Nationality by residence — 1 year, born in Spanish territory
Citizenship in Spain
- Eligibility
- 1-year reduced residence for persons born in Spanish territory (CC Art 22.2.a). Distinct from CC Art 17 (origin) and Art 22.1 (10-year standard). Requires lawful continuous residence + DELE A2 (Instituto Cervantes) + CCSE civics test (Instituto Cervantes) per RD 1004/2015 Art 6. Distinct from ES-BTH-01 (double ius soli with origin status). Confers nationalidad por residencia (acquired status, not of origin).
- Timeline
- short
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
Overview. ES-BTH-04 is the Spanish nationality-by-residence route available to applicants who were born in Spanish territory, for whom the standard residence requirement is reduced to one year. It sits within the general residence framework of the Código Civil (Artículos 17 a 26, Título Primero, Libro Primero: De la nacionalidad), and is granted on the specific legal basis of Código Civil Art 22.2.a.
Under Art 22.1, nationality by residence ordinarily requires 10 years of legal residence. That period is shortened in defined cases: 5 years for recognised refugees; 2 years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, or for Sephardic beneficiaries; and 1 year in the situations set out in Art 22.2 — including persons born on Spanish territory (Art 22.2.a) and the widow or widower of a Spaniard not legally or factually separated at the time of death (Art 22.2.d). This route addresses the first of those one-year categories.
The competent authority is the DGSJFP (Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública, under the Ministerio de Justicia), working with the territorial Registros Civiles. Apex review lies with the Tribunal Constitucional on constitutional questions and the Tribunal Supremo, Sala 3ª on contentious-administrative matters.
The route is currently active. Relative to other Spanish nationality pathways, it carries a short timeline tier and a moderate documentation burden.
Requirements
Required: (1) 1 year continuous legal residence post-birth in Spain (autorización de residencia regular + empadronamiento histórico); (2) DELE A2 from Instituto Cervantes (or exemption for IB-Am nationals + minors + 70); (3) CCSE constitutional knowledge exam; (4) Certificado de antecedentes penales home country + Spain; (5) Birth certificate + parents' documents; (6) Tasa 026 fee €104.05 (2026). Application online via Sede Electrónica Ministerio de Justicia (telematic since 2015 Ley 19/2015).
Requirement framework: per Código Civil — Artículos 17 a 26 (Título Primero, Libro Primero: De la nacionalidad). Standard residence floor: 10 años residencia general; 5 años para refugiados; 2 años para nacionales iberoamericanos/Filipinas/Guinea Ecuatorial/Portugal/Sefardíes; 1 año para casados/hijos/nietos. Language pillar: Español castellano — DELE A2 + CCSE (Instituto Cervantes); exempted for Iberoamericans, Filipinos, Equatoguineans, Portuguese, Sephardic, < 18, >= 70 (cohort-specific). Special exemptions for Iberoamericans + Filipinos + Equatoguineans + Portuguese + Sephardic. Authority: DGSJFP (Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública) under Ministerio de Justicia; Registros Civiles (territorial).
Example scenarios
age 35
Eligible
Standard applicant profile for ES-BTH-04
age 18
Timing-sensitive
Age-cutoff review for ES-BTH-04
age 60
check emigrant exception
Emigrant heritage review for ES-BTH-04
age 40
check EU residence directive applicability
EU-law overlay review for ES-BTH-04
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-25.
Track changes to this route
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