Question
Could I apply for Spanish Permanent Residency using my Honduran Birth Certificate (Dual citizenship Honduran-American)? If Spain accepts it, I could travel to Honduras and get a new passport. I have dual citizenship. Would I have to wait 5 years to become a permanent resident in Spain if I use my Honduras Birth Certificate and passport?
I was born in Honduras. We returned home to the US when I was seven years old. I have my Birth Certificate from Honduras and a very old Passport from Honduras. I also have my US Citizenship and US Passport.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“You can get a passport at the Honduras consulate in the U.S. You would use it for gaining citizenship in Spain after 2 years of legal residence. This is for IberoAmerican countries, in addition to a few others. It has nothing to do with being labeled 3rd world by some people.”
“First, have you tried the Honduras embassy in the US to get a new passport? You may not need to go to Honduras to get one. Check with them first.”
“You will not need to renounce, especially as you’re planning to apply for citizenship as a Honduran citizen. That will not apply here even if you hold U.S. citizenship, and even if it were it would have no legal effect as you can only renounce U.S. citizenship at a diplomatic mission in the presence of a U.S. diplomatic officer.”
“They ask you to renounce a citizenship, but it’s nothing official. It’s only lip service and has no effect on your real life.”
“For your specific case, I would highly recommend consulting with immigration experts. Here you can find recommended immigration lawyers, with a history of hundreds of citizenship applications and approvals, including dual citizenship holders from the USA+Iberoamerican countries. You can request an online consultation here: link to immigration lawyer services“
” Your Honduran citizenship doesn’t affect how quickly you gain long term residency. It takes 5 years of temporary residency. It would only help you to fast track Spanish citizenship (Two years).”
Conclusion
For individuals with dual citizenship, like having both Honduran and American citizenship, there are specific pathways that can facilitate gaining residency and eventually citizenship in Spain.
Honduran citizens can benefit from a potentially faster route to Spanish citizenship due to agreements between Spain and IberoAmerican countries. It is essential to properly renew and manage documentation such as passports through consulates without necessarily traveling to the country of origin.
Consulting with immigration experts is advised to navigate this process effectively, especially considering the complexities of dual citizenship.
