Spanish Nationality Deadline Next Week (Democratic Memory Law)

On the 22nd of October (Wednesday of next week as of this posting), the Spanish government will no longer accept applications for citizenship under the Democratic Memory Law. This law was passed in October of 2022 to compensate and preserve the memory of victims of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

Article 32 allows descendants of exiled Spaniards to apply for Spanish citizenship without having to live in Spain or give up their current nationality. Eligible applicants include:

• Children and grandchildren of Spaniards who left Spain for political, ideological, or economic reasons during the Civil War or the Franco regime.
• Children born abroad to Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying non-Spaniards before 1978.
• Children of those who obtained citizenship under the 2007 Historical Memory Law.

The application portal will close at 11:59 pm local time.