Spanish citizenship by Sephardic descent is no longer available through the dedicated 2015 program, which stopped accepting new applications on October 1, 2019.1La Moncloa. Ministry of Justice Extends Deadline to Rectify Errors in Sephardic Nationality Applications Two routes remain open to descendants of Jews expelled from Spain in 1492: a discretionary petition called the Carta de Naturaleza, and naturalization after two years of legal residence in Spain. Both require you to prove Sephardic ancestry, show a connection to Spanish culture, pass two exams, and appear in person before a Spanish notary. Neither is quick, and neither is guaranteed.
Is the Sephardic Citizenship Law Still Open
No. Law 12/2015, which let descendants apply from anywhere in the world without moving to Spain or giving up their existing passport, closed to new filings on October 1, 2019.1La Moncloa. Ministry of Justice Extends Deadline to Rectify Errors in Sephardic Nationality Applications If you did not file before that date, that specific pathway is not an option.
Applications filed before the deadline are still being processed. Roughly 8,622 files remained pending before the Directorate-General for Legal Security and Public Faith at the end of 2025, most of them in the final administrative phase. If you filed in time and have heard nothing after 15 months, you can file a “recurso de alzada” to force a resolution.
The Two Routes Still Available
Carta de Naturaleza
Article 21.1 of the Spanish Civil Code lets the Council of Ministers grant citizenship in “exceptional circumstances.” Sephardic descendants can build a petition on the same kinds of ancestry and cultural-connection evidence that Law 12/2015 evaluated, but approval sits entirely at the government’s discretion. There is no timeline, no scoring rubric, and no guarantee. This route tends to work best when the family’s link to Spain is unusually well documented.
Two Years of Legal Residence in Spain
Most foreigners must live legally in Spain for ten years before naturalizing. Sephardic Jews qualify for a reduced period of two years.2Legislationline. Spanish Civil Code – Article 22 You still have to obtain a residence permit, physically live in Spain, and pass the language and civics exams that any naturalization applicant must pass. Evidence of Sephardic heritage remains part of the file.
What You Have to Prove
Two things: Sephardic origin, and a special connection to Spain.
Sephardic origin can be shown through a certificate from the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE), a certificate from your local Jewish community or rabbinical authority, evidence that your family spoke Ladino or Haketía at home, marriage records reflecting the customs of Castile, or a genealogical report tracing your surnames to Sephardic lineage. DNA tests are not accepted.3Federación Comunidades Judías España. Supporting Evidence
The special-connection element is assessed as a whole. Relevant evidence includes study of Spanish history or culture at recognized institutions, knowledge of Ladino, appearance of you or your ancestors on the historic lists of Sephardic families protected by Spain under the 1924 and 1948 decrees, and charitable or cultural work benefiting Spanish institutions.4Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Bill Granting Spanish Citizenship to Sephardic Jews No single factor decides the outcome.
Documents and Exams
The FCJE Certificate
The central credential is a certificate from the FCJE confirming Sephardic status. The federation charges roughly 50 euros to process it.5Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Bill Granting Spanish Citizenship to Sephardic Jews You can also submit a supporting letter from the president of the Jewish community where you live. Assembling the underlying genealogical evidence is usually the slowest part.
DELE A2 and CCSE Exams
Both exams are administered by the Instituto Cervantes.
- DELE A2 tests basic Spanish comprehension. Registration at U.S. test centers is around $130 and varies by country.6DELE. DELE Spanish Diploma – Level A2 Certificate7Instituto Cervantes New York. DELE Dates and Fees
- CCSE is a 25-question exam on the Spanish Constitution, institutions, and daily life. Registration is 85 euros worldwide.8DELE. CCSE – Constitutional and Sociocultural Aspects of Spain
If you already hold a DELE certificate at A2 or higher, you do not need to sit that exam again. The CCSE is specific to nationality applications.
Civil Documents and Apostilles
You will also need a birth certificate and criminal background checks from every country where you have lived. For U.S. applicants, that means the FBI Identity History Summary, authenticated by the FBI and then apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.9Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions Foreign documents must be translated into Spanish by a certified translator and, for Hague Convention countries, apostilled. Records issued in EU member states may be exempt from apostille under EU Regulation 2016/1191.10Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Diplomatic Legalization Translation, authentication, and shipping can add several hundred dollars depending on how many countries are involved.
The Trip to Spain You Cannot Skip
One step has no remote alternative. You must appear in person before a designated notary in Spain to sign the Acta de Notoriedad, the formal declaration certifying your Sephardic status.5Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Bill Granting Spanish Citizenship to Sephardic Jews The notary reviews all your documentation before scheduling the appointment, so the trip only happens once the file looks likely to succeed. No Spanish consulate abroad can do this for you.
After Approval
Once the notarial act is complete, the file goes to the Ministry of Justice, which has 12 months to issue a decision.5Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Bill Granting Spanish Citizenship to Sephardic Jews If approved, you appear at the Spanish Civil Registry to swear allegiance to the King and the Constitution and to register your birth in the Spanish system.11Administracion.gob.es. Acquiring Nationality – Final Requirements Only after that registration can you apply for a Spanish passport.
Do You Have to Give Up Your Current Citizenship
No. Spain normally requires new citizens to renounce their prior nationality, but Sephardic Jews are explicitly exempt.11Administracion.gob.es. Acquiring Nationality – Final Requirements Under Spanish law you can hold both passports at once. Whether your own country allows dual nationality is a separate question you should check before filing.
Can Children Be Included
Yes. Minor children can be added to a parent’s application at the time of filing, or within one year of birth if born afterward.5Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Bill Granting Spanish Citizenship to Sephardic Jews Separately, a child born abroad to a parent who is Spanish by birth has a “nationality by option” right under Article 20 of the Civil Code. That option must generally be exercised before the child turns 20, extended by up to two years past emancipation if the child was not legally emancipated at 18 under home-country law. If the Spanish-by-birth parent was also born in Spain, no age limit applies.12Global Citizenship Observatory. Spanish Civil Code – Article 20
Does a Spanish Passport Make You a Spanish Taxpayer
Not on its own. Spain assigns tax residency based on where you actually live: more than 183 days in Spain during a calendar year, or Spain as the center of your economic interests. Spain does not split a tax year, so you are either resident for the whole year or not at all. Holding a Spanish passport while living abroad does not create Spanish income tax obligations. If you do move to Spain, residents are taxed on worldwide income; for dual U.S.-Spanish citizens, the U.S.-Spain tax treaty provides relief from double taxation but keeps the U.S. right to tax its own citizens through a saving clause.13Internal Revenue Service. United States Income Tax Treaties – A to Z Talk to a cross-border tax advisor before relocating.