First of all, I would like to thank anyone who took the time to read and comment on my thread. I very much appreciate it.

My situation is the following: my grandfather came from spain to puerto rico in the late 1920s. he married my grandmother in puerto rico and shortly after they had my father. when my father was born, i believe my grandfather was still a spanish citizen even though he later became puerto rican (american). my father was not registered at the spanish consulate. is there a way that he can recover his spanish citizenship even though he is no longer living? can i apply for spanish citizenship through my grandfather/father? am i entitled to automatic spanish citizenship? if so, can i pass on the spanish citizenship to my 24 year old son?

thank you for your help.

Thanks for your reply. Could I recover my father’s Spanish citizenship (making him originally Spanish) and then I apply for Spanish citizenship. Would I be entitled to it without having to live in Spain for a year?

If not, would I be entitled to a residency card due to the fact that my grandfather was a Spanish National?

Once I become a Spanish citizen either through residency or by virtue of Spanish father, can I pass on the citizenship to my 24 year old son?

I found an article online that I believe describes my situation and it does not mention anywhere that I am required to live in Spain for one year. I am very confused now about this particular issue. I attached an excerpt of the article and the link to the web page. The article is in Spanish though :/

“Los socialistas aclaran en cualquier caso que se trata de una diferencia meramente simb?lica, ya que, en realidad, seg?n su criterio, cualquier nieto de espa?ol en el extranjero podr? obtener la nacionalidad si lo desea. Para ello bastar? con que su padre se haga espa?ol y, dado que ahora no se exige que el padre haya nacido en Espa?a para obtener la nacionalidad, este podr? transmitir luego la nacionalidad a su hijo. As? las cosas, los ?nicos descendientes de tercera generaci?n que podr?n hacerse espa?oles directamente ser?n los exiliados del franquismo.

Here is the link to the full article:

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/galicia/2008/10/04/0003_7195337.htm

I believe this other article also refers to my situation

“La inc?gnita que el texto del proyecto manten?a vigente qued? resuelta en la exposici?n de motivos donde se establece que se ampl?a la posibilidad de adquisici?n de la nacionalidad espa?ola a los descendientes hasta primer grado -hijos- de quienes hubiesen sido originariamente espa?oles, independientemente de que hayan nacido en Espa?a, o sean hijos de emigrantes o exiliados.”

So according to this article, since my father is originally Spaniard (as the son of a Spanish immigrant) I am entitled to Spanish citizenship as I am a “first grade” descendant of a Spanish citizen.

Can anyone verify this?

Once again, thanks for your help. It seems to me that is it a fairly complex subject as there are new laws that make it harder to analyze the situation.

drsurfer - 08 December 2010 10:51 PM

I found an article online that I believe describes my situation and it does not mention anywhere that I am required to live in Spain for one year. I am very confused now about this particular issue. I attached an excerpt of the article and the link to the web page. The article is in Spanish though :/

“Los socialistas aclaran en cualquier caso que se trata de una diferencia meramente simb?lica, ya que, en realidad, seg?n su criterio, cualquier nieto de espa?ol en el extranjero podr? obtener la nacionalidad si lo desea. Para ello bastar? con que su padre se haga espa?ol y, dado que ahora no se exige que el padre haya nacido en Espa?a para obtener la nacionalidad, este podr? transmitir luego la nacionalidad a su hijo. As? las cosas, los ?nicos descendientes de tercera generaci?n que podr?n hacerse espa?oles directamente ser?n los exiliados del franquismo.

Here is the link to the full article:

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/galicia/2008/10/04/0003_7195337.htm

the above is just an article regarding the historical memory law. general comments by socialists but did not specify that they were going to put a deadline to the passing on of the citizenship. the people covered by this law were spaniards who migrated during the civil war until the 1950’s. further, this law was extended until the end of next year.  i suppose they needed captive voters. you said your father arrived in puerto rico in the 1920’s.

drsurfer - 08 December 2010 11:03 PM

I believe this other article also refers to my situation
“La inc?gnita que el texto del proyecto manten?a vigente qued? resuelta en la exposici?n de motivos donde se establece que se ampl?a la posibilidad de adquisici?n de la nacionalidad espa?ola a los descendientes hasta primer grado -hijos- de quienes hubiesen sido originariamente espa?oles, independientemente de que hayan nacido en Espa?a, o sean hijos de emigrantes o exiliados.”

So according to this article, since my father is originally Spaniard (as the son of a Spanish immigrant) I am entitled to Spanish citizenship as I am a “first grade” descendant of a Spanish citizen.
Can anyone verify this?

the articles that you are refering to are parts of the “proyecto” law, not the law that was finally passed as the historical memory law.
your father may be espa?ol de origen but the only proof of that kind of citizenship is the spanish birth certificate registered at the spanish consulate in san juan puerto rico, but as you said your grandfather did not register his birth in the spanish consulate. verify this.

