Hi,

I’m a Sephardic Jew from Israel. (I’m sure that my origins are Sephardic, my mother and her family speak Ladino and I know the family tree. I’ve also read about my family’s origins in some book).

I’ve read about this issue in several forums and still have few questions:

1. Has anyone here obtained a Spanish citizenship by proving he/she is of Sephardic origins? If so how did they prove that they truly are Sephardics? (I’m not married, so I can’t show a Ketubah, and neither are my parents)

2. How can I find a good law firm/attorney that handles these matters? I saw two names that appeared few times when I searched Google but I’m not sure if I should try them.

3. Does anyone know if there’s someone in Israel that specializes in this? should I try and do it by myself or with the help of the Spanish embassy?

4. I’ve read that people of Sephardic origin usually apply for their Spanish citizenship through a process called Carta de Naturaleza. Is it true? How come they can choose this process and not the one that asks them to live in Spain for 2 years and then apply for citizenship? and what is the special reason that they describe in order to apply through Carta de Naturaleza?

5. In order to get citizenship do I have to stay in Spain for 2 years continuously?

Thank you
Gracias!

4. I’ve read that people of Sephardic origin usually apply for their Spanish citizenship through a process called Carta de Naturaleza. Is it true? How come they can choose this process and not the one that asks them to live in Spain for 2 years and then apply for citizenship? and what is the special reason that they describe in order to apply through Carta de Naturaleza?

True, because you can download copies of several royal decrees issued granting spanish citizenship to sephardic jews.
Naturalization thru carta naturaleza is resorted to by people who do not have residence permits in spain or who do not reside in spain, so they could not possibly fulfill the two year residency period prior to application.
i have not read an application yet but will try to google, so i do not know the reasons put in the application.

5. In order to get citizenship do I have to stay in Spain for 2 years continuously?

if you apply as a resident you need to accumulate 2 years residency before you can start application and go on residing in spain until you swear allegiance to the king and the constitution, which is the final requirement.

aritz - 23 September 2011 01:20 AM

i have not read an application yet but will try to google, so i do not know the reasons put in the application.

Hi aritz,

Got any news about this issue? Can you point me to few applications by Carta de Naturaleza that mention Sephardic origins? I tried looking for them myself and couldn’t find my way to it. If you point me to few specific applications that talk about it, I will try my best in reading Spanish and/or try google translate.

Got any news about this issue? Can you point me to few applications by Carta de Naturaleza that mention Sephardic origins? I tried looking for them myself and couldn’t find my way to it. If you point me to few specific applications that talk about it, I will try my best in reading Spanish and/or try google translate

the following are the requirements if you are already a resident in spain.

Sefarditas.
  Modelo de solicitud normalizado y aprobado por Resoluci?n de 07/05/07 de la Subsecretar?a (BOE 25/07/07Este enlace se abre en una nueva pantalla).
  Tarjeta de Identidad de extranjero, Tarjeta de Familiar de ciudadano de la Uni?n Europea o Certificado del Registro Central de extranjeros.
  Pasaporte.
  Certificado de empadronamiento.
  Certificaci?n de nacimiento del interesado, debidamente traducido y legalizado.
  Si es mayor de edad, certificado de antecedentes penales de su pa?s de origen, traducido y legalizado, de acuerdo con los Convenios internacionales existentes o consular de conducta.
  Medios de vida para residir en Espa?a (contrato de trabajo, n?minas, informe laboral de la Tesorer?a de la Seguridad Social, o cualquier otro medio de prueba).
  Certificaci?n de nacimiento de los hijos menores de edad, en su caso.

Y para acreditar la condici?n de sefard? deber? aportar:

  Justificaci?n del interesado de su inclusi?n, o descendencia directa, en las listas de familias de sefarditas protegidos por Espa?a.
  Justificar por los apellidos que ostenta, por el idioma familiar o por otros indicios que demuestren la tradici?n de pertenencia a tal comunidad cultural.
  Certificado de la Comunidad israelita reconocida en Espa?a que acredite la pertenencia del interesado a la religi?n jud?a sefardita.

if you are not a resident you have to resort the “carta de naturaleza”
i found some recent decrees

click on the “nota de prensa”
http://www.mjusticia.gob.es/cs/Satellite/en/1215197775106/Medios/1288775421205/Detalle.html

you can consult the following people
i do not know how reliable they are, but i guess it is worth a try.

http://www.casasefarad-israel.es/es/
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=50416195964&topic=9816
http://www.legaltoday.com/practica-juridica/civil/extranjeria/la-carta-de-naturaleza-como-nueva-via-de-adquisicion-de-la-nacionalidad-espanola-al-amparo-de-la-condicion-de-sefardi
http://www.jorgetriassagnier.com/index.php/2009/09/26/los-judios-sefardies-y-la-patria-espanola

here you if you scroll down to “Justicia” you will see some of the sephardic jews who received spanish citizenship. you can try contacting them thru , i dunno, synagogues or jewish comunities in spain?

http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/ConsejodeMinistros/Referencias/_2009/refc20090327.htm

This page provides information about how people of Sephardic descent can obtain the Spanish nationality.

http://pineradelolmo.blogspot.com.es/2012/01/spanish-citizenship-for-people-of.html

You may be able to contact this organization for information.

http://www.jewishmarbella.com.es/

You can select English (see up to left of webpage)

You may be able to contact these lawyers:
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

They speak English, Italian, French…