# Spanish Citizenship via Marriage



## brs2015 (Dec 31, 2015)

Hello everyone. I am Turkish and I have a Spanish girlfriend. If I go to Spain to live with her and we end up getting married, how would i actually be Spanish? I mean, after one year marriage and continuous residency in Spain I can apply for citizenship. But how long would it take for me to get the passport? 3 more months? Another year? And in this time I have to stay married and continue to live there? And finally, do I have to speak Spanish to be able to get the passport? Not at all, a little bit, average knowledge or good knowledge?

Thanks in advance.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

brs2015 said:


> Hello everyone. I am Turkish and I have a Spanish girlfriend. If I go to Spain to live with her and we end up getting married, how would i actually be Spanish? I mean, after one year marriage and continuous residency in Spain I can apply for citizenship. But how long would it take for me to get the passport? 3 more months? Another year? And in this time I have to stay married and continue to live there? And finally, do I have to speak Spanish to be able to get the passport? Not at all, a little bit, average knowledge or good knowledge?
> 
> Thanks in advance.


:welcome:

Let's take this one step at a time.

1) In order to move to live here with your girlfriend, she will have to prove that she can financially support you & you will have to register as _pareja de hecho._ For that, you will have to prove that you have been together 2 years. In some areas even this isn't possible, you have to be married.

2) Once married, yes you have to remain living in Spain with your then wife for a year before you can apply for citizenship. 

3) I believe you have to remain in Spain during this process, but I'm not 100% certain. Possibly you can leave for holidays, but you certainly have to still be living here. You also have to remain married, of course! We do have a member here who applied for citizenship over a year ago (might actually be 2 years now) & as of a few weeks ago still hadn't had received a Spanish passport.

4) Yes, you do need a good level of Spanish. More to the point, you have to pass an exam about living in Spain,_ in Spanish_. You have to score 82% or more to pass iirc.


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## brs2015 (Dec 31, 2015)

WOW thanks for extremely fast and detailed information.

So even if I marry someone and stay married for a year, i may have to wait an additional 2 years and still not get the passport? wow...

By the way, when you marry a citizen in any EU country and you want a passport from that country you always have to prove you can speak the language of that country so well. Isn't there any country in the EU that says: Just marry a citizen and you can get a passport without learning the language? I think not, eh?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

brs2015 said:


> WOW thanks for extremely fast and detailed information.
> 
> So even if I marry someone and stay married for a year, i may have to wait an additional 2 years and still not get the passport? wow...
> 
> By the way, when you marry a citizen in any EU country and you want a passport from that country you always have to prove you can speak the language of that country so well. *Isn't there any country in the EU that says: Just marry a citizen and you can get a passport without learning the language? I think not, eh?*


until just a few months ago, you could - in Spain !


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## brs2015 (Dec 31, 2015)

AHAHAHAH  !!!

Well I better learn me some Spanish then! Es importante!! 

So okay, I learn sufficient level of Spanish. Marry my beautiful girlfriend...

But this uncertainty is not nice. Are there any tips that could increase my chances t get a passport and in the fastest time possible?


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## ElaineG (Jun 4, 2015)

Sorry, but a Turkish national, like an EU national, must have lived in Spain for 10 years before they can apply to become a Spanish citizen. If granted, you will be required to denounce your existing nationality as in Spain you cannot normally be more than just Spanish.

I am apparently not permitted to show the Spanish Gov web page on this
I googled 'spansh nationality'


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## brs2015 (Dec 31, 2015)

That does not apply when you get married. You need 10 years if you are not married...

Also, I know that Spain does not allow dual citizenship which is perfectly fine by me.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

> And in this time I have to stay married and continue to live there?


How romantic.


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## sarakas (Feb 5, 2013)

Madliz said:


> How romantic.


 hahahaha


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Not to burst your romatic bubble, but I have an American friend here (married to a Spaniard) who applied for Spanish citizenship, and the whole process took 7 years from start to finish. She finally got her Spanish ID card 2 or 3 years ago now, but I can't imagine in these times of economic crisis that the process has speeded up very much. In fact they've just made the process more complicated now that a Spanish language and culture exam has been added. 

If what you're after is a fast track EU passport you'd best find yourself a girlfriend from a different EU country.


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## brs2015 (Dec 31, 2015)

kalohi said:


> If what you're after is a fast track EU passport you'd best find yourself a girlfriend from a different EU country.


For the sake of the argument, do tell...

I actually think of London as my English is already good enough.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

brs2015 said:


> For the sake of the argument, do tell...
> 
> I actually think of London as my English is already good enough.




& there was me thinking you were genuinely in love with a Spanish chica ......


Britain looks at least as long a process https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-citizen/if-your-spouse-is-a-british-citizen


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## brs2015 (Dec 31, 2015)

xabiachica said:


> & there was me thinking you were genuinely in love with a Spanish chica ......
> 
> 
> Britain looks at least as long a process https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-citizen/if-your-spouse-is-a-british-citizen


I do love her. Well, maybe I'll just forget about the passport part.

Barcelona is nice. She is even nicer... Yeah I should do it.


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## eagletwelve (Dec 17, 2015)

That's good to know. Spain is strict in this matter, I think, to cut down on the number of people who get married ONLY to get citizenship.


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## CampelloMan (Jan 19, 2016)

Madliz said:


> How romantic.


I think his post sums up the priorities nicely...


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