Quick Answer
Entry: No visa for up to 90 days, except Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Residence: The same routes as any non-EU national: work, digital nomad, study, family, arraigo
Nationality: After 2 years of legal residence (Civil Code art. 22), without renouncing yours
Exams: Only the CCSE test; no Spanish exam if your country is Spanish-speaking
Documents: Hague apostille (all except Cuba and Haiti), obtained before you travel
Table of Contents
- 1. What is different if you come from Latin America
- 2. Entering Spain: who needs a visa and what the border asks for
- 3. The routes to staying: work, digital nomad, study, family, arraigo
- 4. Documents: apostille, criminal records and translations
- 5. Spanish nationality in two years: how it really works
- 6. Democratic Memory Law: the window has closed
- 7. Country by country
- 8. The first procedures after arriving
- FAQ
Almost everything written about emigrating to Spain assumes a European, an American, or a generic "foreigner". If you come from Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Brazil or anywhere else in the region, part of that advice does not apply to you and part of what you need is missing.
It does not apply because most Latin Americans enter Spain without a visa and, once resident, can apply for nationality after two years rather than ten. It is missing because nobody explains what happens to your documents (the apostille), which residence route fits your real situation, or that the well-known "grandchildren law" closed to new applications in October 2025.
This guide puts what is different for you in one place. Every legal claim points to an official source, listed at the end. Where we could not find one, we say so or say nothing.
What is different if you come from Latin America
Entering Spain: who needs a visa and what the border asks for
- A valid passport.
- Proof of the purpose of the trip: accommodation booking, an invitation letter if you are staying with someone, a return ticket.
- Means of subsistence. Order PRE/1282/2007 sets the amount at 10% of the monthly minimum wage per person per day, with a floor of 90% of the monthly minimum wage per person regardless of the length of stay. Cash, cards with statements or traveller's cheques all count.
- Travel health insurance: not compulsory for visa-exempt nationals, but the first thing that saves you if something goes wrong.
The routes to staying: work, digital nomad, study, family, arraigo
| Your situation | Route | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| You have a job offer in Spain | Employee work visa | Consulate, after the employer obtains the authorisation |
| You work remotely for companies outside Spain | Digital nomad visa | Consulate, or from Spain while legally present |
| You are going to study a degree, master's or long course | Student stay | Consulate, or from Spain in some cases |
| Your partner or parent is already a legal resident or Spanish | Family reunification or EU family member card | Applied for by the relative in Spain |
| You have been in Spain for some time without papers | Arraigo (social, labour, family, training) | Immigration office in Spain |
Documents: apostille, criminal records and translations
Spanish nationality in two years: how it really works
- CCSE, constitutional and sociocultural knowledge: compulsory for adults.
- DELE A2, Spanish language: Order JUS/1625/2016 exempts nationals of Spanish-speaking countries. Brazilians are not exempt.
Democratic Memory Law: the window has closed
Country by country
| Country | Visa for short stay | Hague apostille | Exempt from DELE exam | Two years to nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bolivia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brazil | No | Yes | No | Confirm (see above) |
| Chile | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Colombia | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Costa Rica | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cuba | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Ecuador | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| El Salvador | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Guatemala | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Honduras | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mexico | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nicaragua | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Panama | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Paraguay | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Peru | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dominican Republic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Uruguay | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Venezuela | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The first procedures after arriving
- Empadronamiento. Registering with your town hall is the first step and is asked for in almost everything else. It can be done with a rental contract or with the owner's authorisation. Empadronamiento guide.
- NIE and TIE. The NIE is your identification number; the TIE is the physical card that proves it once you are resident. Both need an appointment, and appointments are the real bottleneck of Spanish immigration. NIE guide, TIE guide and how to get a cita previa.
- Cl@ve and digital certificate. With these you do almost every procedure online, including the nationality application. Cl@ve and digital certificate guide.
- Healthcare. With residence and social security registration you access the public system. Until then, private insurance. Healthcare system guide.
- Bank account. Many banks open an account with a passport and NIE; some only with a TIE. Bank account guide.
Conclusion
Coming from Latin America gives you the shortest route to Spanish nationality that exists for a foreigner without Spanish ancestry: two years of legal residence, without giving up your passport and without a language exam. What it does not give you is a shortcut to residence itself. Choose the authorisation you enter on carefully, apostille your documents before you travel, and register with the town hall on day one. The rest is patience with appointments.
If your case fits none of the routes in this guide, tell us through the form below. We answer by email, and if the question keeps coming up it becomes a guide.
Related guides
Official Sources
The figures and requirements in this guide have been verified against the following official sources. Rules change often — always check the original source before acting.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Visa-required and visa-exempt countries (Regulation (EU) 2018/1806)
- BOE — Civil Code, articles 22 to 24 (nationality by residence, renunciation, dual nationality)
- BOE — Order JUS/1625/2016 (procedure, CCSE and DELE tests, exemptions)
- Ministry of Justice — Nationality by residence (current fee)
- HCCH — Status table of the Apostille Convention
- Spanish Consulate in Quito — End of the Law 20/2022 (Democratic Memory) deadline
- Ministry of the Interior — Entry: requirements and conditions
- BOE — Order PRE/1282/2007 (means of subsistence for entry)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I enter as a tourist and look for work?
You can enter without a visa (unless you are from Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti or the Dominican Republic) and stay up to 90 days. But the employee work authorisation is applied for by the employer from Spain, and the visa is collected at the consulate in your country. Looking for work during your stay is legal; working without authorisation is not, and it blocks most routes afterwards.
Do the two years for nationality count from when I arrive?
From when you hold legal residence, not from entry. Article 22.3 of the Civil Code requires legal, continuous residence immediately prior to the application. Time as a tourist does not count.
Does time on the digital nomad visa count towards nationality?
The digital nomad authorisation is a residence authorisation, so it is legal residence for the purposes of article 22. Keep it continuous: long absences from Spain reset the count.
Do I have to renounce my nationality to become Spanish?
No. Article 23 b of the Civil Code exempts nationals of Ibero-American countries from the renunciation. Whether your country lets you keep its nationality is a matter of its law, not Spain's.
Do I have to take the Spanish exam?
If you are from a Spanish-speaking country, no: Order JUS/1625/2016 exempts you from the DELE A2. You do have to pass the CCSE test on constitutional and sociocultural knowledge, unless you are a minor. Brazilians take both tests.
Which documents do I need to apostille before travelling?
At minimum the criminal-record certificate and the birth certificate; the marriage certificate if you are reunifying or being reunified. Every country in the region except Cuba and Haiti apostilles; those two legalise through the consular route. Request the criminal record close to the filing date, not months before.
Is the grandchildren law still open?
No. The deadline under the eighth additional provision of Law 20/2022 ended on October 22, 2025, and consulates accept no new applications. Those filed in time are still being processed.
I am Brazilian. Do the two years apply to me?
The Civil Code says 'Ibero-American countries' without listing them. We have not found an official source that settles it in one sentence, so we do not claim it. Confirm with the Civil Registry or a lawyer before planning around that period. What is certain: you are not exempt from the DELE A2, and your Portuguese documents need a sworn translation.
How long does nationality take?
There is no official period we can cite, and the figures in circulation change every year. You can track your file in the Ministry of Justice's online office.
Does your case have complications?
Tell us which country you are from, which authorisation you hold or want, and how long you have been in Spain. We answer by email.
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