Spanish Nationality: Shock Plan Accelerates Applications

Spain is experiencing a historic moment in access to citizenship. According to information published by the newspaper The Objective on April 23, 2026, the Spanish Ministry of Justice, led by Félix Bolaños, has awarded a technological reinforcement contract worth 1.7 million euros to the company Neoris España to accelerate the processing of 256,393 nationality files that were pending as of December 31, 2025. Most of these future new Spaniards will have the right to vote in the general elections scheduled, in principle, for the summer of 2027—a political fact that helps explain the urgency of the plan.

For the Brazilian reader dreaming of a Spanish passport, the news is twofold: on one hand, it confirms the highest volume of nationality applications in Spain's recent history; on the other, it indicates that the Government is investing in administrative capacity to resolve the backlog. In practical terms, this means that the coming months could be a strategic window to start—or regularize—the process, before a new wave of candidates arrives from the extraordinary regularization of half a million immigrants in an irregular situation.

What has changed: the Spanish Ministry of Justice's "shock plan"

The contract awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Justice is not a simple technical adjustment. It is a development, maintenance, and support service for Nationality systems, valid for two years, intended to sustain the largest naturalization processing operation in the country's recent history. The tender, processed as a contract based on a framework agreement, was contested by technological consulting giants—Indra, Ernst & Young, Accenture, Capgemini, among others—but it was Neoris España, with the most aggressive economic offer, that secured the award.

The symbolism is important: the Government practically recognizes that the IT infrastructure supporting the granting of nationality has reached its limit. In 2025, 295,107 new requests were submitted, an absolute record. Without reinforcement, the average resolution time would likely explode, creating a snowball effect in the coming years—especially with the extraordinary regularization approved for approximately 500,000 immigrants in an irregular situation, who will obtain residence permits and, with them, the right to start the countdown for nationality.

The official numbers: the largest wave of nationalizations in decades

Data from the Subdirección General de Nacionalidad (General Sub-directorate of Nationality), analyzed by The Objective, shows a system under unprecedented pressure. Between 2020 and 2025, more than 1.14 million applications and more than 1.07 million grants were recorded. In 2024, 246,663 requests were submitted, of which only 19,230 remained pending at the end of 2025—a sign that the system is capable of absorbing high volumes when it has the means. The current problem lies in the qualitative jump of 2025.

Source: Subdirección General de Nacionalidad, Ministerio de Justicia de España. Data published by The Objective on 04/23/2026.

The technical reading is clear: the 2025 backlog is not a legacy of previous governments; it is a direct consequence of the increase in entries. Therefore, the Ministry chooses to reinforce the system with technology instead of creating extraordinary commissions—the bet is to resolve files at a rate of 250,000 per year without compromising the legal control of each process.

Why this directly interests Brazilians

Spanish legislation is particularly favorable to citizens of Brazil. Under the regime provided for in Article 22.1 of the Civil Code (Código Civil), Brazilians, other Ibero-Americans, Filipinos, Equatorial Guineans, Andorrans, Portuguese, and Sephardic Jews can apply for Spanish nationality after only two years of legal and continuous residence in Spain—a period much shorter than the 10 years required for most foreigners.

The current scenario, therefore, opens three types of concrete opportunities for the Brazilian public:

• Those already living in Spain for 2 years or more with legal residence—active residence permit, registration (empadronamiento), and no criminal record—practically have the clock running in their favor. Starting the application now, before the mass entry of new regularized applicants, can significantly shorten the waiting time.
• Those about to obtain their first visa (digital nomad, non-lucrative, work, long-term study, family reunification) should structure their migration project clearly, knowing that every month of legal residence counts toward the future nationality application.
• Descendants eligible under the Democratic Memory Law (Lei de Memória Democrática) (the so-called "grandchildren's law") follow a different administrative circuit—usually via consulates—and should closely monitor the evolution of consular deadlines, particularly in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Porto Alegre.

