Obtaining Spanish Nationality through the Historical Memory Law and Democratic Memory Law
Law 52/2007 of 26 December on Historical Memory and the Law 20/2022 of 19 October on Democratic Memory Law establish a special procedure that benefits the descendants of Spanish citizens who were exiled during the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship, even when they lost or renounced their Spanish nationality in the process.
To apply for nationality, it is necessary to prove the kinship or close family links, as well as the condition of exiles of the mother, father, grandfather or grandmother, due to political, ideological, religious or sexual orientation reasons. To establish the exile, there is a presumption that individuals who traveled outside of Spain between July 18, 1936, and December 31, 1955, are considered exiles. If the departure occurred after this date, evidence of exile must be provided.
Also, children born abroad to Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying foreigners before the 29thof December of 1918 can now apply for Spanish nationality under the umbrella of the Law of Democratic Memory of 2022.
In all these cases, it is usually necessary to submit the sworn translation of your birth certificate as well as the marriage certificate of your parents, among other documents.
If you are interested in obtaining Spanish nationality through this route, there is a two-year window to initiate the application process, starting from October 21, 2022, with the possibility of a one-year extension.