How is carta de naturaleza different from citizenship by residence?

Residence-based nationality is granted when the legal periods and conditions are met. Carta de naturaleza is granted at the government’s discretion by Royal Decree for exceptional circumstances; there is no right to it and no guarantee.

The person aged 18 or over or emancipated; from 14, personally with a legal representative’s assistance; for a child under 14, the legal representative. This is set by art. 21.3 of the Civil Code.

Which documents should I attach?

Passport, birth certificate and criminal record certificate from your country of origin — translated and legalised — plus documents proving the exceptional circumstances. Adults living in Spain also attach the Spanish criminal record certificate.

What is vecindad civil and which one should I choose?

It decides which Spanish civil law applies to you: common law or a regional one (Catalonia, Aragon, Navarre and others). It affects inheritance and spouses’ property. You can only choose one of four (art. 15.1 Civil Code): that of your place of residence, your place of birth, the last one of a parent or adoptive parent, or your spouse’s.

Do I have to give up my nationality?

Under art. 23 of the Civil Code — yes, except nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal and Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin.

What happens if nationality is granted?

Within 180 days of notification you must swear or promise allegiance, renounce your previous nationality where required and register with the Civil Registry. Otherwise the grant lapses (art. 21.4 Civil Code).

Why does section 8 ask about names?

You state in advance how you will be recorded in the Spanish Civil Registry: at most two simple given names or one compound name, and two surnames. This speeds up the oath and registration.

Spanish citizenship by carta de naturaleza — form

About the document

Who files:: Foreign national with exceptional circumstances; legal representatives for minors
Where to submit:: Any registry office, including electronic; addressed to the Subdirección General de Nacionalidad y Estado Civil
Authority:: Spanish Ministry of Justice — Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública
Country:: Spain
Category:: Ministry of Justice certificates
How to fill:: Chat in any language → original form → PDF
Price:: form free · chat €8 per document
Last updated:: 9 October 2026
Official source:: https://www.mjusticia.gob.es/es/ciudadania/nacionalidad/que-es-nacionalidad/como-adquiere-nacionalidad/carta-naturaleza

What this document is

Carta de naturaleza is Spanish nationality granted at the government’s discretion by Royal Decree (Real Decreto) when a person has exceptional circumstances (art. 21.1 of the Civil Code). It is not the usual route based on years of residence, and a grant is never guaranteed.

The application uses the standard form approved by the Resolution of 28 July 2023 (BOE-A-2023-19616), which replaced the 2007 form. It is in Spanish and has five sheets: the applicant and minor children, address, representatives, notifications, grounds and circumstances, choice of vecindad civil and the oath undertakings, documents, and the name and surnames for the Spanish Civil Registry.

Who files and where

the applicant aged 18 or over or emancipated; aged 14–18, personally with the assistance of a legal representative; for a child under 14, the legal representative; a person with support measures, with the support they need (art. 21.3 Civil Code);
the form is addressed to the Minister; the case is handled by the Subdirección General de Nacionalidad y Estado Civil (Madrid, Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, 3);
it can be filed at any public registry office (art. 16 of Law 39/2015), including an electronic registry; professional representatives (lawyers, gestores) must file electronically;
check any fee and the current filing procedure on the Ministry of Justice website before filing.

What the form asks

sheet 1: name and two surnames, parents’ names, date and place of birth, nationality, sex, identity document and number, minor children, address, phones and e-mail;
sheet 2: legal representatives and an authorised representative, if any;
sheet 3: who receives notifications and how, the grounds and a statement of the exceptional circumstances;
sheet 4: choice of vecindad civil, undertakings to renounce the previous nationality and obey the Constitution, list of documents;
sheet 5: the name and surnames for the Civil Registry, place and date; signatures by hand.

What to bring

passport or another identity document;
birth certificate, legalised or apostilled, with a translation;
criminal record certificate from your country of origin (from age 18), legalised and translated; residents of Spain also need the Spanish Registro Central de Penados certificate;
documents proving the exceptional circumstances: awards, contracts, letters from organisations, publications;
for a child or a person under guardianship — documents on legal representation.

How to fill it in with FoxDocs

Tell the chat about yourself, your family and your circumstances in any language — the assistant asks sheet by sheet and helps you summarise the circumstances in Spanish.
Check the values: everything is printed in capitals, the date of birth goes into its boxes, children into the table columns.
Download the PDF, print, sign and file it with your documents — or use it as a draft for an online filing.

Source

Resolution of 28 July 2023, BOE no. 223 of 18-09-2023: BOE-A-2023-19616; mjusticia.gob.es — Carta de naturaleza; Código Civil, art. 21–23. Checked 2026-10-09. This is not legal advice.

Spanish nationality by carta de naturaleza application

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