How to pass my Spanish Citizenship Test and Interview

Applying for Spanish Citizenship? Keep reading to learn about what your Spanish Citizenship Test and Interview will consist of and to get some helpful, practical tips to ace them!

 

Table of Contents

How to get Spanish Citizenship

Obtaining Spanish citizenship by residency requires living in the country legally (that is, in possession of a residency permit) for up to 10 years.

You will also need to pass a Spanish proficiency test as well as demonstrate your knowledge of Spanish history and culture.

For an overview of the requirements and procedures involved in applying for Spanish citizenship, check out our audio article La nacionalidad española por residencia. We created this feature to help you get the facts AND practise your Spanish at the same time!

For additional information about the conditions and requirements of obtaining Spanish citizenship, see the official sites for the Ministerio de Justicia and the Gobierno de España.

Spanish Proficiency Test and Citizenship Interview

In order to obtain Spanish citizenship, you need to prove your Spanish proficiency by either passing a test or meeting certain criteria (e.g., having a degree from a Spanish university).

The most daunting part of the citizenship process, however, may be the interview, during which you need to demonstrate your knowledge of Spanish history and culture. To learn this information, study the Manual para la preparación de la Prueba de Conocimientos Constitucionales y Socioculturales de España (CCSE).

Our friend María Virginia went through this process a few years ago and shared her experiences and thoughts for our bilingual Reader: Ciudadanía española: la experiencia de María Virginia.

Spanish citizenship: Language proficiency test

The Spanish language level test includes both listening and speaking sections, but there’s a chance you might be eligible to be exempted from it by obtaining an official diploma or certificate to prove you have reached at least B1 level in all four competencies: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

 

Spanish citizenship: Constitution and Culture test

This is the time to demonstrate your knowledge of Spanish government and culture. As mentioned above, you can take a look at the Manual CCSE to discover the information you'll need.

You are expected to know about things like key dates in Spanish history, Spanish values, important symbols and governmental organisation, among other topics.

How can Progress with Lawless Spanish help me prepare for my Spanish proficiency test and citizenship interview?

The Spanish resources offered throughout Progress with Lawless Spanish will help you steadily improve your language skills. We also have a series of Spanish kwizzes based specifically on the content from the Manuel CCSE so that you can put your Spanish to the test while simultaneously learning this essential information.

  1. Level A1 - Gobierno, legislación y participación ciudadana

  2. Level A2 - Discrimination, National Police and Civil Guard

  3. Level B1 - Art, music, architecture and important events

  4. Level B2 - Spanish geography, weather and food

In addition to the facts and figures from the Manuel CCSE, you'll also need to demonstrate knowledge of and an appreciation for Spanish culture. Progress with Lawless Spanish has a huge body of content related to everything from art to sports that you can use to learn more about the richness of Spanish history and culture.

Art & Design

  • Arquitectura y pintura en España
    Reading exercise

    Join this art student as they survey the many notable works of art and architectural marvels of Spain. This exercise can help you practise El Presente, using the preposition "de" with nouns for description, possessive adjectives, the regular adverbs, ir and ser in the preterite and tener in the preterite.
  • Aprende a decorar mesas navideñas
    Reading exercise

    It’s time to add a seasonal touch to really get in the festive sprit! This exercise can help you practise subordinate clauses in the subjunctive and the indicative plus relative clauses with prepositions.
  • 12 self-portraits by Pablo Picasso
    writing exercise

    Learn about Pablo Picasso's self-portraits.
More Spanish exercises about Art & Design >>

Employment

More Spanish exercises about Employment >>

Famous People

More Spanish exercises about Famous People >>

Film & TV

More Spanish exercises about Film & TV >>

Food & Drink

More Spanish exercises about Food & Drink >>

Monuments, Tourism & Vacations

  • ¿Cuál es la capital de Bolivia?
    Reading exercise

    Do you know which city is the capital of Bolivia? Not as simple a question as you might think! This exercise can help you practise la pasiva de estado, por mí que vs para mí que, using ni... ni... and subordinate causal clauses.
  • A big surprise!
    listening exercise

