What differs for EU and British residents seeking Spanish nationality

Key rules

• Residence period: EU and British nationals need ten years of legal and continuous residence, with no two-year shortcut.
• Earlier years: Free-movement and Withdrawal Agreement years count, if your paperwork proves them.
• Renunciation: You must formally renounce your previous nationality, but your home country decides whether that actually takes effect.

You use the ordinary route, with no shortcut

You need ten years of legal and continuous residence. The two-year period is only for nationals of certain countries (Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal) and for Sephardic Jews. EU and British nationals are not in that group. The other requirements, such as the Spanish language and knowledge tests, are the same as for everyone and are covered on the general nationality pages.

Do your earlier years count?

Yes, in practice. Years of legal residence under EU free movement count towards the ten. If you are British and live here under the Withdrawal Agreement, those years count too.

The years must be continuous and run right up to the date you apply. You prove them with your registration certificate or card (or your Withdrawal Agreement residence document) and your padrón records.

Years when you lived here without registering can be challenged. If any year has thin paperwork, gather padrón records for it before you apply. Check how your own early years are documented. The documents and checklist below list what to collect.

Renunciation

When you acquire nationality by residence, you swear allegiance to the King and promise to obey the Constitution and laws. You also formally renounce your previous nationality. The exemption from renouncing applies to the same countries as the two-year period, so it does not cover EU or British nationals.

What happens next depends on your home country. Some countries do not recognise the renunciation, and some allow dual nationality anyway. The UK does not make you lose British citizenship. Ask your home country's authorities before you swear, because the answer decides whether you keep your first passport.

Documents you need

• Your EU registration certificate or card, or your Withdrawal Agreement residence document, showing your legal residence

• Padrón certificate from your town hall showing where you have lived, to prove continuous residence up to your application

Checklist

• Count ten years of legal, continuous residence, not two, because EU and British nationals get no shortened period

• Check that your free-movement or Withdrawal Agreement years are covered by a registration certificate or card

• Gather padrón records for any year where your residence papers are thin

• Ask your home country whether it recognises the renunciation or allows dual nationality before you swear allegiance

Frequently asked questions

Do my years under EU free movement count towards Spanish nationality?

Yes, residence under the EU free-movement regime counts as legal residence towards the ten years. It must be continuous and immediately before your application. Years when you were not registered may be challenged, so gather proof for them.

Do Britons with Withdrawal Agreement residence count those years too?

Yes, residence under the Withdrawal Agreement is treated as legal residence for the ten years. Prove it with your registration certificate or card, your padrón (town hall residents' register) and other records.

Do EU and British citizens have to renounce their previous nationality?

Yes, EU and British citizens are not exempt, so you formally renounce your previous nationality when you swear allegiance. In practice, your home country may not recognise the renunciation or may allow dual nationality anyway. The UK does not force you to lose your citizenship.