Law for Grandchildren: how is the process to request Spanish citizenship and what needs to be presented

Since the end of 2022, the Democratic Memory Law, also known as the "

", has been in force in Spain, which expanded the possibilities of Argentine descendants of Spaniards,

, to process the nationality of that country.

It is currently one of the most required options for those seeking to emigrate to Europe legally.

In addition to residency, it also grants

, jobs within the European Community, and free transit.

This means that the person now has access to the

as someone born in Spanish territory.

Within this framework, the

in Buenos Aires

the opening of

 so that those interested in obtaining Spanish citizenship can manage it.

He does so through his Twitter account, @CGEspBsAires.

As they promised there this week, they will enable new appointments "periodically" to start these files, "

who have the right, and want,

."

This Thursday, after a call that was frustrated by a system crash due to high demand, they announced that "

" they will publish a new call.

For those interested, the first thing to keep in mind is that the process consists of numerous steps and that in some cases it even requires some

, in addition to the presentation of 

to be able to start the process.

Since the end of last year, the law of Democratic Memory in Spain, also known as the "Law of grandchildren", has been in force.

Photo: File.

Who benefits from the new "Grandchildren's Law"?

Although initially the purpose of the regulation was to repair the damage caused to the relatives of exiles during the Franco regime, on November 23 the General Consul of Spain in Buenos Aires decided to adopt a

of the law.

For this reason, as explained to

by the lawyer

, who is part of the ArgentApp team, a platform that helps Argentines settle in Europe, "

whose

is

".

"Regardless of the immigration date of their predecessor, those who have these requirements

of kinship," he added.

Who can apply for Spanish citizenship and what documentation must be presented to process it?

1.

They can apply for Spanish citizenship:

a.

People whose

was

. 

b.

Those

to a

, who

, and who, having suffered exile for political, ideological or belief reasons or sexual orientation and identity, have lost or renounced their Spanish nationality .

The documents to be submitted are: 

.

(original and copy).

.

 Data

completed and signed.

.

issued by the local civil registry.

It must be original (true copy of the book), recent (not more than 12 months of issue) and apostilled.

Extracts are not accepted.

.

Original and copy of the

the

who have Spanish nationality.

The copy must have been issued in the

, except for birth certificates registered at the same consulate, which will not require validity.

.

Original and copy of the

literal and apostilled

who do not have Spanish nationality.

.

Original and photocopy of the civil marriage

of the

, apostilled, if they were married when the applicant was born.

.

Original and copy of official identification of the interested party (preferably the 

).

.

Literal birth certificate of

the applicant

's

. 

Documentation that proves the

 the father, mother, grandfather or grandmother, if applicable.

Those who obtain Spanish citizenship have access to the same rights as a person born in Spanish territory.

Photo: File.

2.

They can apply for Spanish citizenship

also the

born abroad to

who

for

before the entry into force of the 1978 Constitution. In these cases the 

are

. 

Data declaration form completed and signed.

. 

Completed and signed annex (original and copy).

. 

Annex V, completed.

.

issued by the local civil registry

.

It must be original (true copy of the book), recent (not more than 12 months of issue) and apostilled.

Extracts are not accepted. 

.

Original and copy of the

the

who have/have Spanish nationality.

The copy must have been issued in the last 4 years, except for birth certificates registered at the same consulate, which will not require validity.

.

Original and copy of the

literal and apostilled

who do not have Spanish nationality.

.

Original and photocopy of

of the parents, apostilled, if they were married when the applicant was born.

.

Original and copy of official identification of the interested party (preferably the 

).

.

For

between August

and December

 , documentation must also be provided that proves, on the one hand, the acquisition by the mother of the nationality of her husband;

and on the other hand, the foreign legislation on the subject on the date the marriage took place.

To process Spanish citizenship, you must make an appointment and present specific documentation.

Photo: File.

3. The

of those Spaniards whose nationality of origin was recognized by virtue of the

, as provided in the new regulation or in Law 52/2007,

can also apply for Spanish citizenship .

The requirements are: 

. 

Data

 completed and signed.

.

Annex III, completed and signed (original and copy).​

.

Annex V, completed.

.

issued by the local civil registry of the

.

It must be original (true copy of the book), recent (not more than 12 months of issue) and apostilled.

Extracts are not accepted.

.

Original and copy of the

the

who have Spanish nationality.

The copy must have been issued in the last 4 years, except for birth certificates registered at the same consulate, which will not require validity.

.

Original and copy of the

literal and apostilled

who do not have Spanish nationality.

.

Original and photocopy of

of the parents, apostilled, if they were married when the applicant was born.

.

Original and copy of official identification of the interested party (preferably

).

4. 

They can also request Spanish citizenship:

a.

People who, being

of

and

, have opted for Spanish nationality

by virtue of article 20.1.b) of the Civil Code.

b.

The

of those who acquired Spanish nationality by application of Law 52/2007, who opted, exercising the right given by article 20 of the Civil Code, to be

of a

.

In these cases, the

are to present:

. 

Annex IV, completed and signed (original and copy).

.

Annex V, completed.

​

.

of the interested party.

.

Original and copy of official identification of the interested party (preferably

).

​ ​

To present the documentation and start the process, you must request an appointment online.

Photo: Shutterstock.

How do you start the process to apply for Spanish citizenship?

Those who wish to apply for Spanish citizenship

and have all the paperwork prepared must request an

, through the website www.cgeonline.com.ar.

The

is carried out

, in which the interested party/applicant must go in person (in the case of minors, accompanied by at least one parent or legal representative), with their passport or ID.

If this is the

you visit the website, you will have to

through the links available for each type of procedure, where you will be assigned a

and a 

, with which you can access the service. appointment management.

Then you have to go to "

" and there to "

", where a specific option for the "

" will appear.

In addition to the main office, located at 1770 Guido Street, the

,

,

and

also allow progress with the process .

If the

at the time of submission, the person will only be given

to provide the missing documentation.

And if he doesn't do it on time, his application will be rejected and he won't be able to apply again.

"This right of option

It has

counting from the date of entry into force of this regulation, that is

, extendable for one more year by virtue of the Agreement of the Council of Ministers", highlighted the lawyer Zanoni.

MDG

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