Overview
- INE data published May 28, 2026 show 299,732 residents acquired Spanish nationality in 2025, an 18.7% rise that is the highest total since records began in 2013.
- Galicia set a regional record with 8,344 acquisitions in 2025, a 25% increase from 2024, with 6,531 granted by the standard residence route.
- Most new nationals in Galicia are middle‑aged women from Latin America, led by people born in Venezuela, Cuba and Colombia, and one quarter of the cohort are under 19.
- Access to nationality depended largely on legal residence time and procedures such as Registro Civil appointments, Instituto Cervantes tests for adults, and fees charged by the Ministry of Justice, which can slow or complicate outcomes for applicants.
- The surge builds on a steady rise in naturalizations since 2019 and could expand further because a special government regularization program remains open through June 30, 2026, potentially adding more residents eligible for future nationality applications.