Spain Opens Fast-Track Citizenship to Nationals of 23 Countries After Just 2 Years

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  • Spain's government confirmed that nationals from 23 countries qualify for citizenship after only two years of legal residency
  • The two-year route covers 19 Latin American nations plus Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal
  • Most foreign nationals must wait ten years before applying, making the shorter pathway a major advantage for eligible citizens

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Spain has opened a significantly shorter route to citizenship for nationals of 23 specific countries, requiring just two years of legal residency instead of the standard ten years that applies to most foreign nationals.

Spain mentions 23 countries eligible for shorter residency route. Photo source: @sanchezcastejon, @magnific
Source: Instagram

The Spanish government published the details on the official website of the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, setting out the country's full naturalisation framework and the criteria that determine how long each applicant must reside in Spain before qualifying.

Which countries qualify for Spain's 2-Year Citizenship

The shortened pathway reflects Spain's deep historical and cultural connections with certain nations.

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The complete list of countries is below:

  1. Andorra
  2. Argentina
  3. Bolivia
  4. Brazil
  5. Chile
  6. Colombia
  7. Costa Rica
  8. Cuba
  9. Dominican Republic
  10. Ecuador
  11. El Salvador
  12. Equatorial Guinea
  13. Guatemala
  14. Honduras
  15. Mexico
  16. Nicaragua
  17. Panama
  18. Paraguay
  19. Peru
  20. Philippines
  21. Portugal
  22. Uruguay
  23. Venezuela

Persons of Sephardic origin are likewise eligible under the same two-year provision, recognised as a distinct historical category.

For context, refugees must complete five years of legal residency before they can apply, while most other foreign nationals must wait the full ten years.

What happens once Spanish Nationality is granted

After approval, newly naturalised citizens are required to swear an oath of allegiance to the King of Spain and commit to upholding the Spanish Constitution and its laws.

Applicants must also formally renounce their previous nationality as part of the process. However, this condition does not apply to nationals from the 23 eligible countries or to persons of Sephardic origin, all of whom are permitted to hold dual nationality under Spanish law.

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4 routes for Spanish citizenship through naturalisation

YEN.com.gh also highlighted facts about the four official routes foreigners could use to obtain Spanish citizenship through naturalisation.

The pathways included family ties, exceptional contributions, legal residency and long-term possession of Spanish nationality in good faith.

One of the most compelling routes is linked to Spain’s Historical and Democratic Memory laws, which opened opportunities for descendants of Spaniards who lost or renounced their nationality after persecution and exile.

For many non-EU nationals, however, the residency route remains the most accessible path to a Spanish passport.

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Source: YEN.com.gh