What type of residence is required for the purpose of applying for Spanish citizenship?

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	What type of residence is required for the purpose of applying for Spanish citizenship? Immigration Law Antonio Flores Vila 26th of December 2000
Q. I have heard that nationals of former Spanish colonies and sephardic jews need only 2 years "residence" in Spain to be eligible for citizenship. When they say "residence", does this mean 2 years of permanent residence or does it include any type of residence, be it temporary or student residence? Tess Ballesteros Harris New York
A. Certainly nationals of former Spanish colonies, sephardic jews, citizens from the Phillipines, Portugal and Guinea need only 2 years of residence in Spain to be eligible for citizenship. This residence, according to the law, has to be uninterrupted, which means you cannot become a resident of another country meanwhile and then reapply to achieve the period of 2 years. The Civil Code establishes that the residence situation has to be legal, uninterrupted and prior to the application for nationality. Therefore, any residence situation, as long as it complies with the above requirements, is valid for the purposes of obtaining citizenship. Let us know if you need more help Ask a Question