The Government extends the deadline for applying for Spanish nationality under the Law of Democratic Memory by one year, until 21 October 2025.
Under the Law of Democratic Memory, the following persons can apply for Spanish citizenship:
1. CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OF SPANIARDS
1.1. Those born outside Spain of a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who were originally Spanish.
1.2. Those born outside Spain of father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who originally would have been Spanish, and who, as a consequence of having suffered exile for political, ideological or belief reasons or for reasons of sexual orientation and identity, have lost or renounced Spanish nationality.
2. CHILDREN OF SPANISH WOMEN WHO LOST THEIR NATIONALITY WHEN THEY MARRIED.
The sons and daughters born abroad of Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying foreigners before the entry into force of the 1978 Constitution.
3. CHILDREN OF SPANIARDS BY THE LAW OF HISTORICAL MEMORY (LAW 52/2001).
The sons and daughters of legal age of those Spaniards whose nationality of origin was recognised by virtue of the right of option in accordance with the Law of Historical Memory (Seventh Additional Provision of Law 52/2007 of December 26th).
4. BRIGADISTAS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS.
Volunteers (and their descendants) members of the International Brigades (brigadistas), who participated in the War from 1936 to 1939. In this case, they will be able to acquire Spanish nationality by letter of nature. More information on this case here.
The Applications must be submitted at the Consulate corresponding to the place of residence of the interested party.
According to the Law, the application for citizenship must be formalised within two years from the entry into force of this Law, that is, until October 21, 2024. At the end of this period, the Council of Ministers may agree to extend it for one more year, which has now happened.
The Council of Ministers has approved the extension by one year of the deadline for exercising the right to opt for Spanish nationality set out in the eighth additional provision of Law 20/2022, on Democratic Memory.
Therefore, the two-year period provided for in that section for exercising the right to opt for Spanish nationality, which that additional provision recognises for those born outside Spain to a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who were originally Spanish, and who, as a result of having suffered exile for political, ideological or religious reasons or for reasons of sexual orientation and identity, have lost or renounced Spanish nationality, as well as persons who are in the following situations, is extended for a third year.
A Very Popular Law
Since the entry into force of the aforementioned Law, until 31 March 2024, the Consular Civil Registry Offices have received 301,121 applications for the option of Spanish nationality of origin.
More than 95 percent of the applications have been received at the Spanish Consular Offices in Latin America and the Consulate General of Spain in Miami. Specifically, the five consulates general of Spain in Argentina account for 40 percent of the applications, and together with the Consulate General of Spain in Havana, they account for more than 53 percent of the applications. In all of them, there are a number of applicants who are unlikely to be summoned and attended to before the end of the two-year period provided for in the aforementioned eighth additional provision of the Law.
For this reason, the Government is extending the two-year deadline for applying for Spanish nationality by one year, so that all applications for appointments already submitted and pending the assignment of a date can be dealt with, as well as all applications submitted that cannot be dealt with in the first two years of application initially provided for in the law.
If you are interested in applying for Spanish Citizenship, get in touch with us!
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