Hello Ahmed,

Yes, you are certainly required to prove one year of legal residence ( not only living in the country, but holding the corresponding Residence card as a relative of an EU citizen ) in Spain if you wish to apply for Spanish nationality based on your marriage to a Spanish citizen.

The process to apply for it is simple thought the resolution can take between 3 and 8 months, depending on the province where you apply. The average period of time the Nationality application takes to be resolved once you file the application, that is, after a year of having got the residence car, also varies, as it can take up to 18 months depending on the corresponding Civil Registry.

If you wish to get more information on how to apply for the residence card of have more detailed questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail; you will find my contact details after clicking in my profile.

Regards,