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
- A big fan of Park Güell
Admire the unique Park Guell in Barcelona by Antoni Gaudí. - 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. - Aprende a decorar mesas navideñas
It’s time to add a seasonal touch to really get in the festive sprit! This exercise can help you practise subordinate clauses in the subjunctive and the indicative plus relative clauses with prepositions.
Employment
- 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. - ¡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").
- El fontanero y las goteras
Fill in the blanks with the right word from Plumbing vocabulary in Spanish. Pay attention to the hints!
Famous People
- Gisela Pulido
Fill in the blanks with the right form of El Presente. Pay attention to the hints!
- 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. - ¡HELLO!
Sandra cannot wait to know who this week's ¡HOLA! exclusive is about.
Film & TV
- Maxi Iglesias
Fill in the blanks with the right form of El Pretérito Indefinido. Pay attention to the hints!
- A documentary about the Sun
Javier watched a documentary about the Sun last night. - ¿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
- ¿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. - A Christmas cocktail
Celebrate the season in style with our special cocktail. - Las Tapas
Choose either El Imperfecto or El Pretérito Indefinido to complete this story. Pay attention to the hints to use the right verb!
Monuments, Tourism & Vacations
- A big surprise!
Adela tells us about an axciting surprise she got from her boyfriend. - ¿Qué harías en Bilbao?
Learn about the delights of the Basque city of Bilbao while practising El Condicional. - 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.
Politics & History
- A purple tide
Learn about the purple tide in Spain. - A disappointing purchase
Sometimes we rush too much when faced with a bargain. - El nombre de La Alhambra
Conjugate the verb in the hint in El Pretérito Imperfecto, for example: hablar = hablaba
Celebrations & Important Dates
- 2021: the Year of the Ox
Learn about the new Chinese year for 2021. - Adviento
Fill in the gaps with the right form of El Presente.
- ¿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.
Immigration & Citizenship
- Ciudadanía española: la experiencia de María Virginia
Listen to María Virginia's experience of applying for Spanish nationality and, in particular, the types of questions that came up in the General Culture exam. This A2 exercise can help you practise El Indefinido, El Imperfecto, and the use and position of the preposition de for descriptions. - Una queja por ruido
Carlos asks his friend Merche for some advice about some noisy neighbors. Practise El Condicional Simple with this gapfill exercise. Pay attention to the instructions!
- Alquilo mi piso en Sevilla
Marcos is renting his apartment in Seville. Practise direct object pronouns: lo, la, los, las. Pay attention to the hints!
Language & Education
- Refranes de febrero
Fill in the gaps with either the definite or the indefinite article.
- A gift voucher to learn Spanish
What's a better gift than a Kwiziq voucher! - A change of career
Discover Vanessa's career plans.
Literature, Poetry, Theatre
- 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. - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
On Friday 19th June 2020, the Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón, best known for the novel La Sombra del Viento, passed away. We pay homage with this bilingual reader. - Consultorio de libros
There’s a website, Te receto un libro, where you can consult an expert who “prescribes” the book that suits you best. This reading and listening exercise can help you practise El Presente and El Futuro Próximo.
Music
- Aguas de marzo
Listen to the Spanish-language version of a song originally written by the Brazilian Tom Jobim. - ¿Quién es Alejandro Sanz?
Write the correct form of each verb in El Presente.
- La canción del verano
Choose the right option to fill in the gap.
Sports & Leisure
- ¿Me apunto o no me apunto?
Choose between "saber" and "conocer" from the hint to fill in the gaps.
- Alquilando un piso
This reading and listening exercise can help you practise pronominal verbs, verbal periphrasis and subordinate clauses. - San Fermín
Choose the right expression to complete the text about San Fermin.
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.