Zoë Dahse
A NEW deadline has been put in place to request Spanish citizenship for those with the correct ancestry – and it’s coming up fast.
Descendants of Spanish grandparents now only have a few months to present their application and to receive a Spanish passport and DNI (National Identity Document) under the Ley de Nietos (Grandchildren Law).
The Democratic Memory Law, which is also colloquially known as the Grandparent Law, was introduced in October 2022, and stipulates that the descendants of Spanish parents and grandparents who were targeted and forced out under Franco’s dictatorship are able to apply for and obtain Spanish citizenship.
When the law first came into place, it was designed so that applications would be open for a period of two years.
However, due to a high level of demand, an extension of 12 months has been implemented, making the law valid for the three years after October 2022.
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This means that prospective applicants have until 22nd October of this year to apply for Spanish citizenship.
And given the length of time it can take to book an appointment in Spain, it is advised to apply as soon as possible.
Some consulate offices are so busy they have reported a delay of up to 14 months in obtaining an appointment.
Holding a Spanish passport offers many advantages, the most useful one being the right to reside in, study in and work in any of the 27 countries of the EU without a visa.
Additionally, it provides access to public healthcare and public schooling in Spain, and the right to vote in municipal and national elections.
According to the BOE (Boletin Oficial del Estado), prospective applicants should fall under of the following three requisites: be the child of a Spanish woman who lost their nationality after marrying a non-Spanish person before 1978, be a direct descendant of an exiled Spanish person between the years of 1936 and 1978, or be the child of parents who received Spanish citizenship as a result of previous historical memory laws.
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