# Who is exempt from the CCSE and the DELE A2 for Spanish nationality? To apply for Spanish nationality by residence, most adults have to pass two exams from the Instituto Cervantes (Spain's public institution for the Spanish language), the CCSE and the DELE A2. People under 18 and people whose legal capacity has been modified by a court do not take them. People who studied and passed the ESO (compulsory secondary education) in Spain do not need them either. People who cannot read or write, or who have learning difficulties, can ask the Ministerio de Justicia (Ministry of Justice) for an exemption. Nationals of countries where Spanish is an official language are only exempt from the DELE A2. They do have to pass the CCSE. ## What does the law say about the nationality exams? The rules are in two legal texts. Real Decreto 1004/2015 (Royal Decree 1004/2015) requires you to pass the DELE A2 or higher and the CCSE to show that you are integrated in Spain. Orden JUS/1625/2016 (Ministerial Order JUS/1625/2016) explains who is exempt and how the "dispensa" (exemption on request) works. Its article 10 changed in October 2022 with Orden JUS/1018/2022. These are two different ideas: - **Exención (automatic exemption).** The law frees you from the exam directly and you do not have to request anything. - **Dispensa (exemption on request).** You have to request it from the Ministerio de Justicia, which can accept or reject it. ## Do people under 18 have to take the CCSE? No. Orden JUS/1625/2016 says that people under eighteen are exempt from the CCSE and the DELE A2. If the minor is of compulsory school age, the parents or legal representatives must provide a certificate from the school. Among other details, the certificate states the enrolment date and whether the minor attends class regularly. ## What about people with disabilities or modified legal capacity? The Order also exempts "personas con capacidad modificada judicialmente" (people whose legal capacity has been modified by a court) from both exams. Their representatives must present certificates from the training centre, residence, shelter or care centre where the person lives or is looked after. Ley 8/2021 (Law 8/2021) changed the civil system of support for people with disabilities, but the nationality Order still uses the old wording. If you have support measures and do not know if this case applies to you, ask the Ministerio de Justicia before you submit your application. A disability without modified legal capacity does not exempt you from the exam. The Instituto Cervantes offers adaptations for taking the tests, and if you have learning difficulties you can request the dispensa we explain below. ## Am I exempt if I studied the ESO in Spain? Yes. The Order allows an exemption from the tests for people who went to school in Spain and passed the Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO, compulsory secondary education). In this case you do not have to request the dispensa beforehand. The Ministry's form says it is enough to provide the certificate with your nationality application. The rule only mentions the ESO. We have not found a specific rule in the Order or in the Regulation for the Bachillerato (upper secondary), Formación Profesional (vocational training) or university. If you do not have the ESO certificate, ask the Ministry about your case. ## Who does not have to take the DELE A2 but does have to take the CCSE? The Regulation frees nationals of these countries and territories from the DELE A2. Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. These people do have to pass the CCSE. If you have one of these nationalities but it is not the one shown on your residence permit, you must provide a valid passport or a consular certificate of that nationality. These people do not take the DELE A2 either: - people who already have a DELE diploma at level A2 or higher, - people who have an official certificate of Spanish as a foreign language at level A2, B1 or B2, for example from an Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (public language school). In both cases the CCSE is still required. ## What is the exemption for illiteracy or learning difficulties? Under Orden JUS/1625/2016, people who cannot read or write or who have learning difficulties can request a dispensa from the tests from the Ministerio de Justicia. The Ministry decides case by case and can: - exempt you from the DELE and CCSE tests, - refuse the exemption, - authorise you to take adapted tests at the Instituto Cervantes. For people who cannot read or write, the Instituto Cervantes has an adapted DELE A2 that is only an oral test. To register you need the exemption authorised by the Ministry, and you must bring it on the exam day. Check dates and centres on the Instituto Cervantes website. ## How do I request the exemption and what documents do I need? You send the request to the Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública (Directorate-General for Legal Certainty and Public Faith) of the Ministerio de Justicia. These are the steps: 1. Fill in the form "Solicitud de dispensa de las pruebas del Instituto Cervantes" (request for exemption from the Instituto Cervantes tests). Tick the reason, which is either learning difficulties or illiteracy. 