https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Applying for Spanish citizenship can be a complex process - and the terminology used by Spanish authorities is equally hard. We've broken down the words and phrases you're likely to come across during the application process. https://www.thelocal.es/20260914/the-vocabulary-you-need-to-understand-the-spanish-citizenship-process Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:46:37 +0200 the-vocabulary-you-need-to-understand-the-spanish-citizenship-process Spain's conservative People's Party continues to toughen its stance on migration by proposing a law that would revoke the Spanish citizenship of naturalised foreigners who commit serious crimes in the country. https://www.thelocal.es/20260916/pp-aims-to-revoke-spanish-citizenship-of-foreigners-who-commit-crimes Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:47:07 +0200 pp-aims-to-revoke-spanish-citizenship-of-foreigners-who-commit-crimes Spanish lawmakers on Thursday backed a law granting citizenship to tens of thousands of Western Saharans who were born when Spain ran the disputed territory now largely controlled by Morocco. https://www.thelocal.es/20260911/spain-to-give-sahrawis-citizenship-despite-tensions-with-morocco Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:35:07 +0200 spain-to-give-sahrawis-citizenship-despite-tensions-with-morocco Spain's Supreme Court has provisionally suspended the voting rights of many individuals who've obtained Spanish citizenship via the Democratic Memory Law, commonly known as the ‘Grandchildren’s Law’. https://www.thelocal.es/20260910/spain-cuts-voting-rights-for-foreigners-with-citizenship-via-grandchildrens-law Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:07:23 +0200 spain-cuts-voting-rights-for-foreigners-with-citizenship-via-grandchildrens-law If you’re a non-native Spanish speaker who wants to obtain Spanish nationality after ten years of residency, you will have to sit a Spanish language exam if you want to obtain citizenship. Is your Spanish good enough? https://www.thelocal.es/20240205/how-good-does-my-spanish-language-level-have-to-be-to-get-citizenship Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:13:32 +0100 how-good-does-my-spanish-language-level-have-to-be-to-get-citizenship Though the headline figures show a trebling under the current Socialist government, in reality the data is more nuanced and the Sánchez government's high rate of citizenship concessions isn't out of keeping with recent history. https://www.thelocal.es/20260707/spanish-citizenship-concessions-treble-under-sanchez-data-shows Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:47:53 +0200 spanish-citizenship-concessions-treble-under-sanchez-data-shows The Spanish Congress has taken another step towards granting Spanish citizenship to Sahrawi people from Western Sahara, with a close vote clearing the way for thousands from the former colony to gain Spanish passports. https://www.thelocal.es/20260702/spains-congress-approves-granting-citizenship-to-sahrawis Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:36:50 +0200 spains-congress-approves-granting-citizenship-to-sahrawis Far-right party Vox has included a 'national priority' clause in regional agreements with the centre-right Popular Party. But what is it and why can't the party itself agree who actually counts as Spanish? https://www.thelocal.es/20260602/how-spains-far-right-is-struggling-to-define-what-being-spanish-is Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:47:28 +0200 how-spains-far-right-is-struggling-to-define-what-being-spanish-is If you're eligible and are thinking about applying for Spanish citizenship, should you get a lawyer to help you or can you do it yourself? And how much would it cost to get legal help? https://www.thelocal.es/20260526/is-it-worth-getting-a-lawyer-for-your-spanish-citizenship-application Tue, 26 May 2026 11:17:05 +0200 is-it-worth-getting-a-lawyer-for-your-spanish-citizenship-application Nearly 300,000 foreigners obtained Spanish nationality in 2025, the highest figure since official statistics began more than a decade ago, authorities said Thursday. https://www.thelocal.es/20260529/spain-grants-citizenship-to-300000-foreigners-in-one-year Fri, 29 May 2026 09:43:51 +0200 spain-grants-citizenship-to-300000-foreigners-in-one-year