Applying for Spanish Citizenship? Keep reading to learn about what your Spanish Citizenship Test and Interview will consist of and to get some helpful, practical tips to ace them!
Before diving in, you might want to take our Spanish proficiency level test to see where you stand.
Table of Contents
- How to get Spanish Citizenship
- Spanish Proficiency Test and Citizenship Interview
- How can KwizIQ Spanish help me prepare for my Spanish proficiency test and citizenship interview?
How to get Spanish Citizenship
Obtaining Spanish citizenship by residency requires living in the country legally (that is, in possession of a residency permit) for up to 10 years.
You will also need to pass a Spanish proficiency test as well as demonstrate your knowledge of Spanish history and culture.
For an overview of the requirements and procedures involved in applying for Spanish citizenship, check out our audio article La nacionalidad española por residencia. We created this feature to help you get the facts AND practise your Spanish at the same time!
For additional information about the conditions and requirements of obtaining Spanish citizenship, see the official sites for the Ministerio de Justicia and the Gobierno de España.
Spanish Proficiency Test and Citizenship Interview
In order to obtain Spanish citizenship, you need to prove your Spanish proficiency by either passing a test or meeting certain criteria (e.g., having a degree from a Spanish university). Understanding your proficiency level according to the CEFR framework can help you determine which test or diploma might be appropriate for you. If you're interested in understanding more about the different official tests and diplomas accepted by the Spanish Government, take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Spanish Tests and Diplomas.
The most daunting part of the citizenship process, however, may be the interview, during which you need to demonstrate your knowledge of Spanish history and culture. To learn this information, study the Manual para la preparación de la Prueba de Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España (CCSE).
Our friend María Virginia went through this process a few years ago and shared her experiences and thoughts for our bilingual Reader: Ciudadanía española: la experiencia de María Virginia.
Spanish citizenship: Language proficiency test
The Spanish language level test includes both listening and speaking sections, but there’s a chance you might be eligible to be exempted from it by obtaining an official diploma or certificate to prove you have reached at least B1 level in all four competencies: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
If you're interested in understanding more about the different official tests and diplomas accepted by the Spanish Government, take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Spanish Tests and Diplomas.
Spanish citizenship: Constitution and Culture test
This is the time to demonstrate your knowledge of Spanish government and culture. As mentioned above, you can take a look at the Manual CCSE to discover the information you'll need.
You are expected to know about things like key dates in Spanish history, Spanish values, important symbols and governmental organisation, among other topics.How can KwizIQ Spanish help me prepare for my Spanish proficiency test and citizenship interview?
The Spanish resources offered throughout KwizIQ Spanish will help you steadily improve your language skills. We also have a series of Spanish kwizzes based specifically on the content from the Manuel CCSE so that you can put your Spanish to the test while simultaneously learning this essential information.
In addition to the facts and figures from the Manuel CCSE, you'll also need to demonstrate knowledge of and an appreciation for Spanish culture. KwizIQ Spanish has a huge body of content related to everything from art to sports that you can use to learn more about the richness of Spanish history and culture.
Art & Design
- 12 self-portraits by Pablo Picasso
Learn about Pablo Picasso's self-portraits. - Un viaje a Egipto
Choose the correct form of the demonstrative adjective given in the hint. Remember to look for gender and number clues in the rest of the phrase to make sure you get the agreement right.
- Desde mi balcón
instead of being a physical event, 2020's PhotoEspaña will be an online event. This reading and listening exercise can help you practise El Subjuntivo.
Employment
- Child care "Madre de día"
Berta tells us about her profession. - ¡Por fin soy socorrista!
Choose the right past tense from the hint to fill in the blanks: El Pretérito Imperfecto (e.g. "trabajaba"), El Pretérito Indefinido (e.g. "trabajé") or El Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto (e.g. "he trabajado").
- 21st century shepherds
Rosa is changing her profession to became a shepherdess.
Famous People
- Gisela Pulido
Fill in the blanks with the right form of El Presente. Pay attention to the hints!
- A cup of water and a rose
Fabilola is contemplating a stunning masterpiece by Zurbarán. - El papa Francisco
Pope Francis sadly passed away on April 21. He was a remarkable figure whose life story unfolded like an inspirational journey of faith and humility. This exercise can help you practise using El Pretérito Imperfecto vs El Pretérito Indefinido, forming the imperative for usted, ustedes, nosotros affirmative and negative commands and difference between cómo and como, with and without an accent.
