30 de March, 2026
If you have reached this page, you are likely in one of two situations: you either missed the deadline for the Democratic Memory Law (LMD), or you just discovered Spanish heritage in your lineage and are wondering: “Is it still possible for grandchildren to obtain Spanish citizenship?”
Until 2025, the law allowed grandchildren (and even great-grandchildren) to obtain citizenship by origin directly through simplified requirements, without needing to maintain a continuous chain of transmission between parents and children. Today, those facilities no longer exist, and the stricter rules of the Spanish Civil Code are back in effect.
However, this doesn’t mean your chance to become a Spanish citizen is over. Moving forward, what changes is not the right itself, but the path to achieving it. This path depends primarily on your age, your family structure, and your willingness to live in Spain. Learn more below.
Realizing your goal of living in Europe or obtaining European citizenship can be simpler than you think. We offer personalized support to make the immigration process more accessible and uncomplicated.
Between October 2022 and October 2025, Spain saw a historic window. The Democratic Memory Law opened an unprecedented exception: grandchildren of Spaniards could apply for citizenship by origin, even as adults and without needing to reside in Spain.
Furthermore, different generations could start the process simultaneously—grandfather, son, and grandson—significantly accelerating access to a European passport.
This window officially closed on October 22, 2025.
In practice, most grandchildren of Spaniards can now only obtain citizenship through legal residence in Spain.
The alternative is a very limited family route, as explained below.
Choosing a path depends on one central factor: whether it is still possible to maintain the direct transmission of citizenship between generations.
The family route is no longer automatic for grandchildren, but it can still work in a very specific scenario.
This only applies if the grandparent was a Spanish citizen by origin born in Spain, the parent is alive and willing to apply for citizenship, and the grandchild is still a minor.
Under current Civil Code rules, citizenship must follow a direct transmission from parent to child. The “leapfrogging” of generations allowed under the LMD is no longer permitted.
Therefore, the process now requires two steps: first, the parent obtains citizenship, and then the child applies as a direct descendant. For minors, this results in citizenship with “by origin” effects.
For adult grandchildren, this route is generally not viable.
If you are the grandchild in question, the residency route ends up being the most direct and viable path to obtain Spanish citizenship as a grandchild.
Spanish citizenship by residence requires, first and foremost, that you reside legally in Spain. In other words, it is not enough to be in the country: it is necessary to have a valid authorization to live there and maintain your legal status throughout the required period.
In the case of grandchildren of Spaniards, there is an important advantage: the minimum residency period to apply for citizenship is reduced to just 1 year.
(For comparison, the general rule for most Latin Americans is 2 years, while others may require up to 10 years).
In addition to the period of legal residence, the process requires compliance with other criteria, such as passing the spanish citizenship exams (DELE and CCSE, when applicable), proof of a clean criminal record, and demonstration of integration into Spanish society.
It is important to understand that citizenship by residence and citizenship by origin are not the same from a legal point of view.
In practice, both guarantee the same rights as a Spanish citizen—such as living in Spain and the European Union, access to public services, the possibility of working, studying, and participating in the civil life of the country. Furthermore, once granted, Spanish citizenship is permanent and does not depend on continuing to live in Spain.
The main difference appears in the transmission to children.
Citizenship by origin is transmitted directly through the family line, usually from parents to children, and tends to be more automatic.
Citizenship by residence works differently. Although it makes you Spanish with full rights, it does not guarantee automatic transmission to children, especially if they are born outside of Spain or if they are already adults.
Legal residence in Spain generally occurs through previously obtaining a residence visa or, for those already living in the country, through legalization via arraigo.
It is worth noting, however, that not every visa can be used for citizenship purposes. Student visas, for example, do not count toward this period, and it is necessary, in most cases, to convert to a valid residence permit, such as a work permit. The same can occur, for example, by obtaining a job-seeking visa.
If you are a grandchild of a Spaniard and are already an adult, residency in Spain will likely be the necessary path, but each case must be analyzed individually.
At Atlantic Bridge, we evaluate your complete situation and guide you through every stage of the process. Speak with a specialist and discover which is the best path to your Spanish citizenship.
Author:
Atlantic Bridge
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