Guide for US citizens · 2026

Spanish citizenship in two years for Latin Americans

Dual US–Latin American citizens can naturalise in Spain after two years of legal residence. How the digital nomad visa starts that clock in 2026.

Last reviewed 13 August 2026

Get a free eligibility check Jump to the FAQ

Quick answer

Article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code reduces the residence requirement for Spanish nationality from ten years to two for nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for people of Sephardic origin. A US citizen who is also a national by origin of Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru or another Ibero-American country keeps that fast track, and a 2025 court ruling confirmed that holding US nationality alongside does not forfeit it. The digital nomad visa is the fastest legal on-ramp for someone in that position: it is a residence permit that can be obtained from the United States, and the two-year clock runs from legal residence in Spain.

The numbers that matter

Standard residence: 10 years
Ibero-American nationals: 2 years
Clock starts: Legal residence
Route in: DNV

Who the two-year track covers

Article 22 of the Civil Code sets ten years of legal, continuous residence as the general rule for naturalisation, with reductions: five years for those granted refugee status, and two years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for people of Sephardic origin.

The category is defined by nationality of origin, not by ancestry alone or by where you happen to have lived. Someone born a Mexican national who later naturalised as a US citizen is within it. Someone with a Mexican grandparent but no Mexican nationality is not.

Does US citizenship break the fast track?

This was the open question for a long time, and it worried a lot of dual nationals. A 2025 Spanish court ruling confirmed that dual US–Latin American nationals retain the two-year reduction: holding US citizenship alongside an Ibero-American nationality does not remove the benefit that the Ibero-American nationality confers.

A separate question is what Spain asks of you at the moment of naturalisation regarding your other nationalities. Spain generally permits dual nationality with Ibero-American countries by treaty and does not require renouncing them; the position for other nationalities is different and worth confirming for your specific combination before you rely on it.

This is the point on which to take individual advice rather than a general guide. The combination of nationalities you hold, and where each came from, changes the answer.

Why the digital nomad visa fits this plan

The two-year clock runs on legal residence in Spain. To start it, you need a residence permit — and the digital nomad visa is one of the few that a professional living in the United States can obtain without a Spanish employer, a family link or an investment.

The DNV as a route to the two-year clock
Question	Answer
Does DNV time count towards naturalisation?	Yes — it is legal residence
Can I get it from the United States?	Yes, at the consulate with jurisdiction over your address
How long is the first permit?	1 year via the consulate, 3 years via the UGE
Does it cover my family?	Yes, with the income add-ons of €1,068 and €356
What do I have to keep doing?	Maintain the permit, renew on time, and keep residence continuous and legal

What two years of residence actually requires

Legal residence: a valid permit throughout, with renewals filed on time. A gap between permits can break continuity.
Continuity: extended absences from Spain can be treated as interrupting residence, so long trips need thought.
Registration: empadronamiento, and a documentary record consistent with actually living in Spain.
The CCSE test on Spanish constitutional and social knowledge, and the DELE A2 language exam. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the DELE.
A clean criminal record in Spain and in your countries of origin.

Note that two years is the residence requirement, not the total time to a passport. The naturalisation file itself takes additional time to resolve after it is submitted, and that period varies.

Have a Spanish lawyer handle it

Abroad Life prepares, reviews and files your application through a lawyer admitted to a Spanish bar (abogado colegiado). Fixed price, agreed before you start, and the whole process runs online.

472 € VAT included

Spanish administrative fees are paid separately to the authorities.

Start with a free diagnosis See the service page (in Spanish)

Frequently asked questions

Can Latin Americans get Spanish citizenship in two years?

Yes. Article 22 of the Spanish Civil Code reduces the residence requirement to two years for nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and for people of Sephardic origin. The requirement is nationality of origin, not ancestry alone.

I am a dual US–Mexican citizen. Do I still get the two-year track?

Yes. A 2025 Spanish court ruling confirmed that holding US nationality alongside an Ibero-American nationality does not remove the reduced residence period. What you should confirm individually is what Spain asks of you regarding each of your nationalities at the moment of naturalisation.

Does time on the digital nomad visa count towards citizenship?

Yes. The digital nomad permit is legal residence, so time held under it counts towards naturalisation — as well as towards long-term residency at five years.

Do I need to pass a language exam?

Applicants must generally pass the CCSE test on Spanish constitutional and social knowledge and the DELE A2 Spanish exam. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the DELE requirement.

Does two years of residence mean I get a passport in two years?

Two years is the residence requirement to become eligible to apply. The naturalisation application itself is then processed, which takes additional time that varies. Plan on more than two years in total.

Primary sources

Figures and legal references on this page come from the sources below. Requirements and thresholds change: check the current position before you rely on it.

This page is general information about how Spanish immigration and tax rules work, not legal or tax advice for an individual case. Every file Abroad Life submits is prepared and filed by a lawyer admitted to a Spanish bar.

Find out if you qualify, before you spend anything

Create a free account, answer a few questions about how you work and what you earn, and a Spanish immigration lawyer reviews whether the digital nomad visa fits your situation.

Get your free diagnosis