After approval: oath, DNI and passport

It is for anyone planning or carrying out a move to Spain who is heading towards, or has just received, an approval. Follow it and you finish on time with your Spanish ID in hand.

Start with "The 180-day deadline after your citizenship is approved". It explains what must be done and by when. Then follow the order of the other pages: booking and taking the oath, getting your first DNI and passport, how your name and surnames appear, and what changes for your NIE, residence card and records.

Key rules

• Order of steps: First take the oath, then get the inscription in the Registro Civil, then request the DNI, then the passport; the DNI and passport cannot be issued before inscription.
• Oath deadline: You have 180 days from the day after you are notified of the grant to take the oath or promise and ask for inscription, or the grant lapses.
• Oath in person: Adults must take the oath in person before the Registro Civil or a consulate; a proxy or a notary is not accepted.
• Clock start: Your period starts the day after notification, and an unopened electronic notice still counts as delivered after 10 days.
• Who administers the oath: The officer in charge of the Registro Civil for your home, or the consular officer abroad, takes your oath.
• Order: The DNI and passport cannot be issued until your nationality is inscribed in the Registro Civil.

After approval: oath, DNI and passport: the whole process, step by step

• Read the grant notification and note the date you were notified (see The 180-day deadline after your citizenship is approved): On the day you are notified, by electronic notice or by post.

• Start the 180-day count: You have 180 days from the day after you are notified, or the grant lapses.

• Book your oath appointment (see Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)): As soon as you are notified. Waits range from a few weeks to several months in the busiest offices such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

• If you live abroad, book at the Spanish consulate where you live: As soon as you are notified. The 180 days still apply.

• Take the oath or promise in person and ask for inscription in the Registro Civil: Within 180 days of the day after notification.

• Receive your certificate of inscription (see Getting your first Spanish ID (DNI) and passport): After the oath. The DNI and passport cannot be issued before inscription.

• Request your DNI at the police: After inscription, with your proof of inscription.

• Request your passport: After the DNI, or on the same visit.

• Match your name across documents and update your records (see How your name and surnames appear once you are Spanish and What changes with your NIE, residence card and records as a Spaniard): Once your DNI and passport are issued.

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• A valid passport
• Your TIE or NIE residence card — Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)

The home and the lease

• Proof of address — Getting your first Spanish ID (DNI) and passport

Payments and receipts

• A copy of the grant or the fee receipt — Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)

Other documents

• Your certificate of nationality
• Your valid DNI — Getting your first Spanish ID (DNI) and passport, What changes with your NIE, residence card and records as a Spaniard
• The notified resolution granting you nationality — Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)
• Your birth certificate — Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)
• Proof of where you live — Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)
• A printed copy of the oath form — Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)
• A recent photo — Getting your first Spanish ID (DNI) and passport
• Your certificate of the oath — How your name and surnames appear once you are Spanish

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

After approval: oath, DNI and passport: questions that cross several articles

Which Registro Civil do I use for the oath?

You use the Registro Civil for your home address in Spain, or the Spanish consulate where you live if you are abroad. If you move during the process, you may be able to take the oath at the new office. Read Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa) next.

When does my 180 days start if I am notified electronically?

The 180 days start the day after you are notified, and an electronic notice counts as received after 10 days if you do not open it. See The 180-day deadline after your citizenship is approved.

How do I book the oath appointment, and what do I bring?

You usually book through the online appointment system for the Registro Civil, though some offices take email or phone. Typically you bring the notified resolution, your passport, your residence card, your birth certificate and proof of address. Your notice or confirmation lists the exact documents; see Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa).

What if the oath appointment falls close to my deadline?

The 180 days still apply however long the wait is, so book as soon as you are notified. If the only slots fall after your deadline, ask the office about other offices or your consulate. The deadline article explains the consequences: The 180-day deadline after your citizenship is approved.