Question
As a Puerto Rican, can I take advantage of the two-year residence rule to accelerate my Spanish citizenship application? Can I have more information about Spanish citizenship for Puerto Rican?
Answers Spanish citizenship for Puerto Rican
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
“Just posting this for the Puerto Ricans in the group, who might not think they qualify for the Spanish Citizenship by residency due to having a US passport. Puerto Ricans do, in fact, qualify for Spanish citizenship after two years of residency.
Puerto Rican citizens are considered Ibero American citizens despite having a United States passport, and therefore can apply for Spanish nationality after two years of legal and continuous residence in Spain.
The Puerto Rican citizenship certificate is essential to obtain Spanish nationality.
spainguru.es/obtain-your-puerto-rican-citizenship-certificate/↗
La Resolución de 25 de junio de 2007, de la Dirección General de los Registros y del Notariado Español, RDGRN 25-06-2007, estableció que, el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, era un país iberoamericano a los efectos del art. 20.1 del Código Civil Español.
La aprobación del Certificado de nacionalidad puertorriqueña que emite el Departamento de Estado de Puerto Rico desde el año 2007 es un documento indispensable para la obtención de la nacionalidad Española; así lo establece el Código Civil y lo dispuesto en su Libro Primero de las Personas: Título Primero de los españoles y extranjeros y, conforme a la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, de 11 de enero, y Real Decreto 557/2011, de 20 de abril, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000, de modificación del Código Civil en materia de nacionalidad española:
“Los ciudadanos puertorriqueños residentes en España que posean el certificado de ciudadanía puertorriqueña el cual expide el Departamento de Estado, desde el 2007, pueden ser considerados, por el ordenamiento jurídico español, como nacionales de origen de países iberoamericanos.”
Obtain your Puerto Rican citizenship certificate here!
“Most of Puerto Ricans move to Spain and live there for two years. Most do it with either the Spanish Non lucrative visa (NLV) or Golden visa.”
“To avoid any misconceptions here: the law (and I mean the Código Civil) states that you can only apply for citizenship after two years if you are a natural-born citizen of any of the countries where this applies. So for Puerto Ricans, this means:
- You were born in Puerto Rico
- Your were born elsewhere but your parents were born in Puerto Rico
If you move to Puerto Rico and get the certificado de ciudadanía after one year’s residence there, you are NOT a natural-born citizen of Puerto Rico and the above mentioned procedures wouldn’t apply to him if such were the case.”
How to Obtain the Certificado de Ciudadanía Puertorriqueña to apply for the Spanish Citizenship
Conclusion
In conclusion, Puerto Ricans can indeed take advantage of the two-year residence rule to apply for Spanish citizenship.
Despite holding a US passport, Puerto Rican citizens are considered Ibero American citizens and can apply for Spanish nationality after two years of legal and continuous residence in Spain. However, it is important to note that the Puerto Rican citizenship certificate is essential to obtain Spanish nationality.
Additionally, there are different visa options available to Puerto Ricans who wish to live in Spain for two years, such as the Non-Lucrative Visa or Golden Visa.
According to Spainguru’s community members, it is also important to clarify that the two-year rule only applies to natural-born citizens of Puerto Rico or those who were born elsewhere but whose parents were born in Puerto Rico.
Make sure to consult with immigration experts here, with successful track record of Puerto Rican applications for Spanish citizenship.