Last Updated on July 20, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Recovering Spanish citizenship by descent is one of the most common paths Americans of Spanish heritage use to obtain an EU passport, yet the timeline and paperwork remain confusing for many. This article walks through a real, documented case shared in the American Expats in Spain Facebook group, in which a US-born member recovered Spanish nationality through a Spanish father at the Consulate General of Spain in Chicago.
The account is valuable because it lays out every step and date, from the first email to the consulate to holding a Spanish passport ten months later. It also captures dozens of community comments on costs, the DNI, tax planning, and how the process differs when the qualifying ancestor is a grandparent rather than a parent.
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Start the Moving to Spain Hub →Below we preserve the original post and the community discussion, then expand them into a practical guide to Spanish citizenship by descent for anyone starting the same journey.
The Original Story: Spanish Citizenship by Descent Through a Spanish Father
The original post, lightly stripped of identifying details, read as follows:
“I recently completed the process of documenting my Spanish citizenship and obtaining my first Spanish passport through the Consulate General of Spain in Chicago. Since people ask how long it takes, I thought I’d share my timeline.
I was born in the United States to a Spanish father. I first contacted the Chicago consulate on September 8, 2025, asking how to proceed to recover my citizenship. The consulate replied the same day with a list of documents to send by postal mail. At that stage, they requested copies only.
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Explore Cities →Around September 27, I mailed the completed forms and copies of the requested documents. The U.S. documents were neither apostilled nor translated.
By October 3, the consulate had prepared a draft of my documentation and asked me to review it for corrections. On October 6, they asked when I could come to Chicago to sign the document. They initially offered an appointment for the next morning, but I needed time to obtain several original documents from my mother. The appointment was therefore set for October 22 at noon.
On October 22, 2025, I appeared at the Chicago consulate with the original documents and signed the Acta de Recuperación de la Nacionalidad Española.
The only significant complication was a later request for my mother’s long-form U.S. birth certificate. Obtaining and submitting that document caused approximately a six-week delay, from November 1 until December 18.
My Spanish birth registration was then processed through the Civil Registry at the Consulate General of Spain in New York, since New York had jurisdiction over my place of birth.”
The applicant then shared a detailed timeline of the nationality and civil registration stage:
- September 8, 2025: Sent the original inquiry to the Chicago consulate and received the document requirements.
- Around September 27: Mailed copies of the forms and supporting documents. No apostilles or translations were required.
- October 3: Received the draft documentation from the consulate for review.
- October 6: Appointment arranged by email for October 22.
- October 22: Signed the Acta de Recuperación at the Chicago consulate.
- November 1 to December 18: Delay while obtaining the mother’s long-form U.S. birth certificate.
- March 5, 2026: Received the Spanish literal birth certificate with the marginal notation documenting the recovery of Spanish nationality.
- March 31: Received the Registro de Matrícula Consular (RMC) number from the Chicago consulate.
- April 7: Obtained a passport appointment for June 4.
The passport stage followed its own timeline:
- June 4: Applied for the Spanish passport in Chicago.
- June 15: Status changed to “Pasaporte en proceso de personalización.”
- June 26: Status changed to “Pasaporte personalizado y en tránsito hacia la Oficina Consular.”
- July 7: Status changed to “Su pasaporte ya está disponible en la Oficina Consular.”
- July 16: Picked up the passport in Chicago.
In the applicant’s own summary: “From my initial email to the consulate on September 8, 2025, until I had my passport in hand on July 16, 2026, the entire process took 10 months. From signing the Acta de Recuperación on October 22 to holding the passport took just under 9 months. Nearly all of that time was spent on the nationality and civil registration process.”
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: Answers from the Community
The post drew a wide range of responses. Several members added practical advice drawn from their own experiences with Spanish citizenship by descent.
“Congratulations. One piece of advice: speak to a tax specialist. Especially on IRA, pension, 401K and wealth tax.”
“Make sure you ask for your DNI process birth certificate before going to Spain. First timers need this document for DNI.”
“The process for me to get my Spanish passport was much easier, but I had a hard time with the DNI. I tried on vacations in Spain for 4 years and there always was an issue.
Had a very hard time getting the Spanish birth certificate in the correct format. I finally was able to get my DNI and my digital certificate this last month.”
“Kudos to the Consulate General in Chicago. The one in Miami would have replied to your initial inquiry in a month, if they replied at all.”
Spanish Citizenship Through a Parent vs a Grandparent
A recurring theme was how the process changes depending on the qualifying ancestor. As one member put it plainly: “Applying under parents is a different process than applying under grandparents.”
Another member applying through the grandchildren route described a longer wait: “I have submitted all my documents and applying through the law of the grandchildren, and I’m still waiting to receive my birth certificate from Spain. At which point I have been told that I have to apply back at the NYC consulate to register myself as a Spaniard living abroad.”
A third shared the difficulty of gathering documents when a parent was born outside Spain: “My husband is trying to do the same thing. His mother was born in Argentina so it is impossible to get her birth certificate and his parents’ marriage certificate without her ID number, which he doesn’t know. We found a company that will do it for 750 dollars but don’t know if we can trust them.”
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: The Consulate Process Step by Step
The case shows a clear sequence that many consulates follow for Spanish citizenship by descent through a parent. It begins with an email inquiry, after which the consulate sends a tailored document list and initially accepts plain copies rather than originals.
