Spanish Nationality by Residence in Valencia

The basics

Nationality by residence is granted by the Minister of Justice to foreigners who have lived in Spain legally for long enough (Civil Code, article 21.2). The general period is ten years. Five years are enough for recognised refugees, and two years for nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, and for Sephardic Jews. One year is enough in specific cases listed in article 22.2: people born in Spain, those married to a Spanish citizen for a year and not separated, widows and widowers of Spaniards, and people born abroad to a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish, among others.

Whatever the period, the residence has to be legal, continuous and immediately before the application (article 22.3), and you must prove good civic conduct and enough integration into Spanish society (article 22.4). Integration is shown by passing two Instituto Cervantes exams: the DELE language diploma at A2 level or above, and the CCSE test on the Constitution and Spanish society and culture (Royal Decree 1004/2015, article 6). The CCSE uses closed questions: 60 % on the Constitution and the organisation of the State, 40 % on culture, history and society (article 6.3). Nationals of countries where Spanish is an official language are exempt from the DELE, and under-18s are exempt from both. The Ministry may refuse for reasoned grounds of public order or national interest (article 21.2).

The application is electronic and goes to the Ministry of Justice, not to the immigration office. Living in Valencia matters at the end: once nationality is granted, you swear or promise loyalty to the King and obedience to the Constitution and the laws, and the acquisition is registered at the Civil Registry for your home address (Royal Decree 1004/2015, articles 12 and 13). If your residence card is due to expire while you wait, keep it in force: our residence renewal service and the long-term residence permit exist for that, and the file needs a recent padrón certificate.

Who it is for

• Residents of Valencia with ten years of legal, unbroken residence.
• Nationals of Latin American countries, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines or Equatorial Guinea with two years.
• Recognised refugees with five years of residence.
• People married to a Spanish citizen for at least a year, living together.
• People born in Spain, or whose parent or grandparent was originally Spanish.

Paperwork checklist

• The official application form, signed, with the authorisation for your representative.
• Your passport.
• Your birth certificate, legalised or apostilled and translated where needed.
• A criminal record certificate from your country of origin, legalised and translated.
• Your TIE or EU registration certificate and a recent padrón certificate.
• Your DELE A2 and CCSE results, unless you are exempt.
• The receipt for the State fee (form 790, code 026).

Extra papers are needed for the shorter routes, such as a Spanish marriage certificate or a parent's birth record. We give you a list made for your case before anything is ordered abroad.

Step by step with us

1. Your timeline. We count your years of legal residence from your cards and spot any gap or irregular period before you apply.
2. Exams. We tell you which Instituto Cervantes exams you need, or confirm that you are exempt, and when to sit them.
3. Online filing. We upload the complete file to the Ministry of Justice as your representative and answer any request for more documents.
4. Oath and register. When nationality is granted, we prepare the oath appointment and the registration so the 180-day limit is not missed.

Waiting times in Valencia

The Ministry of Justice must decide and notify within one year of the application reaching it. If no decision has been notified by then, the application is treated as refused (Royal Decree 1004/2015, article 11.3), and a refusal can be challenged with an appeal for reconsideration (article 14) or before the contentious-administrative courts (Civil Code, article 22.5). If the Ministry asks for missing documents, you have three months to provide them, or the application is treated as withdrawn (article 10.2).

Approval is not the last step. Within 180 days of being notified you must swear or promise loyalty, renounce your previous nationality where required and ask for registration at the Civil Registry; otherwise the grant lapses (Civil Code, article 21.4; Royal Decree 1004/2015, article 12.1). Until registration you must keep good civic conduct. Once the oath has been made, the Civil Registry must record your new nationality within five days (article 13.1), which closes the procedure.

Living outside Valencia city? We handle this for the whole region: see our local pages for Gandia, Alicante and Castellón, or the Valencian Community overview.

Fee for our help

Ask for a quote. Our fee depends on the route (ten years, two years, marriage and so on) and on how many documents come from abroad, and we confirm it in writing before we start. State fees are paid separately: the Ministry of Justice application fee is currently 104.05 € (form 790, code 026). The DELE and CCSE exams are paid to the Instituto Cervantes, and translations and legalisations are not included.

A typical case

As an illustration: a Colombian nurse has lived in Benimaclet for just over two years on a work permit and wants to apply. As a Colombian national she needs two years of residence, not ten, and she is exempt from the DELE because Spanish is official in Colombia; the CCSE is still required. We check that no period of her residence was irregular, ask for her birth and criminal record certificates, legalised, and file once she has passed the CCSE. If nationality is granted, we prepare her oath at the Civil Registry in Valencia.

Frequently asked questions

Source: Civil Code, articles 21 to 23 (BOE), Royal Decree 1004/2015, articles 5 to 14 (BOE), Law 19/2015, seventh final provision (BOE). Last checked against the BOE on 14 November 2026. Laws and fees change, so we confirm the current ones for your case before you pay.