Spanish citizenship for South Africans

Spain with its year-round great weather and stunning landscapes is one of the most sought-after European countries by expats. For South Africans the favourable warm weather and culture are major attractions. You can become a citizen of the country through various routes. But knowing the process and having the necessary documentation ready can give you the upper edge and make the process less daunting. Having a Spanish passport gives you the right to live indefinitely in the country and allows you to reside and work in other countries in the EU making it a very attractive proposition.

In this guide we give you all the information you need to prepare for the process as well as make money transfers using Wise at the mid-market exchange rate to send money back home to South Africa.

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How can South Africans apply for and get Spanish citizenship?

There are 4 primary ways of acquiring Spanish citizenship. We discuss what these are and the requirements of each in the following sections.

Different routes to obtaining Spanish citizenship⁵

Citizenship by marriage
Marriage to a Spanish citizen is a way of getting Spanish citizenship quicker than other methods. Civil partnerships unfortunately do not count. However, this is not an immediate switch. We discuss the requirements in detail in the following section.

Citizenship by option
This method of citizenship is available to children of Spanish citizens. One or both of the child’s parents must have been born in Spain. It is, however, not important that the parents be living in Spain at the time the application is made. There is also no requirement on how long they must have lived in Spain as long as they were born there.

People who were adopted by Spanish citizens, or who were in the custody of a Spanish citizen, are also able to gain citizenship by option.

Citizenship by descent
This is discussed in detail in a later section.

Citizenship by residency
This is the best option for South Africans who are not married to a Spanish citizen, and do not have Spanish parents or grandparents.

The primary requirement for Spanish citizenship through this route is to have been living in Spain for ten years with Spanish residence.

What are the requirements to get Spanish citizenship?

Citizenship by marriage

This method of gaining Spanish citizenship requires you to have stayed in Spain with your spouse for a minimum of a year post marriage. This is counted from the date your residence permit (for living in Spain as the spouse of a Spanish citizen) was granted.

You will also need to present documents like your passport, birth certificates (of your spouse and yourself) along with your marriage certificate and proof of marriage registration at the town hall. Additionally, you may also need to pass CCSE (Constitutional and Sociocultural Aspects of Spain) and DELE (Diploma of Spanish) exams to demonstrate integration into the Spanish society.

Citizenship by option

For your children to be eligible for citizenship via the option route you need to fit into one of the following categories:

• Children of parents who were Spanish or were born in the country. This option can be formalized any time, no need to worry about timings.
• Those adopted by Spanish nationals after being 18 years old.
• When the filiation took place after the descendants turned 18.
• Children born in Spain through presumption, meaning that their parents were not Spanish and from a country that does not recognize nationality if the child is born abroad.

If, however, when the father or mother obtained Spanish citizenship themselves the children were already 18 or over, this process won’t be possible. Citizenship by residency would be the way to go forward in such scenarios if you meet the requirements set out for that route.

Citizenship by residency

You are eligible for the naturalisation route if you have experienced Spanish residency for ten years and have no criminal record. This is the most common method of citizenship for expats including South Africans. You will also be required to pass the DELE and CCSE tests to check that you are proficient in the Spanish language and can integrate well into the culture.

When applying for Spanish citizenship through this route, you must complete an application form either or in person at the Spanish Civil Registry or you can opt to do it online through the SEDE electronica. This is the stage when you will need to present all your documentation and copies, as well as fully certified and translated copies as necessary so make sure you have them handy before you start this process.

There are some exceptions to the 10-year residence rule. These include the following scenarios:

• Refugees are eligible to apply after five years of residence in Spain.
• Application for citizenship by nationals from Ibero-American countries or Spanish territories is possible after just 2 years of residence.

Which documents may be required⁹?

After thoroughly researching and understanding the ways to obtaining citizenship and determining which you are eligible for, the next step is to fill out the relevant application form and file it with the Civil Registry Office close to where you live.

The entire process can also now be completed online. The Spanish Ministry of Justice has a service that lets you to check on the application you have made during submission and at any point after that. This is extremely useful while tracking your application status.

Broadly speaking based of the different routes discussed, the following are documents you may need to present:

• Marriage certificate
• Proof of payment of the application fee
• Spanish language certificate
• Empadronamiento (resident register)
• Valid passport
• Evidence of working history in Spain
• Proof of finances
• Background records from your country of origin

Send money to South Africa from Spain using the mid-market rate

If you’re a South African expat living in Spain, Wise can help you save money¹ when making international money transfers back to South Africa.

