Because of the historical ties between the two countries, the Philippines gets special treatment under Spanish law: you can apply for citizenship after 2 years of residence without giving up Philippine nationality. There are also licence exchange and social security agreements. What you do need is a visa to enter and, for citizenship, a DELE A2 pass.
Key facts
- Visa: Filipino citizens need a visa even for short stays. To live in Spain you need a national visa after the relevant permit is granted.
- Citizenship: you can apply for Spanish citizenship after 2 years of legal, continuous residence, without renouncing Philippine nationality. As Spanish is not an official language of the Philippines, you need the DELE A2 in addition to the CCSE.
- Driving: there is an exchange agreement. Once resident you can drive on your Philippine licence for six months and exchange it without a test for cars and motorcycles.
- Social security: the Spain–Philippines agreement lets you combine contribution periods from both countries.
- Documents: the Philippines applies the apostille; documents in English or Tagalog need a sworn translation into Spanish.
How people usually move
- Employment. With a job offer from an employer in Spain, who applies for the permit; you then apply for the national work visa in the Philippines. Employment
- Family reunification. If your spouse or parent lives legally in Spain, they can sponsor you after their first year of residence, once renewal has been granted or applied for. Family reunification
- Arraigo. For people who have already spent 2 years in Spain and have no criminal record: social, socio-labour or socio-training arraigo (family arraigo, for example for the parent of a Spanish child, has no such minimum). Arraigo
- Studies. Bachelor’s, master’s or vocational training with a study authorisation, which allows work up to 30 hours a week. This time does not count towards the 2 years for citizenship. Study stay
- Family of a Spanish or EU citizen. Marriage or registered partnership with a Spanish or EU citizen. Family member of a Spanish or EU citizen
- Citizenship. After 2 years of legal residence, with DELE A2 and CCSE, keeping Philippine nationality. Spanish citizenship
Documents and apostille
- NBI Clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation, requested with an online appointment. From abroad it is processed with a fingerprint card through a Philippine embassy or consulate. It usually needs to be recent.
- Apostille from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which the Philippines has applied since 2019.
- Birth and marriage certificates from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), apostilled. They are essential for family reunification and citizenship.
- Sworn translation into Spanish of all documents in English or Tagalog, including the apostille.
- Original Philippine driving licence, for the exchange once you are resident.
What to keep in mind
- Visas are handled by the Consulate General of Spain in Manila. Since 20 March 2025 applications are filed at the BLS International offices in Makati (Manila) and Cebu, including the national work visa.
- If you plan to apply for citizenship, keep proof of continuous legal residence from day one: the 2 years run from when you obtain residence, not from arrival.
- Prepare the DELE A2 early: it is the requirement that most often delays citizenship applications from Filipinos.
- Once in Spain: register on the padrón and apply for your TIE within the first month.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose Philippine nationality if I become Spanish?
Spain does not require you to renounce it: the Philippines is among the countries exempt from renunciation. On the Philippine side, the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act (Republic Act 9225) lets natural-born Filipinos keep their citizenship by taking an oath at a Philippine consulate.
I speak English. Do I still need the Spanish exam?
Yes. As Spanish is not an official language of the Philippines, citizenship requires the DELE A2 or higher, plus the CCSE test on constitutional and sociocultural knowledge. Both are run through the Instituto Cervantes.
Can I exchange my Philippine driving licence?
Yes. There is an exchange agreement: once resident you can drive on it for six months and exchange it without a test for cars and motorcycles. It only applies if you obtained it before becoming resident in Spain.