Spain citizenship by birth: eligibility and obtaining process

1. Global mobility. The Spanish passport is one of the strongest in the world, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 172 countries.

The visa-free list includes all the Schengen Area states, the UK, Caribbean countries, and Latin American countries. To enter the USA, Canada, or Australia, citizens of Spain only need an eTA, an electronic travel authorization, which is cheaper and faster to obtain than a traditional visa.

2. Right to live and work in the EU. As Spain is a member of the European Union, Spanish citizens have the right to live in any of 27 EU countries. They can also work and do business there without obtaining work permits. Depending on the legislation of the chosen country, only registration with local authorities might be needed.

3. Opportunity to seek EU-level medical treatment. Spain has one of the best healthcare systems in the world and provides universal health coverage to its citizens and residents. The country boasts low rates of preventable mortality and has implemented initiatives to minimise risk factors.

Under the European Health Insurance Card scheme, Spanish citizens can also access medical treatment in other EU countries under the same conditions as people insured there — for free or at a reduced price.

4. Access to European education. Spanish citizenship grants access to high-quality education systems within Spain and other EU countries. This includes public schools, universities, and various educational programs offering internationally recognised degrees. 15 Spanish universities are among the top 500 globally, according to the QS World Universities Ranking 2025.

5. High quality of life. Spain is renowned for its high quality of life, characterised by a pleasant climate, rich culture, and excellent public services. This is reflected in the country having the highest life expectancy in the EU. In 2022, this indicator equaled 83.2 years, which is over 2 years above the EU average.

Spanish citizenship by birth is not automatically granted to every child born in the country.

Generally, a child born in Spain gains their parents’ nationality. Thus, if at least one of the parents is Spanish, the child will also be a Spanish citizen.

However, even if the parents are not Spanish, the child can still become a Spanish citizen by birth if:

1. They were born in Spain to foreign parents, and at least one of the parents was also born in Spain. Children of diplomats or consular officers are exempt from this rule.

2. They were born in Spain to stateless parents. In this case, parents must prove that the child cannot acquire citizenship in any other country.

3. They are born in Spain to foreign parents whose country of citizenship does not recognise the nationality of a child born in another country. Thus, unless granted Spanish citizenship, the child would be stateless.

4. They were born in Spain, and their origins cannot be determined. This includes foundlings or children with unknown parentage.

5. They were adopted by a Spanish citizen. For minors, citizenship is granted immediately after adoption. For adopted children over 18, Spanish citizenship can be granted within two years after adoption.

For children who can become Spanish citizens immediately after birth or adoption, citizenship must be claimed by their parents.

Registering the birth of a child is the crucial step for obtaining nationality and getting a birth certificate. The child’s parents have 10 days after the birth to register the child with the Civil Registry Office. This period can be extended to 30 days if a valid excuse is provided.

The birth must be recorded in the municipal or consular registry of the place where the child was born. If the birth took place in Spain, parents can apply at the municipal civil registry within their domicile, even if the child was born in a different region.

Documents required to obtain Spanish citizenship for a newborn include the following:

• a completed application form stating the child’s name and surname;

• documents indicating the parents’ identity and nationality, such as passports or national identity cards;

• proof of legal residency in Spain;

• the child’s birth certificate issued by the hospital.

If a child born in Spain does not qualify for immediate citizenship, there is a short pathway to citizenship by naturalisation after one year of legal residence in Spain. The process involves four steps:

1. Obtaining residency for a newborn. The child must reside legally in Spain for one year. This typically requires the parents to have legal residency status.

2. Applying for citizenship. After one year, parents can apply for the child’s citizenship by naturalisation at the local Civil Registry Office.

3. Application processing. Authorities verify the child’s continuous residence and legal status.

4. Acquiring citizenship. Once the verification process is complete, authorities make a decision regarding the granting of citizenship and issue corresponding documents.

When applying at the Civil Registry Office, parents provide the following pack of documents:

• a child’s birth certificate;

• a document proving birth in Spanish territory;

• proof of residency — documentation showing the child’s continuous legal residence in Spain for at least one year;

• parents’ identification — valid passports or national identity cards;

• parents’ proof of legal residence — residence permits or other documents proving the legal status of the parents in Spain.

• a completed application form.

