Booking and taking the oath or promise (jura o promesa)

Key rules

• Where: Use the Registro Civil for your home in Spain, or the Spanish consulate where you live abroad.
• Timing: Book the earliest slot as soon as you are notified, because the 180-day period keeps running while you wait.
• In person: Adults must attend themselves; a proxy or notary is not accepted.
• Papers: Follow the document list on your appointment confirmation, as offices differ.

Book as soon as you are notified

Book the earliest slot you can the moment you receive your resolution. The 180-day period to take the oath still runs while you wait, and the busiest offices can have waits of several months. Smaller towns are often quicker.

Find the right office

Use the office for where you live.

• You live in Spain: the Registro Civil for your home address. If you move during the process, you may be able to take the oath at the office for your new address. Ask before you move.
• You live abroad: the Spanish consulate for your place of residence. It acts as the Registro Civil.

The choice between the two is also in the decision box below.

How to get an appointment

Appointments are usually required. Most are booked through the Ministry of Justice online appointment system (cita previa) for the Registro Civil. Some areas use a regional or city portal instead. Some offices take bookings by email or phone, and small towns may accept walk-ins.

Your resolution notice often says how your office takes bookings, so read it first. Large cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia rely on online booking and have the longest waits. The booking channel and waiting times differ by office, so check yours.

If you live abroad, request your appointment through your consulate's online system or by email.

What to bring

Your appointment confirmation may list the papers that office wants. Gather everything on it. The documents box below has the usual list. Before the appointment, check whether your office wants the birth certificate legalised or apostilled and translated, because that can take time to arrange.

At the appointment

Go in person. For adults, a proxy or a notary is not accepted. You take the oath or promise before the official in charge.

If you live abroad, the consulate then prepares the record and sends it to the Spanish registry that will inscribe your nationality. Your timeline below shows the steps in order.

Choosing between options

Where do you take the oath or promise?

• Registro Civil where you live in Spain: You live in Spain. Use the office for your home address and book through the online appointment system or as your office instructs.

• Spanish consulate where you live abroad: You live outside Spain. Request an appointment at the consulate of your residence and take the oath before the consular officer in charge of the Registro Civil.

Where you live decides: the Registro Civil for your home address in Spain, or the Spanish consulate of your residence if you live abroad.

Timeline and deadlines

• Request your oath appointment at the Registro Civil, or at the consulate if you live abroad: as soon as you are notified of the grant

• Wait for your appointment date: a few weeks to several months in the busiest offices such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia; smaller towns are often quicker

• Take the oath or promise in person with your documents: on the appointment date, before the 180-day deadline passes

• Consulate sends the oath record for inscription: after your oath at the consulate

Waiting times change by office and season, so confirm the current wait with your Registro Civil or consulate.

Documents you need

• The notified resolution granting you nationality, as the Ministry of Justice sent it to you.

• A valid passport. At a consulate, a valid foreign ID is also accepted.

• Your TIE or NIE residence card, if you live in Spain.

• Your birth certificate. If the office asks, it must be legalised or apostilled and translated into Spanish.

• Proof of where you live, such as an empadronamiento certificate (your registration at the town hall), if you take the oath in Spain.

• For a minor: the ID of the parent or representative and the family book (libro de familia), where the office asks for them.

• A printed copy of the oath form, if your office asks for one.

• A copy of the grant or the fee receipt, if your office requests it.

Checklist

• Book through the Ministry of Justice online appointment system (cita previa) for the Registro Civil, or through your regional or city portal. Use email or phone if your office accepts them.

• Book the earliest slot as soon as you are notified, because the busiest offices can take months.

• Read your appointment confirmation for the office's own document list, then gather every paper on it.

• Go to the appointment yourself, because a proxy or a notary is not accepted for adults.

Frequently asked questions

Which Registro Civil do I use to take the oath?

You use the Registro Civil for the address in Spain where you live. If you move during the process, you may be able to take the oath at the office for your new address. Ask that office before you book.

Can I take the oath without an appointment?

Usually no, because most offices require an appointment, although some small towns accept walk-ins. Large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona rely on online booking. Your resolution notice often says how to book.

How long will I wait for an oath appointment?

The wait ranges from a few weeks to several months in the busiest offices, such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Smaller towns are often quicker. Ask for the earliest slot as soon as you can book.

Can I take the oath at a Spanish consulate if I live abroad?

Yes, if you live abroad you take the oath at the Spanish consulate of the place where you live, before the consular officer in charge of the Registro Civil. Request the appointment through the consulate's online system or by email. The consulate then sends the records on for inscription.