Spanish citizenship by residence for Latin American doctors and nurses

Who can apply for Spanish citizenship after only 2 years of residence?

Nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, plus Sephardic Jews, with 2 years of legal, continuous residence immediately before the application. This is the reduced period of article 22 of the Civil Code; the general period is 10 years.

Ibero-American countries for this purpose: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. Most doctors and nurses who have their degree recognised in Spain fall under this route.

The 2 years are counted backwards from the day you file. What matters is the type of authorisation you held on each day of that period, not when you entered Spain or when your degree was recognised. That is why Bookahospi rebuilds your permit history before filing anything.

Which permits count towards the 2 years and which do not? Does the MIR count?

Any residence authorisation counts: employed residence and work permit, EU Blue Card, arraigo, family reunification, non-lucrative residence, digital nomad or long-term residence. A study stay does not count. A non-EU MIR resident is on a stay (Law 44/2003 and RD 1155/2024 regime), so those years do not add up even if you pay contributions in a public hospital.

The clock starts when you obtain a residence authorisation: when you modify your study stay into a residence and work permit at the end of your specialty, or when you obtain a socio-labour arraigo. A doctor with 4 years of MIR on a study visa who then signs a contract with a residence and work permit can apply 2 years after that authorisation, not at the end of the MIR.

And if you let a renewal lapse and file it late, you can break continuity and start counting again.

How long can I be outside Spain without losing continuity?

The law does not set a number of days of absence. As a practical criterion, according to Costaluz Lawyers (consulted in October 2026), absences that do not exceed 6 consecutive months or 10 months in total within the required period are accepted. It is a case-law criterion, not a legal figure, and each file is assessed individually.

• Holidays or conferences do not affect you if you keep your home, contract and municipal registration in Spain. An external rotation of several months can compromise continuity: document that it was temporary and linked to your job here.
• Absences are proven with passport stamps and, if needed, the migration movements certificate from the Police. Bookahospi reviews your travel history before filing, because a long absence found afterwards usually ends in refusal.

Requirements for citizenship by residence in 2026: CCSE, DELE, criminal records and fee

Besides the 2 years, the Ministry of Justice requires integration (CCSE exam by the Instituto Cervantes), good civic conduct (criminal records from your country and from Spain) and knowledge of Spanish. Nationals of Spanish-speaking countries are exempt from the DELE A2. The fee for form 790-026 is 104.05 EUR, according to Cohen y Aguirre and Costaluz Lawyers, 2026.

• CCSE: test of constitutional and sociocultural knowledge, mandatory for every adult applicant, doctors and nurses included.
• DELE A2: only if Spanish is not an official language of your country. Colombians, Venezuelans, Argentinians, Peruvians, Mexicans or Cubans are exempt; Brazilians and Filipinos must pass it.
• Criminal record certificate from your country, apostilled or legalised and translated, no older than 3 months at filing, plus the Spanish criminal record certificate.
• Full passport and valid TIE, apostilled birth certificate, historical municipal registration, employment history and your contract with the hospital or clinic.

Citizenship is a separate track from degree recognition and professional registration: it is decided by the Ministry of Justice, not by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities or your College. A recognised degree does not speed up the file, and citizenship does not recognise your degree.

How long does Spanish citizenship by residence take in 2026?

The legal deadline is 1 year from the date the file enters the Directorate-General for Legal Certainty and Public Faith (art. 11.3 of RD 1004/2015), with negative silence: without a reply, the application is deemed refused and can be appealed. In practice, according to Cohen y Aguirre (3 March 2026), a decision takes between 12 and 24 months depending on the Ministry of Justice workload.

While the file is pending, your residence authorisation governs: renew it on time and keep your contract and contributions.

Step by step: how to apply for Spanish citizenship as a doctor or nurse

1. 1

   Rebuild your authorisation history

   Bookahospi reviews in Booka every permit, its dates and your absences, and confirms you have 2 years of continuous legal residence with no study-stay or MIR periods. Time: 1 week.

2. 2

   Pass the CCSE exam

   You register with the Instituto Cervantes and sit the test; Bookahospi tells you the session and provides the official material. If your country is not Spanish-speaking, also the DELE A2. Time: 1-2 months until the certificate.

3. 3

   Request your criminal record certificate at home

   You request the certificate in your country and have it apostilled or legalised through the consulate; Bookahospi handles the sworn translation. Valid 3 months, so it is requested last. Time: 2-6 weeks depending on the country.

4. 4

   Gather the Spanish documents

   Bookahospi obtains, or tells you how to obtain, the Spanish criminal record certificate, historical municipal registration, employment history and a copy of your contract. Time: 1-2 weeks.

5. 5

   Pay fee 790-026 and file

   Bookahospi pays the 104.05 EUR fee (according to secondary sources, 2026) and files the complete file online with the Ministry of Justice. Time: the same day.

6. 6

   Answer requests for documents

   The Ministry may ask for additional documents or updates of expired ones. Bookahospi answers within the deadline and notifies you in Booka of each status change. Time: during the 12-24 months of processing (March 2026).

7. 7

   Take the oath and update your registration

   After the grant you have 180 calendar days to swear before the Civil Registry or a notary; if they pass, the grant lapses. Then you collect your DNI and notify your College, Social Security and the hospital. Time: 180 days plus weeks of appointments.

Oath within 180 days and dual citizenship: do I have to give up my passport?

Not if you are from an Ibero-American country, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal: the Civil Code does not require renouncing your previous nationality. A Colombian, Venezuelan or Argentinian doctor keeps their passport and holds both. Nationals of other countries do declare renunciation at the oath, with the effect determined by their country's law.

The oath or promise must take place within 180 calendar days of notification of the grant (arts. 21.4 and 23 of the Civil Code). It is the easiest deadline to miss: many grants arrive mid-rotation, on holiday at home or while changing hospitals. Bookahospi alerts you as soon as it is notified and helps with the appointment. After the oath your birth is registered in the Civil Registry, you apply for DNI and passport and your TIE becomes irrelevant: you are an EU citizen.

Professional registration and public posts after naturalisation: what changes for a doctor or nurse

Citizenship changes your administrative status, not your professional one. You still need your degree recognised by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and, to practise as a specialist in public healthcare, recognition of your specialty (RD 459/2010). What changes is access to posts.

• Registration: you notify the change of nationality and provide your DNI so the College updates your record. No need to register again; it remains mandatory and provincial.
• Permanent public post: National Health System competitive exams require Spanish or EU citizenship for permanent statutory staff. With citizenship that barrier disappears; without it, in practice you are limited to temporary contracts depending on each call.
• MIR: if you do not yet have a specialty, as a Spanish citizen you enter the general quota, not the non-EU one, and no longer need a study visa. Your foreign spouse and children move to the EU citizen family member regime.

That is why Bookahospi plans the three tracks together: degree recognition with the Ministry, registration with your provincial College and immigration (residence, renewals and citizenship) in Booka, so you reach the oath ready for the first competitive exam that is called.

By country of origin

What changes if you come from Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, Peru or Cuba?

Every country in the table qualifies for citizenship after 2 years of legal residence and, being Spanish-speaking, exempts you from the DELE. The criminal record certificate from home must be apostilled (or legalised, if you are Cuban) and less than 3 months old when filed.

• All are Ibero-American countries: Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal residence (art. 22 of the Civil Code) and exemption from the DELE exam as Spanish speakers.
• Documents must be filed less than 3 months old and with a sworn translation if not in Spanish.

Consular addresses and districts: exteriores.gob.es. Apostille authorities: Hague Conference (hcch.net).