Can you keep your nationality when you become Spanish?

Key rules

• Renunciation: Naturalising by residence normally means renouncing your previous nationality, unless you are from an exempt country.
• Option and Democratic Memory Law: If you become Spanish by option or through the Democratic Memory Law, you do not have to renounce.
• Home country: Your home country decides whether you keep its nationality, so check its rules before you apply.

The short answer

Spain usually asks you to renounce your previous nationality when you become Spanish by residence. Some groups are exempt. Whether you actually end up with two passports also depends on your home country, which may have its own rules.

Who does not have to renounce

Nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal do not have to renounce when naturalising by residence. Ibero-American means the countries of Latin America.

You also do not renounce if you become Spanish by option, or through the Democratic Memory Law route. Nationality by origin does not require it either. Minors do not renounce.

Who does have to renounce

If you apply by residence, or by carta de naturaleza, and you are not from an exempt country, you must renounce your previous nationality. You make the renunciation as part of finishing the process.

Dual-nationality treaties

Spain has signed dual-nationality treaties with several Latin American countries, including Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Argentina. Colombia and Ecuador have updated agreements. Under these, you can hold both nationalities while living in the other country. Check the current scope of any treaty with Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Check what your home country allows

Spain's rule is only half the picture. Some countries end citizenship when you voluntarily take another one. India and China are commonly cited examples. Japan makes adults choose. Others, including the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Brazil and Mexico, generally allow dual nationality. Ask your home country's consulate or read its nationality law before you apply.

Sephardic route

The Sephardic descendants route closed in 2019. Read the FAQ below if you think it may still apply to you.

The comparison and decision below show the outcome for each group of countries.

Choosing between options

Will you have to give up your current nationality to become Spanish?

• No renunciation: you are from an exempt country: You are a national of an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal. You keep your nationality when you naturalise by residence.

• No renunciation: you qualify by option or the Democratic Memory Law: You get nationality by option, by the Democratic Memory Law, by origin, or as a minor. None of these routes asks you to renounce.

• Check what your home country allows: Spain's rule is only half the answer. Some countries, such as India and China, end your citizenship when you take another one, so you may lose it even if Spain does not ask you to renounce.

First check your route: option, the Democratic Memory Law and origin never require renunciation. If you apply by residence, check whether your country is on the exempt list. If it is not, you renounce. Either way, your home country's law decides whether you actually keep both.

Dual nationality outcomes by country group

Whether you keep your old nationality depends on two things: whether Spain asks you to renounce it, and whether your home country accepts that renunciation. This table covers naturalising by residence.

Reading the table

• Your passport is your own country's decision. Spain asks for the renunciation, but your home country decides whether it takes effect. That is why the US and UK rows end differently from the last row.
• Rules change and have exceptions. For any country outside the exempt group, get its current position from its embassy or consulate in Spain.
• Not on the list? Look up your country's nationality rules before you apply. A country that allows dual nationality in general can still have conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to renounce if I become Spanish through option or the Democratic Memory Law?

No, you do not have to renounce your previous nationality if you become Spanish through option or the Democratic Memory Law. Renunciation only applies to nationality by residence and by carta de naturaleza. Minors and people who get nationality by origin do not renounce either.

Does a dual-nationality treaty let me keep my nationality?

Yes, if you are from a country with a treaty still in force, such as Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Dominican Republic or Argentina. These let you hold both nationalities while you live in the other country. Colombia's treaty was replaced by a 1998 protocol, and Ecuador's was revised in 1995.

Will my home country let me keep my nationality after I become Spanish?

That depends on your home country's own law, not on Spain. India and China, for example, end citizenship when you acquire another nationality, and Japan makes adults choose.

Can I still apply through the Sephardic route?

No, the Sephardic descendants route closed in 2019. If you have Spanish ancestry on another basis, check whether option applies, because that route does not require renunciation.