The law of democratic memory is a regulation that allows another way of obtaining Spanish citizenship. So if you are a descendant of a Spanish exile, keep on reading, because this law will make it much easier for you to obtain the nationality, and now we are going to explain how!
First of all, let’s start by defining the content of this Democratic Law and the reasons that lead to its creation.
It is a reparative measure for all those who were exiled from Spain for political or ideological reasons, especially during the Civil War and the Spanish dictatorship.
This measure aims to compensate these individuals by facilitating the acquisition of nationality by their descendants; more specifically, those who were born outside Spain but are children or grandchildren of those who had to leave the country.
But, going into details, how does it benefit the descendants of the exiles?
The first advantage is that you won’t need to prove one year of legal residence in the country to apply for nationality. You will be able to get it directly (and from your country of origin), as you will acquire the option right.
Remember that right now, if you are a direct descendant of a Spanish citizen, you can take advantage of only a 1 year residency requirement to apply for citizenship.
So, as you can see, this law has two main purposes:
- First of all, to repair all the damages caused to the victims of the repression and dictatorship of the last century in Spain
- Second, to defend the democratic history of the Spanish territory and to acknowledge it
Who benefits from this law?
There are two different groups of people who benefit from this law:
Firstly, the descendants of those who had to go into exile. That is, if you were born outside of Spain but your father, mother, grandfather or grandmother went into exile from the country for their beliefs or due political reasons. Because they had to renounce Spanish nationality, you will have certain benefits when applying for citizenship thanks to this law.
Keep in mind that at no time are great-grandparents or great-grandchildren mentioned, so in those cases the law would not be effective.
However, there is another group that can also benefit from this law. Volunteers who were members of the International Brigade have the possibility of acquiring nationality. They would do so by letter of naturalization.
Application deadline
Another important aspect to mention is its application deadline, which will be limited.
Initially, one only had a period of 2 years to carry out the procedure from October 2022.
Now, the law has been extended to the end of 2025!
You can still start the process as soon as possible so you don’t miss the opportunity.
You will need to prove the familial link. Find the family documents that verify it, as this is a very important part of the legal procedure.
As always, if you need help with this procedure, do not hesistate to reach out to our lawyers.
Get in touch with our lawyers and let us guide you step by step:
