Dual Nationality In Spain: Can Brits Ever Qualify?

For British expats basking successful Spain’s sun, nan dream of holding some a Spanish and British passport is tantalising. Post-Brexit, pinch its 90-day enactment limits and residency hurdles, dual nationality could mean seamless EU travel, voting rights, and easier activity opportunities.

But does Spain let Brits to support their UK citizenship while gaining a Spanish one? The short answer: it’s tricky, but not intolerable for some. Here’s nan lowdown connected whether Brits tin suffice for dual nationality successful Spain and really to make it happen.

Spain’s dual citizenship rules are strict. Generally, erstwhile applying for Spanish citizenship, you must renounce your original nationality—bad news for Brits hoping to support their UK passport. However, Spain has typical agreements pinch definite countries, allowing their citizens to clasp their original nationality successful summation to Spanish citizenship. These see Ibero-American countries (e.g., Argentina, Mexico), Andorra, nan Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and France, arsenic good arsenic Sephardic Jews pinch humanities ties to Spain. Sadly, nan UK isn’t connected this list, meaning astir Brits must springiness up their UK citizenship to go Spanish—unless they suffice done circumstantial routes.

Brits tin qualify, but…

So, Brits tin qualify, but it depends connected ancestry aliases family ties. If you person a Spanish genitor aliases grandparent, you mightiness beryllium eligible for citizenship by descent, which tin let dual nationality nether definite conditions. For example, Jane Carter, a 38-year-old from Leeds surviving successful Alicante, discovered her Spanish-born grandma qualified her for citizenship by descent. “I applied done nan Democratic Memory Law, which covers descendants of Spanish exiles,” she says. “I kept my British passport because nan UK allows dual citizenship, moreover if Spain doesn’t officially recognise it.” The 2022 Democratic Memory Law opened doors for descendants of Spaniards exiled during nan Franco regime, perchance benefiting up to 700,000 people, including immoderate Brits pinch Spanish roots.

For astir Brits, nan modular way to citizenship is done residency, which requires 10 years of ineligible residence successful Spain, a cleanable criminal record, and passing nan DELE A2 connection trial and nan CCSE taste exam. The catch? You’ll apt request to renounce your British citizenship during nan process, though nan UK doesn’t require you to surrender your passport. This creates a grey area: Spain sees you arsenic solely Spanish, but nan UK still considers you British. “I went done it,” says Mark Davies, a Costa del Sol retiree. “I renounced my UK citizenship for Spain, but nan UK still recognises me. It’s complicated, but I tin usage some passports—just not successful Spain.”

Another way is done marriage

Another way is citizenship done matrimony to a Spanish national, which requires conscionable 1 twelvemonth of residency aft marriage. However, renunciation of British citizenship is still typically required unless you person ties to an eligible country. For example, a Brit pinch a Latin American passport (say, from Puerto Rico) could usage that nationality to suffice for dual citizenship aft 2 years of residency.

The process isn’t inexpensive aliases quick. Applications costs astir 100 euros, pinch further expenses for translations and ineligible fees, totalling up to 1,000 euros. Processing tin return 4–12 months. You’ll request documents for illustration a commencement certificate, impervious of residency, and a criminal inheritance check. Online applications via Spain’s SEDE electrónica level simplify things, but ineligible proposal is important to debar pitfalls.

For Brits without Spanish ancestry aliases eligible secondary nationalities, dual citizenship remains retired of scope unless Spain changes its laws. On X, expats are buzzing pinch frustration, pinch immoderate calling for a UK-Spain dual citizenship statement post-Brexit. Could it happen? Only clip will tell. For now, if you’re dreaming of dual nationality, excavation into your family character aliases consult a lawyer astatine firms for illustration Giambrone.