Film & TV
- A documentary about the Sun
Javier watched a documentary about the Sun last night. - Maxi Iglesias
Fill in the blanks with the right form of El Pretérito Indefinido. Pay attention to the hints!
- ¿Harás caso a todo lo que se dice? Coca-Cola Light advert
This advert for Coca-Cola Light can help you practise El Imperativo and El Futuro.
Food & Drink
- ¿Sabías cuál es el origen del turrón?
Discover the traditional Spanish Christmas nougat called turrón. - La receta del gazpacho de Sonia
Choose the correct passive form from the hint.
- ¿De dónde vienen los deliciosos burritos?
Have you ever wondered who invented burritos? This C1 exercise can help you practise the imperfect vs the preterite, using the imperative of mirar/oír with specific meanings and repetition to give emphasis.
Monuments, Tourism & Vacations
- El clima
Choose either hace, hay, está or an impersonal verb to talk about the weather. See also Weather vocabulary in Spanish
- Un viaje a Egipto
Choose the correct form of the demonstrative adjective given in the hint. Remember to look for gender and number clues in the rest of the phrase to make sure you get the agreement right.
- ¿Beach or mountain?
Olivia has find the perfect summer destination that means not choosing between the beach and going to the mountains.
Politics & History
- 23-F: Coup d'Etat in Spain
This exercise is based on events that occurred on 23 February 1981, when Lieutenant-Colonel Tejero led 200 civil guards in a coup d'État against the recently-formed Spanish democracy. - ¿Cuál es la capital de Bolivia?
Do you know which city is the capital of Bolivia? Not as simple a question as you might think! This exercise can help you practise la pasiva de estado, por mí que vs para mí que, using ni... ni... and subordinate causal clauses. - A dignified old age
Are the social rights of older people truly respected in our societies?
Celebrations & Important Dates
- ¿Quién es la Fallera Mayor de Valencia?
Valencia's most spectacular, colourful and noisy celebration is Fallas, which takes place in March every year, culminating on 19 March: the feast day of Saint Joseph. Each year one lucky fallera is selected to be the Fallera Mayor de Valencia. This exercise can help you practise El Presente de Subjuntivo, El Futuro Simple, and the position of adjectives. - ¿Y a ti qué te ha dejado Santa?
It's Christmas morning! Our gift to you is this reading and listening exercise that can help you practise El Pretérito Perfecto and El Imperfecto Progresivo. - 2021: the Year of the Ox
Learn about the new Chinese year for 2021.
Immigration & Citizenship
- El certificado de empadronamiento
The Spanish "certificado de empadronamiento" is one of the first bureaucratic steps someone from abroad needs to get sorted when settling in Spain. - Convertirse en autónomo/-a en España
Navigating the process of becoming self-employed in Spain can be a rewarding path to independence and opportunity. From registering with Social Security to understanding taxes, we’ll break it down step by step. - An experience in the Turkish bath
My holistic experience in a wonderful Turkish bath.
Language & Education
- ¡Está como una cabra!
This C1 reading and listening exercise can help you practise idioms with animals. - ¡Somos la leche!
What if your best friend was also your sibling? This C1 exercise can help you practise idioms related to food. - Refranes de febrero
Fill in the gaps with either the definite or the indefinite article.
Literature, Poetry, Theatre
- 40 books to read before 40
Tomas accepted the challenge of reading a selection of 40 books before turning 40. - Bodas de Sangre
Fill in the gaps with the right form of El Presente. Note that there is one use of the "Present Historic" where in English we would use the simple past.
- Almudena Grandes
Find out more about her life and work of author Almudena Grandes with this B1 reading and listening exercise that can help you practise the pasiva refleja, El Pretérito indefinido and El Pretérito imperfecto.
Music
- La canción del verano
Choose the right option to fill in the gap.
- ¿Quién es Alejandro Sanz?
Write the correct form of each verb in El Presente.
- A night with Bad Bunny
Valentina and her friend Camila finally see Bad Bunny live in concert.
Sports & Leisure
- A basketball game
There was an exciting basketball match last Saturday. - Alquilando un piso
This reading and listening exercise can help you practise pronominal verbs, verbal periphrasis and subordinate clauses. - Alexia Putellas: icono del fútbol español femenino
Alexia Putellas is a Spanish football icon who continues to showcase her talent and leadership on the field.
Create your free KwizIQ Spanish account here to get your Spanish level and start practising your reading and listening skills while learning about all the topics you’ll need for your Spanish citizenship test and interview.