The 180-day deadline after your citizenship is approved

Key rules

• 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.
• Missing the deadline: If you do not finish in time, the grant lapses and you lose the citizenship you were awarded.

The deadline and what it covers

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. Approval alone does not make you Spanish. You must finish these last steps first.

The oath or promise has two parts: loyalty to the King, and obedience to the Constitution and laws. Where it applies to you, you also renounce your previous nationality. Then you ask for your citizenship to be entered in the Registro Civil. That entry is the inscription.

When the clock starts

The clock starts the day after you are notified of the decision. It does not start when you first read the notice.

Notification comes in one of two ways:

• Electronically, if you applied by the electronic route or are required to use it. Many applicants are.
• By post, to the address you gave.

If you do not open an electronic notice, it is treated as delivered after 10 days. Your 180 days then count from the day after that. So check your electronic mailbox often once your application is in its final stage. Keep the notification receipt. It shows the exact date your period began.

Who administers the oath

The oath is taken before the officer in charge of the Registro Civil for your home address. This may be a judge, a secretary or an official. If you live abroad, it is taken before the consular officer in charge of the Registro Civil.

You sign a record of the oath (an acta). The inscription follows from it. Ask the office how to book an appointment, as many require one. Do this soon, because waiting times eat into your 180 days.

What to do now

1. Find the date of your notification and count 180 days from the next day.
2. Contact your Registro Civil, or consulate, and book the oath at once.
3. Bring what the office asks for. Ask for the list when you book.

The timeline and warning below show the sequence. The section on missing the deadline or being unable to attend explains your options if something goes wrong.

Timeline and deadlines

• You are notified of the grant, electronically or by post: on the day of notification

• If you do not open an electronic notice, it counts as delivered: 10 days after it was sent

• Your 180 days begin: the day after notification

• Take the oath or promise and ask for inscription in the Registro Civil: within 180 days of the start of the clock

• If you miss the period, the grant lapses: after the 180 days have passed

What to watch out for

• Your clock can start before you read the notice: An electronic notice you never open still counts as delivered after 10 days, so your 180 days run even if you have not seen the news. Check your electronic notification inbox often and note the date on the receipt as soon as you open it.

• A missed deadline cancels your citizenship grant: If the oath and the inscription request are not done in time, the grant lapses (caducidad) and you lose the approval. Book the oath as soon as you are notified. If you are close to the limit, contact the Registro Civil straight away.

What if you miss the oath deadline or cannot attend

If you miss the deadline

The grant lapses. You have 180 days from the day after you are notified to take the oath or promise and ask for inscription. If that time passes without both, the Ministry of Justice treats the file as closed.

Reinstatement is generally not available. The usual route is a new application from the start, and you must meet every requirement again. The time spent on the first file does not count.

If you think the notification was faulty or something stopped you

If you were not properly notified, or something outside your control stopped you (force majeure), you can argue that in a challenge to the decision. If the Ministry refuses to reinstate you, you can appeal through the courts, but success is limited. Get advice from a lawyer who handles nationality cases before you spend money on this.

Do not count on an extension. Nothing gives you a general right to one. Ask the Registro Civil or the Ministry of Justice what applies to your case, and do it well before the 180 days run out.

If you cannot attend in person

Adults must take the oath in person. A proxy, a notary or a remote oath is not accepted. There are three ways to solve the problem without missing the deadline:

• You are seriously ill. Ask the Registro Civil, or the judge in charge of it, to arrange the oath at your home or in hospital. You will need medical evidence.
• You live abroad. Take the oath at a Spanish consulate, which handles the process.
• You cannot make the date offered. Ask for an earlier appointment.

A child or a person without legal capacity is represented by their legal guardian. This is the only case where someone else acts for you.

Make any of these requests before the 180 days end, and do not wait for the last weeks. The local Registro Civil or consulate decides how the oath is arranged, so confirm the procedure with them.

Frequently asked questions

What if I do not open the electronic notification of my grant?

Yes, the notice still counts even if you never open it: after 10 days without access, it is treated as delivered, and your clock starts the day after. Check your electronic notifications regularly. The date on the notification receipt shows which day counts.

Who administers the oath or promise?

The officer in charge of the Registro Civil (the civil registry) where you live administers the oath, and this can be a judge, secretary or official. If you live abroad, it is the consular officer in charge of the Registro Civil. You sign a record (an acta) and your inscription follows.