Over 42,000 Moroccans Obtained Spanish Citizenship in One Year
Moroccan citizens topped the list of foreigners who acquired Spanish citizenship in 2024, with over 42,900 individuals obtaining nationality, surpassing more than 35,000 Venezuelans and over 26,000 Colombians, according to recent data released by the National Institute of Statistics in Spain.
According to the same source, the number of foreign residents who received Spanish citizenship increased by more than 5% at the end of last year compared to the previous year, bringing the total number of naturalized individuals during this period to over 252,000. The regions of Catalonia and Madrid recorded the highest number of citizenship grants for foreign residents.
In terms of gender among the naturalized foreigners in Spain last year, statistics indicated that females outnumbered males, obtaining 56% of the granted citizenships, while males accounted for 44%. The age group between 30 and 39 years was the most numerous in acquiring citizenship, followed closely by those aged 40 to 49.
Regarding the methods of naturalization, data from the Spanish Institute of Statistics showed that over 215,000 foreigners obtained Spanish citizenship through residency. More than 36,000 cases were through optional naturalization, with a significant number opting for this method being individuals under the age of 20, who made up over 94% of the naturalized by their choice.
In this context, the same source confirmed that obtaining Spanish citizenship through residency requires a legal and continuous residence of ten years in Spain prior to application. Optional citizenship is considered a privilege granted by Spanish laws to foreigners who meet specific criteria, such as individuals subject to or who have undergone parental authority of a Spanish citizen or those born to a Spanish parent in Spain. There are also other methods for obtaining citizenship by royal decree, which is an exceptional process not subject to general administrative procedures.
As for the countries of birth of the naturalized individuals last year, the figures revealed that over 51,000 were born in Spain itself, while more than 34,000 were born in Venezuela. It was noted that nearly 20% of the total foreign naturalized had always lived in Spain, while 80.4% were residing abroad.
