Mama MálagaPostsSpanish documentsRegistering the Spanish Nationality is tough

Registering the Spanish Nationality is tough

July 23, 2025

Table of Contents

This is the continuation of the post about getting Spanish nationality; specifically, it deals with the final part, the registration of the nationality after it has been conceded. To see the initial part of the process, as well as the documents and procedures, check Spanish Nationality by Residence 😉

When I started dealing with the process to obtain my Spanish nationality, about a year ago, the registration part of it seemed very distant and sort of blurry. I did find enough information to know that it was a mandatory part of the process, I knew where to do it (or so I thought), and back then, that seemed enough. Getting the documents right and booking and doing the tests seemed much more pressuring and closer; compared to those, the registration seemed a breeze.

But now, Tadaaa!… it’s time for me to deal with my own Spanish Nationality Registration! Yes, I’ve been approved, meaning, I got a positive resolution for my request to become a Spanish citizen! Hurray!!! I’m quite happy, of course; and, if it depended only on me, I would have already registered it, but, as usual, there is a lot more involved, and the thing is more complex than I suspected. So much so, I decided to make this part two of the nationality post, just for the registration. Here we go:

What is the Spanish nationality registration?

Registration is the last step before becoming a Spanish national. We have explained what the law says about it in the post about Spanish Nationality by Residence, and here we’ll see it in practice.

Once you get the resolution of the Spanish nationality request – meaning, after you get your original documents apostilled and translated, do the tests, pass, pay the fee, upload everything into the Ministry of Justice system, wait a few months and get their approval notice – you also need to register yourself as a Spanish citizen. This last part is the registration.

Where is the Spanish nationality registration done?

It is done in the Civil Registry office of the city or town where you have the Padrón. You can find a list of such registries in the page of the Ministry of Justice. Not all towns have their own registry; some towns share one, and that is the case of the town where I live – Benalmadena – whose register is, according to the afore mentioned page, in Torremolinos.

Once you find the Registry that correspond to your place, you’ll need to book an appointment at that place. And that is not something that can be done from the Ministry of Justice page, which gives you address, phone and e-mail – but no link to the registry or to appointments. Tricky! So where to book the registration appointment? Well, for people that live in Andalusia, the place is the page of the Junta de Andalucía; I suppose for those that live in other Autonomous Communities, it would be the page of their respective Community.

Checking on the Junta page, I found out that Torremolinos doesn’t like to do the registration for those that live in Benalmadena (understandable; it is extra work for the city, without compensation) and I saw that Fuengirola has a similar issue with Mijas. At least Torremolinos informed that those from Benalmadena can register in a Civil Register in Benalmadena Pueblo (in Avenida Juan Luis Peralta, 39, Benalmadena Pueblo. Tel: 952568112. No page to link!)

Page of the Junta de Andalucia to book the appoitment for registering the Spanish Nationality

If, like me, you live in a city whose Civil Registry is neither on the list of the Ministry nor on the Junta’s, I hope the town that was supposed to register you gives you a clue, like Torremolinos did to me; if not, call your Town Hall and ask them – they should be able to inform.

Above: the Civil Registry of Benalmadena. It is that door on the back, under the word Juzgado (a local court).

In my case, I called the number Torremolinos provided. And then I called again, more than 20 times – no one picked the call. So, I went there… to book an appointment to go there. :/ It wasn’t a wasted trip, though; people were nice, I managed to book my time – for September, two months later! – and they gave me an interesting list of things I have to bring with me on my appointment day, which I translated below. 😉

What documents are needed for the Spanish nationality registration?

Here is the list I was given at the registry; it was pointed out that I need the ones that are highlighted. After the image, you’ll find the translation and further comments:

Printed Resolution of (Nationality) Concession;
Notification Slip;
* Both documents above are obtained from the e-mail you receive when the nationality request is approved. Just print them.
The interested part must be present, or, if under 14 years old, the parents must come, with valid NIE and passport; if between 14 and 18 years old, the interested part and the parents must come. If the parents do not speak Spanish, they must bring a translator.
Up-to-date Padron of the person who has obtained the Spanish nationality;
*I asked how up-to-date it has to be, and was told “about two weeks prior to the registration appointment”. This scared me, as my Padron is 3 years old, but I checked at home that I can print one dated from today, online, directly from the Town Hall page. Maybe your city provides it too!
Birth certificate of the mother of the person who has obtained the Spanish nationality, original, apostilled and sworn translated.
*WTF?!? I’m not kidding, it does say so. I read this part only after I left the office, but as the person told me I needed only the highlighted ones, I think I’ll not need this very-hard-to-get document. I think this request has something to do with the surnames; apparently, every Spaniard needs to have two surnames, at least. I think I’ll be relieved of this because I already have two; I’ll try to ask more about this the next time I go there – in September.
All the original documents used to obtain the nationality.
* Do I need to bring DELE and CCSE approval documents too? I don’t know, but I’ll bring.
Fill the attached form
* I was given a paper form to fill. I believe each registry has their own, so you’ll be given one too, hopefully to be filled online when you book the appointment.

Conclusion

Nah, conclusion is just a dream at this point. After this appointment, I was informed that there will be yet one more, to make an oath promising allegiance to the King and obedience of the Spanish Constitution and laws – registration and oath are done on separate days, each with its own appointment. I’m saving the champagne for after the oath.

My main take at this stage is that we are given 180 days to register for a reason – it is because it does take time. So, start trying to book your registration as soon as you get approved, and good luck to us!