This is from Maec.es and states the following:

“Las personas cuyo padre o madre hubiese sido originariamente espa?ol podr?n optar a la nacionalidad espa?ola de origen si formalizan su declaraci?n en el plazo de dos a?os desde la entrada en vigor de la presente Disposici?n adicional. Dicho plazo podr? ser prorrogado por acuerdo de Consejo de Ministros hasta el l?mite de un a?o.”

Type of application that applies to my case:

Personas que tengan derecho a la nacionalidad espa?ola de origen, seg?n el apartado 1 de la citada Disposici?n Adicional S?ptima, es decir, por las ?personas cuyo padre o madre hubiese sido originariamente espa?ol?. (Anexo I)

Definition of a person ‘originariamente espa?ol’:

“Espa?ol de origen es aquella persona que es espa?ol de nacimiento es decir que ha nacido con la nacionalidad espa?ola por haber nacido de padre o madre espa?ol, independientemente del lugar de nacimiento. “

* Por otro lado si un espa?ol de origen pierde la nacionalidad puede recuperarla.

The above-mentioned information was obtained from the following website:

http://www.euroresidentes.com/inmigracion/requisitos-nacionalidad-espanola-ley-memoria-historica.htm

We have my grandfather’s birth certificate that states his place of birth in Spain and all that. Even though my father was not registered in the Spanish consulate in San Juan, wouldn’t he be considered ‘originariamente espa?ol” since we can prove that his father was Spanish and we can prove that my father was my grandfather’s son (through my father’s birth certificate)? I find it hard to believe that the only way to prove that my father is originally Spaniard is through a Spanish birth certificate registered at the Spanish consulate. Or is it so?

drsurfer - 09 December 2010 04:41 AM

This is from Maec.es and states the following:

“Las personas cuyo padre o madre hubiese sido originariamente espa?ol podr?n optar a la nacionalidad espa?ola de origen si formalizan su declaraci?n en el plazo de dos a?os desde la entrada en vigor de la presente Disposici?n adicional. Dicho plazo podr? ser prorrogado por acuerdo de Consejo de Ministros hasta el l?mite de un a?o.”

padre/madre originariamente espa?ol = your grandfather
personas, cuyo padre/madre hubiese sido originariamente espa?ol = your deceased father
your father, if he were alive and if your grandfather had left spain anytime from 1936, 
could opt to become an espa?ol de origen by making a declaration after the entry of the historical memory law.

Type of application that applies to my case:
Personas que tengan derecho a la nacionalidad espa?ola de origen, seg?n el apartado 1 de la citada Disposici?n Adicional S?ptima, es decir, por las ?personas cuyo padre o madre hubiese sido originariamente espa?ol?. (Anexo I)

you could opt to become an espa?ol de origen if your father had opted to become a spaniard when he was alive.

Definition of a person ‘originariamente espa?ol’:

“Espa?ol de origen es aquella persona que es espa?ol de nacimiento es decir que ha nacido con la nacionalidad espa?ola por haber nacido de padre o madre espa?ol, independientemente del lugar de nacimiento. “
* Por otro lado si un espa?ol de origen pierde la nacionalidad puede recuperarla.
The above-mentioned information was obtained from the following website:
http://www.euroresidentes.com/inmigracion/requisitos-nacionalidad-espanola-ley-memoria-historica.htm
We have my grandfather’s birth certificate that states his place of birth in Spain and all that. Even though my father was not registered in the Spanish consulate in San Juan, wouldn’t he be considered ‘originariamente espa?ol” since we can prove that his father was Spanish and we can prove that my father was my grandfather’s son (through my father’s birth certificate)? I find it hard to believe that the only way to prove that my father is originally Spaniard is through a Spanish birth certificate registered at the Spanish consulate. Or is it so?

your father was no longer culturally a spaniard, he was born and raised puerto rican, but he had european spanish heritage. however, citizenship is nothing cultural, it is a status that can be given and taken away by law and therefore it has to be legally documented.
if a united states citizen has a child in, say spain, and she wants to go back to the usa, the parent has to go to the usa consulate, register the birth and get a usa passport for her baby to go back to the usa.
if i am not mistaken, the ley memoria hist?rica allows for the late registration by grandchildren of their deceased parents birth and death at the spanish consulate to document their line back their spanish born grandparents. however, your grandfather arrived in puerto rico before the civil war started. he is not covered by this particular law.