Unless they belong to preferred groups like spouses of nationals, refugees or citizens of former colonies, migrants who wish to naturalise must have lived in Spain for 10 years with only short periods of absence. The state allows their children and grandchildren born in Spain to apply for citizenship, without additional conditions. However, they are not automatically Spanish at birth. Applicants must fulfill conditions including a stringent criminal record check and a simple language and citizenship test based on an interview. The state would attain best practice on security with a few improvements: if, for example, citizenship were not withdrawn from those who have been citizens for many years, or from those who would become stateless a result. Or if the state were to reduce the possible grounds for refusal or withdrawal and take into account more elements of a migrant's personal circumstances. Naturalising migrants cannot hold dual nationality. Their children, born in the country, can under certain conditions.
