Spain Grants 237,145 Nationalities to Descendants of Republican Exiles

Minister’s Remarks in Las Palmas

During a visit to the Foreign Offices in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Minister of Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, highlighted that the nationality applications benefit “the grandchildren and children of those who had to leave Spain for other countries, primarily in Latin America, during the Civil War and the dictatorship.”

The Spanish government has thus far granted 237,145 nationalities to descendants of republican exiles under the provisions of the Democratic Memory Law, as announced by the responsible minister, Ángel Víctor Torres, on Friday in the Canary Islands.

Torres detailed that the nationality applications granted to date represent 27% of the total submitted, which amounts to 876,321.

Impact of the Democratic Memory Law

He reiterated that this initiative specifically aids “the grandchildren and children of those who were forced to leave Spain for other countries, mainly in Latin America, during the Civil War and the dictatorship.”

Most applications, he noted, have originated from Argentina.

The procedure was initiated by the Democratic Memory Law of 2022, which establishes in one of its additional provisions: “Those born outside Spain of a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who were originally Spanish, and who, as a result of suffering exile for political, ideological or belief-based reasons, or due to sexual orientation and identity, lost or renounced their Spanish nationality, may opt for Spanish nationality under Article 20 of the Civil Code.”

Additionally, it addresses other scenarios, such as for descendants born abroad of Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying foreigners before the Constitution of 1978 came into effect.

Application Process and Deadlines

A two-year application period was established from the law’s enactment, although an extension of one year has been granted, ending on 24 October 2024.

Minister Torres reminded that the processing of these applications is handled by Spanish consular offices in various countries.

As of the end of November 2024, a total of 351,266 applications have been received, nearly 125,000 more than since the law came into effect in late 2023.

Over 95% of these applications were submitted at Spanish consular offices in Ibero-America and the General Consulate of Spain in Miami, USA.

In particular, the five consulates in Argentina account for 40% of the total applications. When combined with those from Havana, requests stemming from Argentina and Cuba exceed 53%.