Nationality by origin and descent

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you should know whether you can claim Spanish nationality through your family and how to prove it.

Start with "Claiming nationality through a Spanish parent or grandparent". It shows whether you are already Spanish by origin or can opt for nationality, and it points you to the other pages that fit your case, such as the closed Democratic Memory deadline, the document chain, filing and recovery.

Key rules

• Filing fee: No fee is charged for origin or option declarations, though certificate copies, translations and apostilles cost money.
• Late option window: If your filiation or adoption is established after age 18, you can opt within two years.
• Memory law window: The Democratic Memory law window closed on 22 October 2025, and claims filed by then are still being processed.
• Parent: A child of a Spanish father or mother is Spanish by origin, wherever born.
• Grandparent: A Spanish grandparent alone does not give you nationality.
• Window: This was a one-time option with a time limit, and it closed in 2025.

Nationality by origin and descent: the whole process, step by step

• Work out whether you are Spanish by origin or can opt (Claiming nationality through a Spanish parent or grandparent): Before you start anything else

• Check the Democratic Memory route and the closed Sephardic route (Descendants of exiles; Closed and niche routes): Before you start. The Democratic Memory window closed on 22 October 2025, and claims filed by then are still being processed. See Closed and niche routes: Sephardic, option and possession of status.

• Gather the document chain from your Spanish ancestor to you (Proving your lineage): Before you book an appointment, since birth certificates from abroad need legalising or an apostille and a Spanish translation

• Book a consular appointment if you live abroad, or contact your Registro Civil if you live in Spain (Filing a descent claim at a consulate or in Spain): Large consulates in Latin America have had waits of months to over a year, and smaller ones are often much faster. Book as soon as your papers are nearly ready.

• File the application and documents. No fee is charged for the declaration itself: On the day of your appointment or filing

• If you opt late because your filiation or adoption was established after age 18, file within two years: Within two years of that establishment

• Wait for the resolution: The legal limit is generally one year from filing, but in practice descent claims have taken well over a year. Silence after that time counts as a refusal.

• Take the oath and register as a Spaniard (First steps after being recognised as Spanish by descent): After approval, when an oath or renunciation of your previous nationality applies

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your valid passport or ID — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you, Claiming nationality through a Spanish parent or grandparent

Translations and legal papers

• A Spanish translation of every document not in Spanish or a co-official language — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you
• Apostille on each foreign public document from the issuing country's designated — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you

Other documents

• A certificate of birth — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you, Recovering Spanish nationality you lost or renounced
• A birth certificate for each person between the Spanish ancestor — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you
• Marriage certificates for any link where a name changed or where parentage — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you
• Evidence that the ancestor kept Spanish nationality — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you
• Death certificates for any link in the chain who has died — Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you
• Completed application form — Claiming nationality through a Spanish parent or grandparent
• Your full literal birth certificate — Claiming nationality through a Spanish parent or grandparent
• Proof of your ancestor's Spanish nationality and of your family link to them — Descendants of exiles: who qualifies under the Democratic Memory law

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Nationality by origin and descent: questions that cross several articles

Does a Spanish grandparent alone give me the right to Spanish nationality?

No, a Spanish grandparent alone gives no right to Spanish nationality. A grandchild needed a specific route, such as the Democratic Memory law, whose window has closed. Read "Claiming nationality through a Spanish parent or grandparent" and then "The Democratic Memory deadline has closed: what now?".

Can I still apply under the Democratic Memory law now?

No, the Democratic Memory window closed on 22 October 2025 and no extension or new law has reopened it. Claims filed by that date are still being processed. Read "The Democratic Memory deadline has closed: what now?" and "Descendants of exiles: who qualifies under the Democratic Memory law" to see where you stand.

Is there an age limit if my parent was originally Spanish and born in Spain?

No, there is no age limit if your father or mother was originally Spanish and born in Spain, because you can opt at any age. The two-year limit applies only if your filiation or adoption was established after age 18.

What documents and fees do I need for an origin or option claim?

You need your birth certificate, proof of your parent's Spanish nationality and an ID or passport, and no fee is charged for the declaration itself. Certificate copies, translations and apostilles do cost money, and criminal-record certificates are normally not required. Read "Proving your lineage: the document chain from ancestor to you" and "Filing a descent claim at a consulate or in Spain".