CCSE + DELE A2 pass → citizenship application

Once you pass the CCSE you receive the Diploma CCSE (issued by Instituto Cervantes, valid for 4 years from the pass date). Applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries also need a DELE A2 (or higher) certificate to meet the language requirement for ordinary naturalisation (nacionalidad por residencia).

• Applications are normally filed online through the Ministry of Justice electronic portal (sede electrónica del Ministerio de Justicia) — typically the "Trámites - Nacionalidad por residencia" service. Many applicants use a lawyer or gestor.
• Residence requirement: 10 years in general; 2 years for Latin American nationals, Filipinos, Andorrans, Equatoguineans, Portuguese, and Sephardic Jews; 5 years for refugees (as of 2026; subject to change).
• Application fee (tasa): about €105 (subject to change), paid via Modelo 790 code 026.
• Typical documents: passport, empadronamiento (residence registration), TIE/residence card, criminal-record certificate (Spain + country of origin, with Hague apostille), CCSE certificate, DELE A2 certificate, birth certificate (apostilled + officially translated).
• Processing usually takes 1-3 years, with significant variation by region and period (as of 2026).

Decision → oath of loyalty (juramento)

• If approved, the Resolución concediendo la nacionalidad española (decision granting Spanish nationality) is published in the BOE or notified individually.
• You must complete the juramento o promesa de fidelidad al Rey y obediencia a la Constitución (oath of loyalty to the King and obedience to the Constitution) and register with the Registro Civil within 180 days of notification. Missing this deadline can void the decision — watch the calendar carefully.
• The juramento takes place at your local Registro Civil, or at a Spanish consulate if you live abroad. It is a brief, formal ceremony. You can choose the religious form (juramento) or the secular form (promesa).
• You become a full Spanish citizen the moment registration (inscripción) at the Registro Civil is complete.

DNI · passport

After Registro Civil registration you can apply for an ID card and passport.

• DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad): apply at a Comisaría de Policía Nacional with a prior appointment (cita previa). Cost about €12; issued in roughly 1-2 weeks (as of 2026; subject to change).
• Passport (Pasaporte): applied for at the same police station, often the same visit. Cost about €30, valid 10 years, issued in 1-2 weeks.
• Photos must meet biometric standards; some police stations have on-site cameras.

Original-nationality handling (a key Spanish quirk)

Spain allows dual nationality only on a limited basis. The procedure depends heavily on where you are originally from.

• Automatic dual nationality: nationals of Latin American countries, the Philippines, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Sephardic Jews keep their original nationality automatically when acquiring Spanish citizenship.
• All other nationals (e.g., Korean, Chinese, Japanese, US): at the juramento — or within 3 years of acquiring Spanish nationality — you must register a declaración de renuncia (declaration renouncing your original nationality) with the Spanish consulate or Registro Civil.
  • This declaration is an administrative act on the Spanish side. Whether your original country actually treats you as having lost its nationality is a separate question governed by that country's own law. In many cases, without filing a separate procedure under home-country law (e.g., Korea's loss-of-nationality report), the home country still treats you as a citizen — so de facto dual citizenship is common in practice (as of 2026).
  • Korean nationals in particular should note that Korean nationality law has an automatic-loss provision when an adult voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality, which may result in actual loss on the Korean side. Confirm with your Korean consulate.
• If your category or the procedure is unclear, check with a lawyer, the consulate, and the Registro Civil before the juramento.

Tax · social security

• Acquiring citizenship does not change your tax status by itself. Spanish tax residency is determined by residence (e.g., 183+ days per year).
• Most home countries have a double-taxation treaty with Spain that prevents double taxation in normal cases.
• Social security: as a Spanish (and EU) citizen, pension, unemployment, and health-insurance periods are aggregated automatically across EU member states. Bilateral totalisation agreements with non-EU countries (e.g., Korea, US) generally remain in force.
• Foreign-asset reporting obligations toward your home country may continue separately — confirm with a tax advisor.

Voting rights · EU rights

• Spanish citizens vote in Cortes Generales (national), autonomous community, and municipal elections, and may stand for office.
• You can vote in European Parliament (Parlamento Europeo) elections.
• As an EU citizen you gain automatic freedom of movement, residence, and work across the 27 EU member states.
• Public-sector positions and party activities reserved for citizens also become available.

Children's nationality

• When a parent naturalises, children under 18 can be included in the application or, after the parent's naturalisation, acquire Spanish nationality through a declaración de opción (option declaration).
• Children born in Spain with at least one legally resident parent may obtain Spanish nationality at birth under specific jus-soli provisions.
• Whether a child keeps their original nationality depends on the home country's law — Korean-national children, for example, must elect a nationality before age 22.

FAQ

Q. How long is the CCSE certificate valid? A. 4 years from the pass date. Your citizenship application must be completed within that window. (DELE A2 itself does not expire.)

Q. Can I keep my original nationality? A. The Spanish side requires a renunciation declaration at the juramento. Whether your home country treats you as having lost its nationality is a separate question — Korean nationality law in particular has automatic-loss rules that may apply. Always confirm with your home consulate.

Q. What if I miss the 180-day juramento deadline? A. The decision can lapse (caducidad) and you may have to start the application again. Plan the date carefully.

Q. Can I apply for the DNI and passport at the same visit? A. Yes. Both can be requested at the same Policía Nacional station and are usually issued in about 1-2 weeks each.

References

• Ministry of Justice — citizenship: https://www.mjusticia.gob.es/es/ciudadania/nacionalidad
• Instituto Cervantes — CCSE: https://examenes.cervantes.es/es/ccse