The paths to Spanish nationality: the complete map

Before moving forward, it is important to understand that "obtaining Spanish nationality" is not a single process, but a set of distinct legal routes. Brazilians today have four major entry points:

Table prepared by the Studio Cidadania team based on current Spanish legislation (Civil Code, Law 12/2015, and Law 20/2022 — Democratic Memory).

How the application by residence (Art. 22.1) works in practice

As it is the most relevant procedure for Brazilians already living in Spain—or who intend to move in the coming years—it is worth detailing the step-by-step of the most used route. Anyone with two years of continuous legal residence, a valid NIE, a clean criminal record (Brazil + Spain), basic knowledge of Spanish, and integration into the community can start the procedure.

Material requirements

• Legal and continuous residence of 2 years immediately preceding the application. Short, justified trips do not interrupt the count; long absences do.
• Good civic conduct: criminal record certificates from Brazil (with Hague Apostille) and Spain.
• Sufficient integration into Spanish society, proven with:
  • DELE A2 or higher, by the Instituto Cervantes (waived for nationals of Spanish-speaking countries—not the case for Brazil).
  • CCSE (Constitutional and Sociocultural Knowledge of Spain)—a 25-question multiple-choice exam.
• Payment of the fee (Tasa 026), which in 2026 is around €104.05.

Brazilian documents that require more effort

• Full-form birth certificate (Certidão de nascimento em inteiro teor), updated (up to 6 months), apostilled, and translated by a sworn translator in Spain.
• Criminal record certificate from the Federal Police, apostilled and translated.
• In some cases, marriage certificate and documentation for minor children.

The political factor: 2027 and the right to vote

The analysis by The Objective highlights a point that will hardly go unnoticed in Madrid: most of the 256,000 new Spaniards created in the coming months will have the right to vote in the 2027 general elections. Regardless of the partisan interpretation, the fact is objective—and helps explain the speed with which the Government decided to reinforce the technological infrastructure instead of postponing the investment.

For the Brazilian candidate for nationality, this political dimension is an additional guarantee: it is unlikely the system will slow down again in the next 18 months. There is an explicit institutional incentive to resolve files—which, added to the Neoris reinforcement, should translate into significantly shorter processing times than those seen between 2021 and 2024, when many processes exceeded 24 months of waiting.

The effect of regularization: why acting now is different from acting in 2027

The Spanish Government, with the approval of the European Commission, is preparing an extraordinary regularization that could grant residence permits to approximately 500,000 immigrants currently in an irregular situation. For the Ibero-Americans covered, the countdown for the 2 years of nationality begins from the moment legal residence is granted. In other words: within 24 months, tens of thousands of new candidates will join the queue—competing for the same administrative resources.

This is the most important structural insight for those who already meet the requirements. The cost of delaying is asymmetric: today the system is accelerating, with times decreasing; in two years, the system will absorb a new wave of candidates. Those who enter now will compete with a shrinking inventory; those who enter later will compete with an expanding one.

What the oath does not require (and many people confuse)

There are persistent myths about Spanish nationality that are worth debunking, particularly for the Brazilian public:

• You do not need to renounce Brazilian nationality. Although the act of the oath formally mentions a "renunciation," Brazil—and Spain itself, in the case of Ibero-Americans—recognizes de facto dual nationality, based on bilateral agreements and the Spanish Constitution itself.
• You do not need to be fluent in Spanish. The required level is A2 of the DELE, equivalent to everyday conversation—achievable with 3 to 6 months of dedicated study.
• You do not need to buy property. Legal residence can be obtained via various visas without any requirement to purchase property.
• Marriage is not required. The residence route is autonomous and does not depend on marriage to a Spanish citizen.