Banks and money transfer services use the mid-market rate when they trade between themselves, but they rarely pass it on to you. Instead, they often mark up the rate to make extra money.¹¹

It is recommended to check the exchange rate offered by your bank against the mid-market rate, which is similar to the exchange rate shown on Google. Say no to hidden fees!

The mid-market exchange rate is the rate that banks use to transfer money between them and is considered the fairest rate in the market. Find out what you would pay for an international money transfer with Wise:

Wise customers don’t have to pay an additional markup fee but only a small transparent fee to make an international transaction¹. That’s because Wise uses the mid-market rate for overseas payments!

With Wise, South African expats can save money¹ on an international money transfer by providing low fees and also do away with the markup on the mid-market exchange rate when making international payments from Spain to South Africa.

Can I hold dual South African-Spanish citizenship⁷?

No. If you want to become a Spanish citizen, you can apply for citizenship in Spain, but you must be willing to renounce your South African nationality in favour of Spanish nationality.

Can I get Spanish citizenship through investment⁸?

Under the residence by investment program, South Africans and their immediate family members can become residents of Spain (through a temporary residence permit) within less than a month. Subject to general immigration rules and requirements, residents by investment can acquire permanent residence status after five years of continuous residence in Spain and may gain Spanish citizenship thereafter.

You must meet one of the following requirements to be eligible for the Residence by Investment program:

1. The acquisition of real estate with a minimum value of EUR 500,000 (one or several properties)
2. Investment funds, bank deposits, or listed company shares in Spanish financial institutions with a minimum value of EUR 1 million
3. A government bonds investment with a minimum value of EUR 2 million

You will need to provide documentation as proof of these claims as part of the application process.

Can I get Spanish citizenship through descent or ancestry?

If your grandparents were Spanish citizens, it is possible for you to become a Spanish citizen through descent. But there are some requirements that your case must meet to be eligible for this route of citizenship these are:

• Having a grandmother who was born in Spain before the 1978 Constitution and was married to a non-Spanish national at the time
• Being the child or grandchild of someone who gained nationality via historical memory, but being ineligible for nationality by option at the time (due to being over 18)
• Having a Spanish national grandparent who left Spain before having children (and therefore could not get Spanish nationality for their children at the time)

Spain citizenship fees and costs¹⁰

There are several costs to consider while applying for Spanish citizenship. The application costs €104.05. The fee for getting a Spanish passport is another €300, which will be charged towards the end of your application. Additionally, you will also have to shell out between €60-100 for the translation of your documents.

But that’s not all – there are several indirect costs that need consideration. Take for instance those acquiring citizenship through marriage. They will have to bear the cost of a residence permit (€10.94 plus €16.40 for each renewal) and a work visa (€60-160).

Another important cost to consider is if you don’t have Spanish language qualifications. You will need to pay for a Spanish language course, and for the exams that are required to gain a Spanish language certificate.

How long does application processing take?

• To begin, you need to prepare all the required documents.
• Then, you must submit your application, which you can do online to get a faster response.
• After waiting for approximately 1 year, you will be notified whether your application has been successful or not. This may vary on a case by case basis.
• If successful, the next step is to realise the pledge of allegiance.
• Finally, you will need to go to any police station and get your passport.

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All in all, obtaining Spanish citizenship involves navigating a complex process, which varies depending on the route you qualify for—whether through marriage, investment, or descent. Ensuring you have all the necessary documentation collated makes the process hassle free.

Additionally, using Wise can help you save¹ on international money transfers from Spain to South Africa, by offering the mid-market exchange rate with low fees.

Join Wise!

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*Disclaimer: This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute immigration, legal, tax or other professional advice, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

Sources:

1. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
2. Transaction speed claimed depends on funds availability, approval by Wise’s proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners’ banking system, and may not be available for all transactions.
3. Eligibility is subject to verification of customers identity. Wise may request additional documents to verify a customer's identity.
4. Please note that certain products or features may not be available in all regions. Please visit www.wise.com to check for availability and learn more about our offerings.
5. Different routes to citizenship
6. Citizenship Requirements
7. Dual citizenship in Spain
8. Citizenship by investment
9. Documents needed
10. Fees
11. Wise - Mid-market rate and markups