Warning: The information set out below is a general guideline provided by DOMENECH ABOGADOS.
Specific advice should be sought before any action in reliance on it is taken, as explained more
fully in this website's
legal
notice.
Since 29 December 2008 and for a period of two years from that date, foreigners whose father
or mother was originally a Spaniard may themselves choose to become Spaniards. This entitlement may
also apply to grandchildren of Spanish Civil War exiled grandparents who lost or had to waive
Spanish nationality as a consequence of exile. Under the Law for Historical Memory, any Spaniard
who fled Spain between 18 July 1936 and 31 December 1955 is deemed to be an exiled person if
appropriate evidence of their leaving Spanish territory between those dates can be provided.
In order to be recognised as a Spaniard under the provision regarding Spanish parents, it is
essential to have, among other documents, a birth certificate of at least one of the parents
(wherever born) proving that such parent was a Spaniard. If they were born in Spain, the birth
will be registered in the Civil Registry corresponding to the town where it took place; whereas, if
they were born abroad, the birth should have been registered in the Central Registry of the Spanish
Ministry of Justice.
For those who make application on the grounds that they are grandchildren of Civil War exiled
grandparents who lost or had to waive Spanish nationality as a consequence of exile, proving that a
grandparent was a Spaniard can also be done by means of a baptism certificate for those born before
1870. Parental birth certificates will also be required, in order to prove lineage.
Your application must be submitted in the appropriate Consular Civil Registry and, for that
purpose, a previous appointment can be booked through the website of the Spanish Foreign
Office.
If you have Spanish parents or grandparents and would like DOMENECH ABOGADOS to help you find
out whether you qualify to apply for Spanish nationality, or if you need assistance in gathering
evidence to support such an application, please contact Margarita Doménech or Ramsés Abad at
DOMENECH ABOGADOS – tel. (00 34) 93 415 06 77 or e-mail
md@domenechabogados.com.