How to Apply for Spanish Citizenship for Your Children

Whether you’ve had to move to Spain and leave your children behind or you’ve moved here with young children, it’s important that you understand all the requirements for regularizing your status and that of your children, or that you know how to obtain residency through family reunification.

Do you want to obtain Spanish citizenship for your children? It is possible, but it requires specific tests and criteria to be met.

To begin with, there are three important points or requirements you should keep in mind before applying for Spanish citizenship for your children, which you must meet:

• Have been a resident of Spain for a period of at least two years.
• You must provide documentation proving the Spanish nationality and residency of each parent.
• You must meet certain requirements for Spanish citizenship in order for your application to be approved.

By keeping these facts in mind, you can make the process of applying for Spanish citizenship for your children much easier.

You should also keep in mind that if your children were born in Spain, the process is much simpler. The relevant provisions are set forth in Article 17 of the Spanish Civil Code:

• Both parents must be Spanish, or at least one of them must be.
• If neither parent is Spanish, it is sufficient for one of them or one of their ancestors to have been born in Spain.
• Children born in the country whose parents are unknown.
• In the event that the child is adopted by Spanish citizens.
• A child born in Spain whose parents are foreign nationals who do not hold any nationality (stateless persons)

If you don’t meet either of the two conditions mentioned above, don’t worry. There are other ways to acquire Spanish citizenship, such as through “option” in certain special cases. This means you can choose to acquire Spanish citizenship even if you don’t meet the usual requirements, such as having a Spanish parent or being born in Spain. To apply for Spanish citizenship by option, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have been a legal resident of Spain for at least one year.
• Not be subject to any of the prohibitions on acquiring Spanish citizenship, such as having a final conviction for a serious crime or being in a state of financial insolvency.
• Not have been convicted of a crime against national security or a serious crime in another country.
• Not have been convicted of a drug offense or drug trafficking in another country.
• Not be subject to deportation or a ban on entry into Spain.
• Not be subject to security measures or judicial supervision.
• Not be in pretrial detention.
• Not be facing forced eviction.
• Not be in a situation of economic vulnerability.

Last but not least, you must keep in mind that the sponsor must have sufficient financial resources to provide for the needs of the family members being sponsored. To this end, income contributed by a spouse, partner, or other first-degree relative in the direct line of descent who resides in Spain and lives with the sponsor may be taken into account. Income received from the social welfare system will not be counted. You will typically be asked to submit your last six pay stubs to verify this information.

The government must respond within 45 days of the application being filed. If it fails to do so, the application will be deemed denied by administrative silence. If the application is approved, the family member must apply for a visa within two months. The visa can be applied for at the Spanish consulate where the family member resides.

Once the visa has been granted, the family member has until the visa expires—but no later than three months—to arrive in Spain. Once in Spain, they must apply for a Foreigner’s Identity Card within one month. This Foreigner’s Identity Card can be obtained at a police station or at the Immigration Office.

As you’ve seen, there are numerous procedures and requirements, and the deadlines are very tight. Therefore, to ensure that all family reunification procedures are handled correctly, it’s best to always consult with an experienced attorney. We’ve also included a direct link to the Immigration Portal below.

At Money Exchange, we’re here to help by providing you with a quick and easy way to download a certificate listing all the remittances you’ve sent to your family members through our website.

In the meantime, if you need to send money to your family members on a regular basis, at Money Exchange, we streamline the entire process so your money reaches your loved ones quickly and securely.