# Spanish Citizenship



## Nn53470 (Dec 3, 2020)

Hi all,
I have browsed the forum for some recent citizenship timelines but unable to find anything recent. I am a Mexican/American living in Spain for 4 years now. I have submitted all of my documents completed to my immigration lawyers. I have asked them roughly how long it would take to receive a response and she responded that I could sue the government if I hadnt received an answer in a year.. 🤯 She said we could check in again in 6 months if we hadnt heard anything. I am wondering if anyone has recently received citizenship and roughly how long it took to receive a response after documentation had been filed. Thanks! 

I can also answer any questions here if anyone is wondering how I got residency as an American... zero ties to Spain prior to this. I went through a lawyer of course but can explain my process if anyone is looking for that type of information!


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

If you have managed to get the application in by "option" process which seems to be the case, it should be quite quick. My wife did it not so long ago and in total it was about 3-4 months.
The residence route is slower though, despite what you might be told.

As you've lived here for 4 years, you'll have noticed that official time limits are not so important here! 
My application for recognition of my professional studies was subject to a maximum period of 6 months. It took 18 months.


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## Nn53470 (Dec 3, 2020)

Overandout said:


> If you have managed to get the application in by "option" process which seems to be the case, it should be quite quick. My wife did it not so long ago and in total it was about 3-4 months.
> The residence route is slower though, despite what you might be told.
> 
> As you've lived here for 4 years, you'll have noticed that official time limits are not so important here!
> My application for recognition of my professional studies was subject to a maximum period of 6 months. It took 18 months.


18 months    Jeeeez!!! I'm getting mine through residency (and Mexican passport)... darn.  Good to know though, thanks!


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## Ifn (Jan 29, 2017)

Nn53470 said:


> Hi all,
> I have browsed the forum for some recent citizenship timelines but unable to find anything recent. I am a Mexican/American living in Spain for 4 years now. I have submitted all of my documents completed to my immigration lawyers. I have asked them roughly how long it would take to receive a response and she responded that I could sue the government if I hadnt received an answer in a year.. 🤯 She said we could check in again in 6 months if we hadnt heard anything. I am wondering if anyone has recently received citizenship and roughly how long it took to receive a response after documentation had been filed. Thanks!
> 
> I can also answer any questions here if anyone is wondering how I got residency as an American... zero ties to Spain prior to this. I went through a lawyer of course but can explain my process if anyone is looking for that type of information!


I am an American. My father was from Spain. I met with a lawyer who looked over my papers. He submitted my papers in January. He told me that due to backlogs and the pandemic it would be a longer wait. I was called to court in October. I got my DNI two weeks ago, mid November. Today I got a letter to verify that I was the same person in my new Spanish identity as I was before. This is needed for the new empadronamiento and for the bank. Next I’ll need to get a social security number and a health card. The lawyer arranged all these appointments and came with me to all of them except getting an empadronamiento which is easy. What I’m saying is there are a lot of steps and paying the lawyer to make appointments and shmooze with officials when necessary has really helped. I question why your lawyers jumped to suing the government which would probably turn into a Dikensonian nightmare.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

With Mexican passport (nationality), as an Iberoamerican citizen OP is eligible for Spanish citizenship after two years' residence in Spain.


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## Nn53470 (Dec 3, 2020)

Has anyone ever applied for citizenship (filed documents) and then left to reside elsewhere? I’m aware I would need to return for the steps that require me to be present in person but I plan on leaving to live somewhere else for awhile... 

From what was said to my friend who married a Spaniard, she is able to apply for Spanish citizenship even though they are residing in the USA right now. He has been placed there for 4 years for work and they will not be returning until after that but meanwhile she is able to file her documents. Of course, my situation is I am applying via residency but I have resided my complete time.. just curious if once filed, I am able to leave? I have asked my lawyers this question and am just waiting for their reply but curious if anyone has done this! I am marrying a EU citizen but we plan to marry in the country we are moving to (outside of Europe).


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

Nn53470 said:


> I can also answer any questions here if anyone is wondering how I got residency as an American... zero ties to Spain prior to this.





Nn53470 said:


> I'm getting mine through residency (and Mexican passport)...


So you became a Spanish resident based on your U.S. passport, but you are applying for citizenship as a Mexican citizen? Is that correct?


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## Nn53470 (Dec 3, 2020)

Brangus said:


> So you became a Spanish resident based on your U.S. passport, but you are applying for citizenship as a Mexican citizen? Is that correct?


