Hi. I am citizen of the Czech republic married to a citizen of the USA (we got married in the Czech republic last year). We are now both living in Spain, both have NIE, empadriamiento and Social security No. I have Tarjeta de Residencia in Spain, my husband is in the process of getting it. He is freelancer and did few jobs in SPain and I havent held a job in Spain yet. I am recently pregnant and about to give birth here. We would like for our child to become a Spanish citizen.

Does anyone have any advice or experience on:
- What do we have to do to make sure the baby gets Spanish citizenship
- What do I have to do to receive maternity and child support in Spain?

Thank you for your help!
Jana

DEar Jana:

Maternity training and childbirth is free in Spain through our Medical System. So if you have a medical card ( from the SOcial Security), that?s it. Go to your general practicioner or to the offices of the nearest Centro de Salud and apply to enter a group of moms.

About the nationality of your child: It would have to be by residencia, one year after the childbirth of your baby.

mariadecastro - 12 October 2006 12:53 AM

DEar Jana:

Maternity training and childbirth is free in Spain through our Medical System. So if you have a medical card ( from the SOcial Security), that?s it. Go to your general practicioner or to the offices of the nearest Centro de Salud and apply to enter a group of moms.

About the nationality of your child: It would have to be by residencia, one year after the childbirth of your baby.

Thank you for your answers, Maria

I am actually all settled for the birth, have done my tests and my documentation has been sent to nearby hospital in Barcelona.

What I am asking about is what to do AFTER the birth. Do I qualify for Maternity and Child support? What steps should I take to ‘sign up’. I imagine I might not have right for Maternity support as I have not lived here and paid taxes into Spanish system yet but hopefully the child should have right to Child support?

We plan to live in Spain hence we would like for our child to become a Spanish citizen. I am not sure I understand your answer re: the citizenship very well. Could you please be more specific? Are you saying that the baby cannot become Spanish citizen (i.e. have right for example for child support or to get a Spanish passport) until its 1 year old? So it will have to be in some kind of legal ‘limbo’ until then (since I dont want to get her Czech citizenship to complicate things any further.. as its not possible for the baby to have both, Czech and Spanish citizenships)?

Thank you very much. Your help is really appreciated.
Jana