Your mother received her Spanish passport in 2024 thanks to the Democratic Memory Law. Your great-grandfather’s village in Asturias finally feels like family history you can claim too. Then you read that the deadline closed in October 2025, and you wonder whether the door shut before you reached it.
For new applications under the law itself, it did. But for many great-grandchildren, the route did not disappear: it changed shape.
What the Democratic Memory Law Offered
The eighth additional provision of Law 20/2022 allowed several groups to opt for Spanish nationality of origin, including:
- People born outside Spain to a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish and left because of exile.
- Children of Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying a foreigner before 1978.
- Adult children of those recognised as Spanish of origin under Law 52/2007 or this law: the route many great-grandchildren used.
The window opened on 21 October 2022 and, after a one-year extension, closed in October 2025. Official figures reported in 2026 show more than 1.2 million applications, many still being processed.
If You Already Applied
Applications filed on time are still resolved under the law, even if the decision arrives in 2026 or later. Two things matter now:
- Answer any request for documents from the consulate within the deadline.
- Keep your contact details and email up to date, as notices often arrive electronically.
Democratic Memory Law and Great-Grandchildren: Routes That Remain
If your parent obtained Spanish nationality, you may still have options under ordinary law:
- Under 18 (or up to age 20): children under the parental authority of a Spaniard can opt for nationality under article 20 of the Civil Code.
- Adults: the child of a Spaniard of origin can apply for a family residence permit in Spain under article 94.1.h) of the immigration regulation.
- After living legally in Spain, you can apply for nationality by residence: one year in some cases, or two years for nationals of Ibero-American countries.
Whether your parent’s nationality counts as “originally Spanish” for the one-year route is a technical question that depends on the case, and it deserves a careful review before you move.
We compare all the ways to hold Spanish and another nationality in our complete dual citizenship guide.
Why This Is Harder Than It Looks
- Assuming the law still accepts new applications after October 2025.
- Letting a minor child pass age 20 without exercising the option.
- Moving to Spain without the right residence permit, which breaks the clock for nationality.
- Missing a consular request for documents on a pending file.
- Birth certificates with name discrepancies across generations.
That village in Asturias is still within reach. The difference now is the path: instead of a single declaration, it usually means a residence permit and some time living in Spain, planned in the right order.
Talk to a Lawyer Before You Plan Your Move
If your parent obtained Spanish nationality and you want to follow, we map the fastest legal route for your family. At MigratioLex, we review your specific case, not a generic checklist. We respond within 24 hours, in English, French or Spanish.
Book Your Initial ConsultationThis article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Based on Law 20/2022 (eighth additional provision), articles 20 and 22 of the Civil Code and article 94 of Royal Decree 1155/2024.