Yes, I became a temporary resident based on US passport + opening a Spanish business, after 3.5 years, I applied for Mexican citizenship (parents both born there) and am now applying for Spanish citizenship after my 4th year here.


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## Nn53470 (Dec 3, 2020)

Overandout said:


> If you have managed to get the application in by "option" process which seems to be the case, it should be quite quick. My wife did it not so long ago and in total it was about 3-4 months.
> The residence route is slower though, despite what you might be told.
> 
> As you've lived here for 4 years, you'll have noticed that official time limits are not so important here!
> My application for recognition of my professional studies was subject to a maximum period of 6 months. It took 18 months.


You have obtained your Spanish citizenship correct??


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Nn53470 said:


> You have obtained your Spanish citizenship correct??


No, not yet. I'm last in the queue in my household as I am the only one who has to do it by residence.

My wife did it by option in 2019. We are doing the same for our children now, then I will do mine. Should be all done by 2029!


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## Nn53470 (Dec 3, 2020)

Overandout said:


> No, not yet. I'm last in the queue in my household as I am the only one who has to do it by residence.
> 
> My wife did it by option in 2019. We are doing the same for our children now, then I will do mine. Should be all done by 2029!


Got it! Are you not able to get it through your wife after one year since you're now married to a Spaniard? Also, I'm curious what the process was for your wife. Once she submitted her paperwork, what was next step? She received resolution and then was set an appointment to take her oath? What happens after the oath? That's it? You can now apply for passport, etc? How long did it take for her to have passport in hand after taking her oath?


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Being married to a Spaniard doesn't change the process that I have to follow to get citizenship myself, it is still an application by residence, but it means that I only had to wait one year after she became Spanish to start the application, it won't make any difference to how long it takes to complete. Without her nationality I would have needed 10 years continuous residence in Spain, which I am a long way off (I am less than 5 years into my second stretch!). I did try to start my application process (I enrolled in the Instituto de Cervantes!), but I have put it on hold, mainly due to Covid (and the family decision to get my kids through their process first).

I can't remember exactly all of my wife's stages and timings, but once she got the resolution it was pretty quick, first document was the DNI as that is obligatory. The passport is optional, so once you get the DNI you can apply for the passport, or not as you wish. The whole process for her was really quick, much less than a year (pre-covid, by option). There are others on here that have done the residence route and others who have done the option route, they might be able to chime in with their own experiences. 
I have a thread going with my own experience but I think that the Covid restrictions are artificially increasing the waiting and processing times for each step (we started requesting the documents for our children's process by option last September, and we still haven´t been able to submit the request!) so my experience shouldn't be treated as typical.


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## Nn53470 (Dec 3, 2020)

Overandout said:


> Being married to a Spaniard doesn't change the process that I have to follow to get citizenship myself, it is still an application by residence, but it means that I only had to wait one year after she became Spanish to start the application, it won't make any difference to how long it takes to complete. Without her nationality I would have needed 10 years continuous residence in Spain, which I am a long way off (I am less than 5 years into my second stretch!). I did try to start my application process (I enrolled in the Instituto de Cervantes!), but I have put it on hold, mainly due to Covid (and the family decision to get my kids through their process first).
> 
> I can't remember exactly all of my wife's stages and timings, but once she got the resolution it was pretty quick, first document was the DNI as that is obligatory. The passport is optional, so once you get the DNI you can apply for the passport, or not as you wish. The whole process for her was really quick, much less than a year (pre-covid, by option). There are others on here that have done the residence route and others who have done the option route, they might be able to chime in with their own experiences.
> I have a thread going with my own experience but I think that the Covid restrictions are artificially increasing the waiting and processing times for each step (we started requesting the documents for our children's process by option last September, and we still haven´t been able to submit the request!) so my experience shouldn't be treated as typical.


Got it! I have been reading your thread as well for more info but haven't seen anyone mentioning, once they did their oath, the next exact steps + timing... I'll definitely keep the forum updated from my end though I'm still a bit away as I barely applied in December 2020! Thanks for your input though and good luck with your application!!


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## PolinaFitFaces (6 mo ago)

Hello.
My Boss needs to get her Spanish citizenship. For this she has all the documents, except a notarized translation of her birth certificate and a certificate of no criminal record (the original documents have an apostille).

How can you help her?
Is it possible to submit all these documents online and in what format the notarial translations should be, can they be made in pdf?

Thanks.


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