Can I Claim Spanish Nationality?

[Carlos]

Hey, Bob! A year of effective residency is not a year of jail!

Of course you can travel or have holidays. I send you by private message my own attorney's e-mail address. You can free ask him for any question.

Greetings

[jcarl08]

Raul or Jose Rafael,

I am in the same situation as you both. I light of the law of 2007, now enabled with the regulations of late December 2008, have you guys made any new discoveries on this topic. Looking forward to hearing what happened to your respective cases.

Thanks

JC

[FelipeB]

I saw this forum by chance. My mom's grandfather is from Spain (Navarra) and my mom studied in Spain during the 50's. Would she be eligible for citizenship?

[Art]

If your mom's grandfather emigrated in the right time period, she might. I doubt that studying in Spain will help, but what do I know?

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Si el abuelo de tu madre emigró en la época correcta, quizás sí. Dudo que estudiar en España ayudaría, pero ¿qué sé yo?

[redcod56]

Hello,

I am a Sephardi Jew and have heard one can apply for spanish citizenship after one year of legal residence if they are Sephardi.

However, I have no documents from Spain, as my ancestor were probably driven out long ago, at the time of the inquisition. I am an American. How would I prove I am a Sephardi Jew?


David

[Bob]

David, I think you are right about the law concerning Sephardim, but your best bet would be to speak with a Spanish attorney specializing in immigration law about what sort of proof would be necessary.

[jszota]

Hello,

Here's my situation (thank you for all of your help by the way):

My grandmother is originally from Asturias. She passed away a few years ago, however, I'm sure my father has all of her documents (i.e. birth, death certificates...all of those things). I understand that if I can obtain residency in Spain for one year I can try and obtain Nationality, correct?

Well, I am currently in Barcelona and arrived in Spain on the first of September. I was in Bilbao until the 14th of December when I returned to Texas for holiday and have been back in Spain (Barcelona) since the 8th of January. I have an "extranjero" tarjeta which is valid until the 25th of September. If I was to stay in Spain until the first week of September would I then be eligible to obtain Nationality? and if so, what steps do I need to take to do so? Would I then lose my American nationality? How long (estimate) do you think it would take before I could recieve spanish nationality.

Thanks.
Jessica

[Art]

Jessica, asking us is a little like asking friends in a bar about how to get out of traffic tickets. We might have good advice and we might not. I don't think any of us has experience with what you're trying to do.

If I remember correctly, from when I researched this a few years ago, there is a formal process for doing the residency. You really should talk to the citizenship authorities or a lawyer.

But... there is an accelerated plan available only the next two years for children and grandchildren of Spaniards who left about the time of the Civil War. If you qualify for that program, it might be much easier.

Good luck! And be sure to tell us how it goes. You'll be teaching us!

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Jessica, pedirnos es un poco como preguntar a tus amigos en un bar acerca de cómo salvarte de infracciones de tránsito. Quizás tengamos consejos buenos y tal vez no. No creo que ninguno tengamos experiencia en lo que estás tratando de hacer.

Si no recuerdo mal, cuando investigué este tema hace unos años, existe un proceso formal para hacer la residencia. Debes hablar con los autoridades de la ciudadanía o un abogado.

Pero ... existe un plan acelerado disponible sólo en los dos años próximos para los hijos y nietos de españoles que salieron durante la época de la Guerra Civil. Si calificas para este programa, podría ser mucho más fácil.

!Suerte! Y dinos sobre tu experiencia. ¡Vas a enseñarnos!

[Manuel A Gonzalez]

I did it finally!!! My sister and I applied for our Spanish Citizenship last July and they told us that we were eligble. We received a new birth certificate stating that we are Spaniards!!!!! The Consulate of New York is really not prepared to handle all of us and they were very inept at processing our paperwork. Throughout their ineptness they lost my father's orginial birth ceritficate that my sister went to Illas (Taborneda) to get... I was really surprised poorly they treated us in the Consulate of NYC. I am wondering if the other Consulates are any better??

Por fin lo hice!!!!! Mi hermana y yo aplicamos para nuestra ciudadania Espanola el julio pasado y nos dijeron que eramos eligibles. Acabamos de recibir nuestras fes de nacimiento diciendo que si somos Espanoles!! El Consulado de NYC no esta preparado para trabajar con todo nosotros y son muy ineptos en procesar los papeles. Por el proceso y porque son ineptos perdieron la fe de nacimiento original de mi padre que mi hermana fue a Illas (Taborneda) a recojer.....Quede asustado que lo malo que nos trataron en el Consulado de NYC..Los otros Consulados son iguales????

[Art]

Congratulations, Manual!

I just received my grandfather's naturalization papers today, so I'm one step closer now, too. I think I have all the papers now. What do you recommend I do next?

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¡Enhorabuena, Manual!

Acabo de recibir los papeles de naturalización de mi abuelo hoy, así que estoy un paso más cerca, también. Creo que tengo todos los papeles ahora. ¿Qué me recomiendas hacer ahora?

[Charolette]

Art
Have you had all your US documents translated? The information that I received from the Consulate in San Francisco looks like all the translators that they approve are in Spain. Do we really have to send all our documents to Spain to be translated?
Also did your naturalization papers come with an appostile? I asked when I called for a certified copy of my Grandfather and they said it does, but I would be surprised if it really does.
Charolette

[Art]

Good point. It's not "apostile" (or whatever it's called). I'll have to ask for that next, I guess.

I've heard that some offices aren't requiring translations.

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Buen punto. No es "apostillado" (o como sea). Voy a tener que pedirlo ahora, supongo.

He oído que algunas oficinas no se requieren las traducciones.

[Charolette]

Do you also have your parents certified marriage certificate. I emailed the consulate and listed all the documents that I had and asked what else I needed. I listed many more things than I thought they need and they said they needed all of them plus a certified copy of my Grandfathers naturalization papers and my parents marriage records. They also said that all US documents must be translated and with the apostille.
Also, do you know if we would get the apostille from W Va where the citizenship was granted or Penn. where the documents are stored and the certified copy came from?

[Charolette]

I guess I found the answer to my own question. The Naturalization paper will need the apostille from the state that certified them.

[Art]

How did you get your copy of the naturalization certified?