    Adela tells us about an axciting surprise she got from her boyfriend.
  • ¿Qué harías en Bilbao?
    Reading exercise

    Learn about the delights of the Basque city of Bilbao while practising El Condicional.
More Spanish exercises about Monuments, Tourism & Vacations >>

Politics & History

  • Arabismos
    Reading exercise

    This B2 reading and listening exercise can help you practise El Pretérito Perfecto, and El Pretérito Indefinido.
  • Mayo, el mes de las flores
    Subject mastery Kwiz

    Fill in the gaps with the correct conjugated form of the verb. You need to use the pronoun "se" with all verbs.

  • 23-F: Coup d'Etat in Spain
    Reading exercise

    This exercise is based on events that occurred on 23 February 1981, when Lieutenant-Colonel Tejero led 200 civil guards in a coup d'État against the recently-formed Spanish democracy.
More Spanish exercises about Politics, History & Economics >>

Celebrations & Important Dates

  • ¿Quién es la Fallera Mayor de Valencia?
    Reading exercise

    Valencia's most spectacular, colourful and noisy celebration is Fallas, which takes place in March every year, culminating on 19 March: the feast day of Saint Joseph. Each year one lucky fallera is selected to be the Fallera Mayor de Valencia. This exercise can help you practise El Presente de Subjuntivo, El Futuro Simple, and the position of adjectives.
  • Adviento
    Subject mastery Kwiz

    Fill in the gaps with the right form of El Presente.

  • ¿Y a ti qué te ha dejado Santa?
    Reading exercise

    It's Christmas morning! Our gift to you is this reading and listening exercise that can help you practise El Pretérito Perfecto and El Imperfecto Progresivo.
More Spanish exercises about Celebrations & Important Dates >>

Immigration & Citizenship

  • Una queja por ruido
    Subject mastery Kwiz

    Carlos asks his friend Merche for some advice about some noisy neighbors. Practise El Condicional Simple with this gapfill exercise. Pay attention to the instructions!

  • Armed Forces
    listening exercise

    Learn about The Spanish Armed Forces
  • An experience in the Turkish bath
    listening exercise

    My holistic experience in a wonderful Turkish bath.
More Spanish exercises about Immigration & Citizenship >>

Language & Education

  • Refranes de febrero
    Subject mastery Kwiz

    Fill in the gaps with either the definite or the indefinite article.

  • ¡Somos la leche!
    Reading exercise

    What if your best friend was also your sibling? This C1 exercise can help you practise idioms related to food.
  • Una carta importante
    Subject mastery Kwiz

    Choose either por or para to complete the text.

More Spanish exercises about Language & Education >>

Literature, Poetry, Theatre

  • And you, why do you write? 
    listening exercise

    Antonio is trying to find out why he wants to do writing therapy.
  • Almagro International Classical Theater Festival
    listening exercise

    Sol works for the Almagro International Classical Theater Festival, and will be on a radio show tomorrow to promote it.
  • Consultorio de libros
    Reading exercise

    There’s a website, Te receto un libro, where you can consult an expert who “prescribes” the book that suits you best. This reading and listening exercise can help you practise El Presente and El Futuro Próximo.
More Spanish exercises about Literature, Poetry, Theatre >>

Music

  • La canción del verano
    Subject mastery Kwiz

    Choose the right option to fill in the gap.

  • A rock 'n' roll grandmother
    writing exercise

    Sandra tells us about her unconventional grandmother, Carmen.
  • Alaska y Dinarama - Mi novio es un zombi
    Reading exercise

    The song "Mi novio es un zombi" was released in 1989 by new wave band Alaska y Dinarama. This B2 exercise can help you practise the Spanish Preterite, using hacer with the subjunctive/infinitive = to make [someone] do something and prepositions followed by infinitives.
More Spanish exercises about Music >>

Sports & Leisure

More Spanish exercises about Sports & Leisure >>

 
 

Create your free Progress with Lawless Spanish account here to get your Spanish level and start practising your reading and listening skills while learning about all the topics you’ll need for your Spanish citizenship test and interview.

 
 
 

 

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