2. If the reason is learning difficulties, attach a medical certificate or report that proves them. If you have a disability, add the disability degree certificate issued by the Spanish administration. 3. If the reason is illiteracy, the form has a space to list the documents you provide, but it does not say which ones. Ask the Ministry which evidence they accept. 4. Submit it on the Ministerio de Justicia online portal (sede electrónica) with Cl@ve (the Spanish government's digital identity system) and the Autofirma app. The form is also available as a PDF. If you cannot do the procedure online, ask at an oficina de asistencia en materia de registros (public registry assistance office). Request the exemption before you apply for nationality. Since 29 October 2022, the Ministry closes and files any nationality application submitted while the exemption request is still pending. The Ministry has 6 months to reply. If it does not reply within that time, the exemption is considered refused. The ESO is the only exception to this order. ## What do I do if none of these cases applies to me? You have to pass the CCSE and, if you are not exempt from the language test, the DELE A2. The CCSE certificate is valid for 4 years from the date the results record is approved. You can only register and pay on the official Instituto Cervantes website. To prepare for the CCSE you can review the [300 CCSE questions](/en/ccse-questions) and practise with the [free mock exam](/en/mock-exam). Nacionaliza is an independent study website and has no connection with the Instituto Cervantes or the Ministerio de Justicia. ## Frequently asked questions ### If I am from a Spanish-speaking country, do I have to take the CCSE? Yes. Nationals of countries where Spanish is an official language are only exempt from the DELE A2. The CCSE is required for them, the same as for everyone else. ### Does my 16-year-old child have to take the CCSE? No. People under 18 are exempt from both exams. If your child is of compulsory school age, you must present a certificate from the school. ### Can I request the exemption and nationality at the same time? No. First you request the exemption and wait for the answer or for the 6 months to pass. If you submit both at the same time, the Ministry closes and files the nationality application. ### Does having the ESO also free me from the CCSE? Under Orden JUS/1625/2016, people who went to school in Spain and passed the ESO can be exempted from "dichas pruebas" (those tests), meaning the DELE and the CCSE. Provide the certificate with your nationality application. ## Sources - Real Decreto 1004/2015, Reglamento de nacionalidad por residencia (texto consolidado, BOE): https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2015-12047 - Orden JUS/1625/2016, tramitación de la nacionalidad por residencia (texto consolidado, BOE): https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2016-9314 - Orden JUS/1018/2022, que modifica el artículo 10 de la Orden JUS/1625/2016 (BOE): https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2022-17596 - Ministerio de Justicia. Nacionalidad española por residencia (sede electrónica): https://sede.mjusticia.gob.es/tramites/nacionalidad-espanola - Ministerio de Justicia. Advertencia sobre solicitudes de dispensa de las pruebas del Instituto Cervantes: https://sede.mjusticia.gob.es/documents/d/guest/advertencia-dispensas - Ministerio de Justicia. Formulario de solicitud de dispensa de las pruebas del Instituto Cervantes: https://www.mjusticia.gob.es/es/Ciudadano/TramitesGestiones/Documents/Solicitud_dispensa_pruebas_Instituto_Cervantes.pdf - Ministerio de Justicia. Información sobre nacionalidad: https://www.mjusticia.gob.es/es/ciudadania/nacionalidad/informacion-nacionalidad - Instituto Cervantes. Procedimiento de inscripción al DELE A2 para candidatos no alfabetizados (nota de prensa, 2022): https://cervantes.org/es/sobre-nosotros/sala-prensa/notas-prensa/el-instituto-cervantes-actualiza-el-procedimiento-de - Ley 8/2021, de apoyo a las personas con discapacidad en el ejercicio de su capacidad jurídica (BOE): https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2021-9233 URL: https://nacionaliza.es/en/guides/who-is-exempt-from-the-ccse