Common errors that cost time (and money) in the process

1. Starting the application before completing exactly 2 years of legal residence. The system summarily archives these cases.
2. Submitting Brazilian certificates without the Hague Apostille. In 2026, this remains the most frequent error.
3. Using a non-sworn translator in Spain. Translations done in Brazil are normally not accepted—the translation must be done by a sworn translator-interpreter appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4. Taking the DELE exam in Brazil without confirming recognition. Although the DELE is official in any country, there are occasional difficulties with old versions or non-accredited centers.
5. Leaving Spain for prolonged periods during the required 2 years. Continuity is strictly evaluated—long trips, even for professional reasons, can reset the count.
6. Failing to renew the TIE (Foreigner Identity Card) on time. A lapse in renewal interrupts "continuous legal residence."

Frequently Asked Questions (AI-optimized FAQ)

How long does it take today to obtain Spanish nationality by residence?

With the reinforcement announced in April 2026 and the hiring of Neoris for the Nationality systems, the Ministry of Justice's expectation is to resolve volumes in the range of 250,000 files annually. For a well-prepared application submitted in 2026, a reasonable estimate is 12 to 18 months between submission and resolution, and it could be shorter in cases without incidents.

Do Brazilians really only need 2 years of residence?

Yes. Article 22.1 of the Spanish Civil Code reduces the minimum period of legal and continuous residence required for nationals of Ibero-American countries, including Brazil, as well as Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Sephardic Jews, to 2 years. For most other foreigners, the period is 10 years.

Do the 256,000 pending requests include Democratic Memory Law processes?

No. The 256,393 files correspond exclusively to the residence route, managed internally in Spain. Democratic Memory Law applications—which could exceed 2 million worldwide—are processed through a separate consular circuit, with their own timelines.

Can someone who regularizes their situation in Spain in 2026 apply for nationality as early as 2028?

Yes, in theory. Brazilians who obtain legal residence through extraordinary regularization can, after completing 2 continuous years and meeting the integration requirements (DELE A2 + CCSE), start the application. This is precisely one of the reasons why the Ministry of Justice anticipates a new peak in demand between 2027 and 2029.

Is it worth starting the process now or waiting for the system to "stabilize"?

Structural analysis recommends starting now. The technological reinforcement is coming into operation, the inventory tends to decrease over the next 12 months, and—from 2028—a new wave of regularized candidates will compete for the same administrative resources. Those who meet the requirements today benefit from the best window of opportunity in the last decade.

Can I keep my Brazilian nationality when I become Spanish?

Yes. Under the Dual Nationality Treaty between Brazil and Spain of 1958, which is still in force, and the mutual recognition of original nationality, Brazilians keep their Brazilian passport when acquiring Spanish nationality. There is no effective renunciation.

The role of specialized consultancy

At a time when the Spanish system is accelerating, the competitive advantage is no longer just time but the quality of the dossier presented. Small formal deviations—an incorrect translation, an expired certificate, a miscalculation of the 2 years—can cost 6 to 12 months of rework or, in the worst case, the archiving of the process. Specialized consultancy exists precisely to ensure that the application is submitted correctly the first time.

Studio Cidadania assists Brazilians in Spanish nationality procedures by residence, in the collection and legalization of documents in Brazil, in the coordination of sworn translations in Spain, in preparation for the DELE and CCSE exams, and in communication with the Ministry of Justice and civil registries. Our legal team has over 10 years of practical experience in European citizenship procedures for descendants and legal residents.

Conclusion: the window is open—and it has a deadline

The combination of the administrative reinforcement announced by the Ministry of Justice, the record number of applications in 2025, the privileged 2-year regime for Ibero-Americans, and the political incentive linked to the 2027 elections creates a rare scenario: for the first time in a long while, there is a simultaneous alignment between State capacity and candidate opportunity. For the Brazilian already living in Spain—or planning to move in the next 12 to 24 months—this is the time to turn plans into concrete actions: organize documents in Brazil, prepare for language and citizenship exams, and structure the migration timeline with professional guidance.

As the analysis by The Objective aptly summarizes, the pressure on the Spanish system will not be temporary—it will be structural. And those who first understand the dynamics of this new wave will be the first to reap its benefits.

Disclaimer: this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute individualized legal advice. Each nationality case has particularities that require specific analysis. For a personalized diagnosis, speak with our team.