Barcelona's city authority has granted the Antoni Gaudí-designed Sagrada Familia, which has been under construction since 1882, its first building permit.
The UNESCO world heritage site now has an official permit from the local council that will allow the building to be completed.
The announcement was made by Janet Sanz, Barcelona's deputy mayor for ecology, urbanism and mobility, who tweeted an image showing her signing the permit.
Sanz stated that the Sagrada Familia would be paying ?4.6 million (£4.1 million) to the city for the permit, on top of the ?36 million (£31 million) it has already agreed to pay for the expenses generated by years of building work.
"We are a brave government that does not allow privileges," she wrote. Permit will allow building to complete
The construction permit granted to the Roman Catholic church will last until 2026, with the builders aiming to complete the basilica within this time period.
Although the Sagrada Familia is in its last stage of construction, at present the basilica is only around 70 per cent complete, with eight of its proposed 18 spires built. Once the final 170-metre-high central spire is built, it will be the tallest church in the world, rising almost 10 metres above Ulm Minster in Germany.
Sagrada Familia has had a long and complex construction history. Originally began in 1882, the design was altered dramatically when Gaudí took over the project following the original architect's resignation from the project in ...