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
- 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. - La última cena
Fill in the gaps with the right form of the past participle. Watch out the agreement.
- Arquitectura y pintura en España
Join this art student as they survey the many notable works of art and architectural marvels of Spain. This exercise can help you practise El Presente, using the preposition "de" with nouns for description, possessive adjectives, the regular adverbs, ir and ser in the preterite and tener in the preterite.
Employment
- 21st century shepherds
Rosa is changing her profession to became a shepherdess. - Child care "Madre de día"
Berta tells us about her profession. - 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
- Día del Idioma Español y Día Internacional del Libro
23 April book lovers is International Book Day and also United Nations Spanish Language Day - ¡HELLO!
Sandra cannot wait to know who this week's ¡HOLA! exclusive is about. - A cup of water and a rose
Fabilola is contemplating a stunning masterpiece by Zurbarán.
Film & TV
- A horror film
Marta watched a terrifying film yesterday. - La Guerra de las Galaxias
Fill in the blanks with the right conjugation for each verb.
- A film review
Antonio makes us a review of a movie.
Food & Drink
- A Christmas cocktail
Celebrate the season in style with our special cocktail. - Baby squid in its ink
Sergio tells us how to cook one of his favourite dishes. - ¿Sabías cuál es el origen del turrón?
Discover the traditional Spanish Christmas nougat called turrón.
Monuments, Tourism & Vacations
- A big surprise!
Adela tells us about an axciting surprise she got from her boyfriend. - A big fan of Park Güell
Admire the unique Park Guell in Barcelona by Antoni Gaudí. - ¿Beach or mountain?
Olivia has find the perfect summer destination that means not choosing between the beach and going to the mountains.
Politics & History
- El nombre de La Alhambra
Conjugate the verb in the hint in El Pretérito Imperfecto, for example: hablar = hablaba
- 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.
Celebrations & Important Dates
- ¿Fin de Año con los padres o los suegros?
This reading and listening exercise can help you practise quién vs. quien, the different meanings of the verb "contar" and the neuter article "lo". - San Fermín
Choose the right expression to complete the text about San Fermin.
- La Tomatina
Let the hints guide you with exclamative and interrogative words required to fill in the blanks.
Immigration & Citizenship
- 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!
- 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. - 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.
Language & Education
- ¡Está como una cabra!
This C1 reading and listening exercise can help you practise idioms with animals. - Refranes de febrero
Fill in the gaps with either the definite or the indefinite article.
- A Spanish course in Bogota
Patrick tells us about his Spanish course in Colombia.
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. - Juan Ramón Jiménez
Fill in the gaps with the right form of El Pretérito Indefinido. Pay attention to the hints!
- Almagro International Classical Theater Festival
Sol works for the Almagro International Classical Theater Festival, and will be on a radio show tomorrow to promote it.
Music
- Alaska y Dinarama - Mi novio es un zombi
The song "Mi novio es un zombi" was released in 1989 by new wave band Alaska y Dinarama. This B2 exercise can help you practise the Spanish Preterite, using hacer with the subjunctive/infinitive = to make [someone] do something and prepositions followed by infinitives. - A magic piano
Learn about Pablo Alborán and his excellent piano skills. - La canción del verano
Choose the right option to fill in the gap.
Sports & Leisure
- Alquilando un piso
This reading and listening exercise can help you practise pronominal verbs, verbal periphrasis and subordinate clauses. - Recomendaciones para El Camino de Santiago
Test yourself on stem-changing verbs in the subjunctive: for example coger/coja.
- Campeones olímpicos de América Latina
Latin America has a rich history of producing outstanding Olympic athletes, and future generations are poised to continue this legacy.
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.