Moroccans topped the list of new Spanish citizens

Of the 144,800 naturalizations, 42,000 Moroccans became Spanish citizens in 2021. They are followed by Romanians (10.5% of the 28,600 naturalized in Europe), Brazilians (15.7% of the total 20,400 naturalized) and Russians (7.8% of the 17,300 naturalized). Then come Ecuadorians (68.2% of a total of 12,200) and Colombians (77.3% of a total of 10,800).

Read: Moroccans, Spain’s first naturalized foreign community

Acquiring Spanish citizenship through residency can take a long time – 12 to 13 years if you consider processing times. In addition, a foreigner wishing to obtain Spanish citizenship must have been legally resident in Spain for ten years without a prolonged absence. However, the process is more flexible for citizens of Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking Ibero-American countries, particularly Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. , Panama, Peru, Paraguay, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela, as well as nationals of the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra or Portugal.

Read: More than 40,000 Moroccans to acquire Spanish citizenship in 2021

After two years of legal residence in Spain they can apply for Spanish citizenship. Marrying a Spaniard speeds up the process, which goes from ten years to a year, but it’s still necessary to fully master the language.