Spain grants citizenship to 300,000 foreigners in one year
Nearly 300,000 foreigners obtained Spanish nationality in 2025, the highest figure since official statistics began more than a decade ago, authorities said Thursday.
In contrast to much of Europe, Spain has adopted a comparatively welcoming approach to migrants, arguing people are needed to offset an ageing population and labour shortages.
A total of 299,732 people were granted Spanish citizenship last year, up 19 percent from 2024 and the highest yearly amount since records began in 2013, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said in a statement.
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The largest groups of new citizens were from Morocco, followed by Colombia, Venezuela and Honduras.
Nine of the 10 most represented nationalities were from Latin America, reflecting longstanding legal provisions that make it easier for citizens of many former Spanish colonies to acquire nationality.
Latin American nationals can apply for Spanish citizenship after two years of legal residence, compared with the standard requirement of 10 years for most other foreigners.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist-led government in January unveiled a plan to give residency and work permits to around 500,000 undocumented migrants.
The measure applies to all foreigners who arrived before December 31st 2025, have lived in Spain for at least five months, and have no criminal record.
Spain has nearly 50 million inhabitants, including 7.3 million foreign residents, according to INE.
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