep your documents valid, especially your passport and residence card: you will need them for the oath.
- If the legal deadline is well exceeded, ask a lawyer whether an appeal makes sense.
In the app’s My application you see how many days you have been waiting since you applied, and the app reminds you before your documents expire.