Spain Offers Fast-Track Citizenship for Refugees

Spain has introduced a naturalisation process that allows specific categories of foreign nationals to apply for citizenship after five years of legal residency, significantly less than the standard ten-year requirement. This five-year period is specifically applicable to individuals who have been granted refugee status in Spain.

Additionally, nationals from Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal, as well as individuals of Sephardic origin, can apply for citizenship after only two years of legal residency. There are also circumstances where applicants may qualify for citizenship after just one year of residency.

These include individuals born in Spain, those who were in the custody of a Spanish citizen or institution for at least two consecutive years, and spouses of Spanish nationals who have been married for at least one year without legal separation. The one-year residency requirement also applies to widows or widowers of Spanish nationals and individuals born outside Spain to Spanish parents or grandparents.