Once the copies are reviewed, the consulate drafts the nationality documentation and invites the applicant to sign the Acta de Recuperación de la Nacionalidad Española in person. Signing is done at the consulate with jurisdiction over the applicant’s residence.
Notably, in this case the U.S. documents were neither apostilled nor translated at the copy stage. Requirements vary by consulate and by the type of document, so applicants should always confirm; Spainguru’s apostille guide explains when an apostille is typically needed.
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: Documents and the Civil Registry
After the Acta is signed, the birth is registered in the Spanish Civil Registry. An important nuance in this case is that the birth registration was handled by the Consulate General in New York, not Chicago, because New York held jurisdiction over the applicant’s U.S. place of birth.
The single biggest delay came from a request for the mother’s long-form U.S. birth certificate, which added roughly six weeks. This is a common pattern in Spanish citizenship by descent: the file can stall on one supporting civil document from an earlier generation.
The process concludes for this stage when the applicant receives a Spanish literal birth certificate carrying a marginal notation that records the recovery of Spanish nationality. That certificate is the foundation for the passport and, later, the DNI.
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: How Long the Process Takes
From the first email to holding the passport, this case took about 10 months. Almost all of that time was consumed by the nationality and civil registration steps rather than the passport itself.
The passport was comparatively quick. Measured from application to being available for pickup, it took about 33 days, just under five weeks, with the applicant collecting it a little later due to travel.
Community comments confirmed that timelines vary heavily by consulate, with several noting that responsiveness at Chicago was unusually fast compared with other offices.
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: Costs Involved
One of the most useful contributions was a breakdown of out-of-pocket costs for this Spanish citizenship by descent case. According to the applicant, the direct costs were modest:
- About 100 dollars for two New York birth certificates.
- About 15 dollars for U.S. postal mail.
- 35 dollars for the passport application.
- Roughly 150 dollars in travel, for three trips to the Chicago consulate.
The applicant already held a certified copy of the Spanish father’s birth certificate, obtained by a relative in Spain, which avoided additional cost. Files that require sourcing older civil documents from Spain or another country can be considerably more expensive, as one commenter noted after being quoted 750 dollars by a document-retrieval company.
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: After the Passport, Padrón, DNI and Taxes
Obtaining the passport is not the end of the road. The applicant plans to relocate to the Almería area, complete the padrón, establish residence, and then apply for a first DNI.
Community members flagged two recurring issues. First, first-time applicants should request the specific Spanish birth certificate needed for the DNI before traveling, as the DNI often stalls on birth-certificate format problems. Second, several stressed the value of tax planning before moving, particularly around IRAs, pensions, 401(k)s and Spain’s wealth tax.
Anyone weighing the tax side should review Spainguru’s guide to Spanish taxes for expats and consider speaking with specialists in US and Spain tax filings before establishing residence. For the wider relocation, the Move to Spain guide covers the practical steps after citizenship.
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: Conclusion
This case is a helpful reference point for anyone pursuing Spanish citizenship by descent through a Spanish parent. The paperwork was manageable, the consulate was responsive, and the direct costs were low, but the process still took about ten months, driven almost entirely by nationality and civil registration steps.
The key lessons are to expect delays around older-generation civil documents, to confirm which consulate holds jurisdiction over your place of birth, and to plan the DNI and tax steps before moving. Experiences differ significantly between applying through a parent and through a grandparent, so map your own route early.
Explore Spainguru’s vetted service providers for legal, tax and relocation help here: https://spainguru.es/services-for-spanish-visas/
Browse all Spainguru Facebook communities to connect with others navigating citizenship and relocation: https://spainguru.es/spainguru-facebook-groups-and-spainguru-community/
This article is based on personal opinions from the Spainguru community and is not legal advice.
Spanish Citizenship by Descent: FAQ
What is the Acta de Recuperación de la Nacionalidad Española?
It is the formal act, signed in person at a Spanish consulate, by which a person recovers Spanish nationality. In this Spanish citizenship by descent case it was signed at the Chicago consulate after the applicant’s document copies were reviewed and drafted.
Do U.S. documents need to be apostilled or translated?
In this case the U.S. documents were neither apostilled nor translated at the copy stage. Requirements vary by consulate and document type, so always confirm with the specific consulate handling your file before submitting.
How long does Spanish citizenship by descent take?
This case took about 10 months from the first email to holding a passport, with almost all of the time spent on nationality and civil registration. The passport itself took roughly five weeks once applied for.
Is the process different through a grandparent instead of a parent?
Yes. Community members were clear that applying through a parent is a different process from applying through a grandparent, and the grandchildren route often involves longer waits and additional registration steps.
Which consulate registers the Spanish birth certificate?
The Civil Registry consulate with jurisdiction over your U.S. place of birth handles the registration. In this case that was the Consulate General of Spain in New York, even though the nationality act was signed in Chicago.
What should I prepare for the DNI?
First-time applicants should request the specific Spanish birth certificate the DNI requires before traveling to Spain. Several community members reported that the DNI stalls most often on birth-certificate format problems.
How much does Spanish citizenship by descent cost?
Direct costs in this case were low: about 100 dollars for birth certificates, 15 dollars for mail, 35 dollars for the passport, and around 150 dollars in travel. Cases that require sourcing older civil records from abroad can cost significantly more.
Should I get tax advice before moving to Spain?
Yes. Community members strongly advised speaking with a tax specialist about IRAs, pensions, 401(k)s and Spain’s wealth tax before establishing residence, since Spanish tax residency can materially affect retirement accounts.
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