If you're an American who's eligible for Spanish citizenship, you may be considering what this will mean for your US citizenship. Can you keep it? Should you renounce US citizenship? And is Donald Trump planning to change citizenship laws in some way? https://www.thelocal.es/20260520/do-i-have-to-give-up-my-us-citizenship-if-i-become-spanish Wed, 20 May 2026 12:14:22 +0200 do-i-have-to-give-up-my-us-citizenship-if-i-become-spanish Have you applied for Spanish citizenship recently and are awaiting a response, or are you considering applying this year? Find out how long it might take to get an answer in 2026. https://www.thelocal.es/20260508/how-long-are-waiting-times-for-spanish-citizenship-in-2026 Fri, 08 May 2026 08:42:08 +0200 how-long-are-waiting-times-for-spanish-citizenship-in-2026 Following the deadline for Spanish citizenship applications via the so-called 'Grandchildren's Law', Spain's consulates around the world are struggling to process the flood in applications. https://www.thelocal.es/20260414/spanish-consulates-struggle-with-over-half-a-million-citizenship-applications Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:31:46 +0200 spanish-consulates-struggle-with-over-half-a-million-citizenship-applications Are you a Brit who's thinking of applying for Spanish citizenship but you're concerned whether this will mean losing British citizenship? The rules about holding onto both nationalities can be confusing, so here’s what Spanish and British law says. https://www.thelocal.es/20260302/will-i-lose-my-british-citizenship-if-i-become-spanish Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:39:14 +0100 will-i-lose-my-british-citizenship-if-i-become-spanish If you've lived in Spain for the required amount of time and are thinking of applying for Spanish citizenship, here are 12 essential articles to guide you through the process and clear up some common doubts. https://www.thelocal.es/20260225/12-must-read-articles-before-applying-for-spanish-citizenship Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:01:29 +0100 12-must-read-articles-before-applying-for-spanish-citizenship Though Spain has granted citizenship to more people than other European countries in recent years, the application process is incredibly lengthy and fraught with pitfalls. Here are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them. https://www.thelocal.es/20230316/common-mistakes-when-applying-for-spanish-citizenship-and-how-to-avoid-them Thu, 16 Mar 2023 16:34:12 +0100 common-mistakes-when-applying-for-spanish-citizenship-and-how-to-avoid-them Thinking about applying for Spanish citizenship but worried about the exams? Here's how many people pass the culture and language tests required to become a Spanish national. https://www.thelocal.es/20260220/whats-the-pass-rate-for-the-culture-and-language-exams-for-spanish-citizenship Fri, 20 Feb 2026 09:50:39 +0100 whats-the-pass-rate-for-the-culture-and-language-exams-for-spanish-citizenship As rhetoric on immigration in Spain continues escalating, the far-right Vox party has called for an 'audit' of Spanish citizenships granted by the Sánchez government. https://www.thelocal.es/20260203/spains-far-right-calls-for-review-of-a-million-citizenships-granted-under-sanchez Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:33:34 +0100 spains-far-right-calls-for-review-of-a-million-citizenships-granted-under-sanchez Being born in Spain gives you the life-long right to apply for Spanish nationality after a year of residency, but if you’re a foreigner who left Spain as a child or later, do you also have the automatic right to move back to the country? https://www.thelocal.es/20231214/does-being-born-in-spain-give-me-spanish-residency-rights-for-life Thu, 14 Dec 2023 18:01:10 +0100 does-being-born-in-spain-give-me-spanish-residency-rights-for-life Spain has received a surge of citizenship applications from descendants of emigrants who fled the country's 1930s civil war and Francisco Franco's dictatorship under a scheme aimed at addressing historical injustices. https://www.thelocal.es/20251215/how-spain-has-paved-the-way-to-citizenship-for-descendants-of-franco-era-exiles Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:38:58 +0100 how-spain-has-paved-the-way-to-citizenship-for-descendants-of-franco-era-exiles