Registering a child born abroad to a Spanish parent

Terms used

• Registro Civil — The Registro Civil is the Spanish civil register, which records births, marriages and nationality.
• DNI — The DNI is the Spanish national identity card.
• Libro de Familia — The Libro de Familia is an official booklet recording a family's births, marriages and deaths.
• Apostille — An apostille is an official stamp that makes a foreign public document valid in another country.

Key rules

• Nationality: A child of a Spanish parent is Spanish from birth, wherever they were born.
• Deadline: Late registration does not cost your child their nationality, but no passport or DNI is possible until it is done.
• Parent's status: The parent must have been Spanish at the time of the birth.
• Where to apply: Use the consulate for the place of birth, or the Registro Civil if you live in Spain.

Your child is already Spanish, but registration proves it

A child born to a Spanish father or mother is Spanish by origin, wherever the birth took place. Nationality does not depend on registering. Registration is what gives your child a Spanish passport, a DNI and access to other benefits.

A parent who was born abroad can also pass on nationality, as long as that parent was Spanish at the time of the child's birth.

Where to register

Start with the Spanish consulate for the district where the child was born. The consulate acts as a branch of the Registro Civil.

If you live in Spain, you can use the Registro Civil of your town instead, or the Registro Civil Central in Madrid. Registration is now done electronically. Consulate and registry roles have changed since the 2021 reform, so ask which office handles your case before you travel or send papers.

How the process works

1. Get the foreign birth certificate from the authority in the country of birth. Have it legalised with an apostille or consular legalisation, and translated if it is not in Spanish.
2. Gather proof that the parent is Spanish, such as a Spanish birth certificate, DNI or passport. Add the parents' marriage certificate if you are married.
3. Ask for registration at the consulate, or send the papers to the Registro Civil.
4. The registry checks the papers and enters the birth. It then issues a literal birth certificate.
5. Apply for the child's passport and DNI, and for a Libro de Familia where appropriate.

Requirements differ between consulates, so read your consulate's website before you gather papers. The documents list and checklist below give the detail.

Deadline

Your child does not lose Spanish nationality if you are late. There is a time limit for notifying the birth, but registration can still be made afterwards. Until the birth is registered, your child cannot get a Spanish passport or DNI. Register as soon as you can.

Late registration

You can register at any age. A parent applies for a minor. An adult can apply personally. Apply to the consulate or the Registro Civil.

The registry opens a file (expediente). It asks for the apostilled foreign birth certificate and proof that the parent was Spanish at the time of the birth, such as the parent's birth certificate and proof of nationality on that date. For older cases the registry can ask for a lot of evidence.

If the registry refuses, you can appeal to the Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública. Once registered, your nationality by origin is recorded with effect from birth.

Older family histories

If the link to Spain runs through a mother or earlier generations before the 1978 and 1982 changes, the rules differ. The Democratic Memory Law route is meant for those cases. Ask your consulate which route fits.

Timeline and deadlines

• Notify the birth and start registration with the consulate or Registro Civil: as soon as you can after the birth; a time limit exists for notifying births, but registration can still be made later

• Register the birth late, if the time has passed, with extra proof of the parent's nationality at the birth: at any age; there is no deadline that makes the child lose Spanish nationality

• Apply for the child's Spanish passport and DNI: only once the birth is registered

Documents you need

• The child's foreign birth certificate, issued by the authority in the country of birth, with an apostille or consular legalisation, and translated if it is not in Spanish.

• Proof that the Spanish parent is Spanish, such as their Spanish birth certificate, DNI or passport. For a late registration, also proof that the parent was Spanish on the date of the birth.

• The parents' marriage certificate, if the parents are married.

Checklist

• Request registration at the Spanish consulate in the district where the child was born.

• Ask for the literal birth certificate once the registry has entered the birth.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child lose Spanish nationality if I register the birth late?

No, your child does not lose Spanish nationality if you register the birth late, because a child of a Spanish parent is Spanish from birth. Until the birth is registered, though, the child cannot get a Spanish passport or DNI. Late registration may need extra proof.

Can an adult born abroad to a Spanish parent still register?

Yes, an adult born abroad to a Spanish parent can register at any age by applying personally to the consulate or the Registro Civil.

What can I do if my late registration is refused?

If the registry refuses your late registration, you can appeal to the Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública. Older cases can need a lot of evidence, so gather the parent's birth certificate and proof of their nationality at the date of birth.

Can my child register if I was born abroad too?

Yes, your child can register if you were born abroad, as long as you were Spanish at the time your child was born. Registration in the Registro Civil is what proves it.