Question
I am 30 years old married female living in the Philippines and my Mom is a Spanish citizen, she acquired her citizenship through living in Spain for a couple of years and I am wondering if I can also acquire a Spanish Citizenship as well? Can you recommend which Visa pathway should I go after. Is Ley de memoria applicable in my situation? Thank you all so much.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“Try looking into arraigo familiar.”
“You are likely not eligible under Ley de Memoria Democrática unless your ancestors were exiled Spaniards.
If your mother was naturalized, not born Spanish, you probably don’t qualify through descent.
Your best option is naturalization by residency: live legally in Spain for 2 years (as a Filipino citizen), then apply for Spanish citizenship.”
“Ley de Memoria Democrática doesn’t apply since your mother got citizenship by residency.
You might also be eligible for citizenship via residency though. Are you Filipina?”
“Then you can get Spanish citizenship the same way she did – after 2 years of legal residency in Spain. So if you’re interested in pursuing it, you’d need to check what visa/residency type would suit your needs. Info can be found on the Spanish consulate website in Manila.”
Conclusion
According to members of the Spainguru Facebook group, if your mother acquired Spanish citizenship through residency and was not born Spanish, you are unlikely to qualify for citizenship by descent or under the Ley de Memoria Democrática.
However, as a Filipina citizen, you may apply for Spanish citizenship after legally residing in Spain for just two years—a significant benefit of being from a former Spanish colony.
To move forward, the recommended path is to apply for a visa that allows legal residency in Spain, such as arraigo familiar or a student or work visa. Once in Spain with legal residency, you can begin counting the two years toward naturalization.