Citizenship for parents. Having a child who is a Spanish citizen does not automatically grant Spanish citizenship to the parents. However, such parents can benefit from a facilitated path to residency and, eventually, citizenship.

Initially, the parents of a Spanish child can apply for residence permits for family reunification. With these permits, they can legally stay and work in Spain.

After 5 years of residing in Spain, foreigners become entitled to permanent residency. Another 5 years later, they gain the right to apply for Spanish citizenship by naturalisation. This period can be reduced under certain circumstances, such as for refugees or nationals of certain Latin American countries.

Upon acquiring Spanish passports, the parents of a Spanish child must renounce their other citizenships. This requirement will not apply if they come from Latin American countries, the Philippines, Andorra, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal.

Prenatal and postnatal healthcare in Spain is renowned for its high quality and affordability. Foreign nationals wishing their children to be born in this country can choose either public or private medical care.

Public clinics in Spain provide comprehensive coverage to expectant mothers, available for free or at a reduced cost to both Spanish citizens and legal residents. The coverage includes regular prenatal check-ups, at least three ultrasound scans, delivery, and postnatal care.

In Spain, maternity care is not covered under the European Health Insurance Card scheme. Thus, citizens and residents of other EU countries should have Spanish health insurance to be eligible for free public prenatal and postnatal care.

For non-residents, emergency childbirth medical services are provided for free. However, routine prenatal and postnatal care services are typically not covered. Foreigners planning to come to Spain only for delivery should probably purchase travel insurance that includes maternity coverage.

Spanish private clinics are usually chosen by those seeking higher comfort and more personalised care throughout pregnancy and delivery. The cost of giving birth in a private hospital in Spain ranges from €2,000 to €6,000, depending on the complexity of the delivery and the hospital chosen.

Expectant mothers usually need a private insurance policy to cover maternity costs. Insurance should be purchased in advance, as most insurers have a 6—16 months waiting period when a client cannot file their claims.

To give birth in Spain and be able to legally stay in the country after the delivery, foreign nationals need to obtain Spanish residency. Spain offers several types of residence permits to accommodate different needs and circumstances.

Common types of residence permits, such as work or family reunification permits, allow foreign citizens employed in Spain or having relatives there to move to the country. These permits are usually granted for one year and can be extended only if the grounds for obtaining them still exist.

The Spain Golden Visa allows wealthy foreigners to acquire Spanish residency in return for significant investment in the country’s economy. Applicants invest in one of the available options:

• property purchase — €500,000+;

• opening a deposit in a Spanish bank — €1,000,000+;

• purchase of shares of Spanish companies — €1,000,000+;

• purchase of units in investment funds — €1,000,000+;

• purchase of government bonds — €2,000,000+;

• business investments — no threshold specified.

The initial Spain Golden Visa is valid for 3 years. Once expired, it can be extended for another 5 years. To maintain residency, the investor and their family must keep the investment. Moving to Spain is not obligatory.

After living in Spain for 5 years, Golden Visa holders can apply for permanent residency. In five more years, they become eligible for citizenship.

The Spain Digital Nomad Visa is granted to foreigners who want to live in Spain while working remotely for non-Spanish companies.

To qualify, candidates must earn at least €2,646 per month, or €31,752 per year. Adding dependents increases monthly income requirements: a digital nomad demonstrates an extra €993 for a spouse and €331 for every other family member.

Self-employed digital nomads are allowed to work in Spain, provided that their income from Spanish sources does not exceed 20% of their total monthly income.

The residence permit is initially granted for 3 years, extendable for another 2 years. After 5 years of living in Spain, a digital nomad can obtain permanent residency. After another 5 years, they become eligible for Spanish citizenship.

1. Spain follows “the right of blood, ” granting citizenship based on parentage, rather than “the right of soil, ” which is based on birth location.

2. Newborns in Spain automatically receive Spanish citizenship if born to Spanish parents or if they would otherwise be stateless.

3. For children who don’t qualify for immediate citizenship, a facilitated naturalisation process is available after one year of legal residence in Spain.

4. Parents of naturalised children can obtain residence permits for family reunification and are entitled to apply for citizenship after 10 years of living in the country.

5. To legally reside in Spain before giving birth to a child, non-Spanish parents need to have residence permits. Some of the available options include the Spain Digital Nomad Visa and the Spain Golden Visa.