Opposition party calls for tougher language and culture exams for Spanish citizenship

This week, the PP proposed tightening the requirements for immigrants to gain Spanish nationality by raising "the linguistic, cultural, and constitutional standards".

According to PP leader Feijóo, nationality should only be granted to those who demonstrate their willingness to integrate, which includes making a great effort to improve language skills.

'No permanent residency without integration': Spain's PP warns foreigners

To ensure "real and verifiable" integration into Spain, the PP’s 11-page plan states that "the language requirement will be raised to B2 and a reinforced test of institutional, legal, cultural, and historical knowledge will be implemented”.

"Being Spanish isn't just living in Spain; it's sharing a history, values, and a destiny," Feijóo argued in a recent speech in Barcelona.

"We will never defend an immigration policy that turns entire neighbourhoods in our country into unrecognisable places,” he added.

Currently, foreigners who want to become Spanish nationals have to prove their integration into Spanish society by putting their Spanish language skills and general knowledge about Spain to the test with two exams.

The language exam is run by Spain’s Cervantes Institute. It’s known as DELE, (Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera), Spanish Diplomas as a Second Language.

The DELE diploma you have to obtain in order to get Spanish citizenship is level A2.

A2 is the equivalent of an upper beginner, on a scale that goes from A1 (lower beginner) to a C2 (upper advanced).

READ ALSO: Can you have Spanish citizenship denied for not being integrated enough?

The B2 level, on the other hand, indicates upper intermediate – two levels above the current requirement.

According to DELE, having a B2 level in Spanish means that you can interact with native speakers “with a sufficient degree of fluency and spontaneity to enable easy and natural communication”.

You should also be able to “produce clear and detailed texts about diverse topics, as well as defend an opinion about general topics, expressing the pros and cons for each argument”.

And thirdly, you need to be able to understand the gist of complex texts “about both concrete and abstract topics, including technical texts, provided they are within the candidate’s area of expertise”.

The B2 level exam consists of four parts – a reading comprehension, a written and interaction test, a listening comprehension test and an oral test.

In order to pass, you must earn a minimum of 60 points out of 100, getting at least 30 points out of 50 in each test group.

This is a much more advanced level than the current requirement of A2.

READ ALSO: Spain's PP calls for points-based visa system for foreigners

Regarding long-term residency, Feijóo argued that it should not be granted "merely because of the passage of time," but rather based on "criteria of contribution, work, and integration".

Last month the PP also proposed a points-based visa for foreigners entering Spain, which will assess education, experience, language, and integration, and will prioritise immigrants of Latin American origin.

"We advocate for a new points-based visa that prioritises entry for those who want to work in sectors where there are labour shortages, for those who know our culture best, and for those with a greater capacity for integration," Feijóo said.

It would mean that those who are already native Spanish speakers would be given priority when it comes to residency too.