One-year routes: born in Spain, guardianship and other cases

Key rules

• One year: Each case on this page cuts the wait to one year of legal residence, and you must meet every condition of your case.
• Separation: Spouses and widows or widowers must not have been legally or de facto separated, at the time of death in the widowhood case.
• Guardianship: You need two consecutive years under guardianship, custody or fostering, and you may still be in it when you apply.
• Evidence: Every case needs its own certificate or resolution plus your usual residence documents.

Which cases need only one year?

One year of legal residence is enough if you fit one of the cases below. Each case has its own evidence. The documents list below shows what to gather. In every case you also need your usual residence documents showing that year.

The cases

You were born in Spain. You need one year of legal and continuous residence immediately before you apply. Your proof is a Spanish birth certificate from the Civil Registry. This applies if you do not already hold Spanish nationality.

You were under guardianship, custody or fostering. You must have been under the legal guardianship (tutela), custody (guarda) or fostering (acogimiento) of a Spanish citizen or institution for two consecutive years. You can still be in that situation when you apply, or have left it after those two years. Your proof is the court or administrative resolution that placed you there.

You are married to a Spaniard. You must have been married for one year and not be legally or de facto separated. Bring your marriage certificate and proof that your spouse holds Spanish nationality.

You are the widow or widower of a Spaniard. You and your spouse must not have been legally or de facto separated when your spouse died.

You have Spanish family roots. You were born outside Spain to a parent, grandparent or other relative who was originally Spanish. Ask the Civil Registry or consulate which papers show that family link.

You did not use your right to opt in time. This also shortens the wait to one year. Ask the Civil Registry which papers apply to your case.

Check before you apply

• Match yourself to one case only if you meet every condition in it, including the separation rules.
• Residence must be legal. The born-in-Spain case also needs it to be continuous, up to the day you apply.
• The questions below cover common doubts, such as whether you must still be under guardianship.

Documents you need

• Spanish birth certificate from the Civil Registry, if you apply as someone born in Spain

• Court or administrative resolution that placed you under guardianship (tutela), custody (guarda) or fostering (acogimiento), if you apply on that basis

• Marriage certificate, if you apply as the widow or widower of a Spaniard

• Death certificate of your Spanish spouse, if you apply as a widow or widower

• Proof that your spouse held Spanish nationality, if you apply as a widow or widower

• Your usual residence documents showing one year of legal residence, needed in every one of these cases

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to still be under guardianship when I apply?

No, you do not have to still be under guardianship when you apply, if you were in that situation for two years before applying. The guardianship, custody or fostering must have lasted two consecutive years.

Does the widowhood route work if my spouse and I were separated?

No, the widowhood route does not work if you were legally or de facto separated from your Spanish spouse when they died. You must have been living as a couple at the time of death.

If I was born in Spain, do I still need to live here for a year?

Yes, being born in Spain still requires one year of legal and continuous residence immediately before you apply. Your birth alone does not shorten the wait to zero. This route is for people born in Spain who do not already hold Spanish nationality.