Spain · citizenship · residence period
Spanish citizenship: do Ukrainians need ten years or five years as refugees?
Short answer
The official government portal gives a general ten-year legal-residence period. A five-year period applies to people who have obtained refugee status; temporary protection by itself is not that legal category.
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What to do step by step
- 1
Identify your exact status: temporary protection, recognised international protection/refugee status, or another residence permit.
- 2
Do not use the five-year refugee period solely because you fled the war.
- 3
Build your legal-residence history relevant to nationality by residence.
- 4
Before applying, verify integration, documents and continuity requirements as well.
Important
Temporary protection and recognised refugee status are different legal categories; the reduced five-year period is explicitly tied to refugee status.
Official sources
Checked: 2026-10-05