Applying for Spanish citizenship can be a complex process – and the terminology used by Spanish authorities is equally hard. We’ve broken down the words and phrases you’re likely to come across during the application process.
If you’ve lived in Spain a while and plan to live here for the foreseeable future, you may be considering applying for Spanish citizenship.
Having a Spanish passport offers numerous benefits, from being able to live in the country permanently to being able to vote in Spanish elections – but for many, the process of getting hold of that coveted document can feel like an overwhelming prospect.
The process can be complicated and take a while, but if you familiarise yourself with the vocabulary you’ll need, it will be a lot easier.
Nacionalidad
This translates as nationality. Essentially you will get your la nacionalidad española or Spanish nationality when you apply for citizenship here. Nacionalizarse español or conseguir la nacionalidad española is how you obtain Spanish nationality.
Expediente de Nacionalidad por Residencia
This simply means Application File for Nationality by Residence and is what most people will do if they’re applying for Spanish citizenship because they’ve met the required number of years of residency here rather than by marrying a Spaniard for example or for a baby born here. This will likely be 10 years, but could be two years for those from a Latin American country, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, Philippines or Portugal.
READ ALSO – Step by step: How to apply for Spanish nationality
Nacionalidad por simple presunción
This is legal procedure for recognising Spanish nationality in minors born in Spain to foreign parents, where the parents are stateless or the laws of their countries of origin will not give them nationality.
Prueba de Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España
This is one of the two tests you will have to pass in order to successfully get your Spanish citizenship. It essentially translates as Test of Constitutional and Sociocultural Knowledge of Spain and will test your knowledge of Spanish history, politics, geography and culture, among others. It’s usually abbreviated to CCSE.
Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera
More commonly referred to as the DELE, this is the Spanish language exam you’ll have to pass in order to gain citizenship. It stands for Spanish Diplomas as a Second Language and you have to be able to pass level A2, which is equivalent to upper beginner. It’s a diploma that certifies that you understand sentences and expressions that are commonly used in everyday life.
READ ALSO: How good does my Spanish language level have to be to get citizenship?
Certificado de antecedentes penales
Another important part of your citizenship application will be your Certificado de Antecedentes Penales or criminal record check to check that you haven’t comitted any serious crimes either in Spain or back in your home country before you arrived.
Legalización de documentos
This simply translates as legalisation of documents. You will need to do this for several of the documents you submit with your application. It’s essential requirement under Royal Decree 1004/2015. The Hague Convention establishes a procedure that simplifies the legalisation of public documents known as an apostille or official stamp. Another option is the legalisation by the foreign ministry of the country issuing the document, followed by another legalisation by the Spanish consular office in that country. If your documents are from an EU country, legalising them won’t be necessary, but you will need them officially translated into Spanish.
Trámite
This translates as ‘procedure’ and is used for many different official and administrative procedures in Spain, so it’s likely that you will have come across it before. You will need to undertake un trámite in order to apply for citizenship online.
Requisitos
It’s important that you meet all the requirements (requisitos) when applying for Spanish citizenship, otherwise your application may be denied or the process will take longer. Read up on what you need in our various articles on the subject.
READ ALSO: 12 must-read articles before applying for Spanish citizenship
Tasa administrativa
This refers to the administrative fee you need to pay when submitting official procedures such as citizenship applications.
Estado de tramitación
This refers to the status of the procedure or application. Once you submit your application, the Spanish government has a period of 1 year to legally submit their response. You can check the status of your application on the “cómo va lo mío” platform, which is a bit like saying ‘How’s my thing going?’.
Jura de nacionalidad
Once you get your Spanish nationality you will have to book an appointment for your pledge of allegiance to Spain. For this, you must swear to respect the Spanish constitution, the King, and the legal system in general. This is a formal act that’s obligatory.
Registro Civil
After this pledge or alliance, you will need to be entered into the Civil Register, el Registro Civil. This will create a new Spanish birth certificate for you using all your new documents.
Documento nacional de identidad
Once you become Spanish, you will get your National Identity Document or DNI. This will replace your TIE (Foreign Identity Document) or EU green certificate featuring your NIE.
READ ALSO: How long are waiting times for Spanish citizenship in 2026?
Certificado de concordancia
You will also have to request a ‘concordance certificate’. This document certifies that you are the same person who appears in records with your NIE number and your old passport.
Doble nacionalidad
Dual nationality. Spain doesn’t generally allow dual nationality, meaning that when you get Spanish citizenship you are required to give up your old nationality. Spain only recognises dual nationality with those from Ibero-American nations, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and France.
READ ALSO: Do I have to give up my US citizenship if I become Spanish?
