Spain received more than 2.3 million applications for citizenship from descendants of people who fled the country during the rule of dictator Francisco Franco, overwhelming its consular services worldwide.
Over 1 million people formally applied for Spanish nationality under the Law of Democratic Memory since the programme launched in October 2022, with another 1.3 million scheduling appointments they have not yet been able to attend due to massive backlogs, according to the General Council of Spanish Citizenship Abroad (CGCEE).
Spain has approved approximately half of the 1 million cases processed so far, rejecting barely 2%. Many cases remain pending final registration.
The programme, known as the “Grandchildren’s Law,” generated nearly five times more applications than Spain’s 2007 Historical Memory Law, which received 503,439 requests.
Decades-long wait predicted
The Law of Democratic Memory aimed to address historical injustices by granting Spanish citizenship to descendants of people forced to leave Spain between 1936 and 1978 during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship.
The law initially gave applicants two years to apply, and later extended to three years. The deadline closed 21 October.
Eligibility included children and grandchildren of Spaniards who lost citizenship due to political, ideological or religious exile, or because of their sexual orientation.
The law also covered children of Spanish women who lost citizenship by marrying foreigners before Spain’s 1978 Constitution, and adult children of people who gained Spanish citizenship under the 2007 Historical Memory Law.
A surge of applications before the October deadline exceeded all forecasts and consular capacity. Spanish authorities adopted a flexible interpretation, accepting applications from anyone who requested an appointment online before the deadline, even if they had not yet submitted documents.
Sources involved in the process acknowledge that at current processing rates, some applicants could wait decades. Elderly applicants may not live to see their cases resolved.
Argentina dominates applications
Argentina accounted for nearly 40% of applications — approximately 1 million including those still awaiting appointments. The Buenos Aires consulate alone received 645,000 applications, followed by Córdoba with 125,000.
Other heavily affected consulates include Havana (350,000), Mexico City (165,000), São Paulo (150,000), Miami (120,000) and Caracas (40,000), according to CGCEE data.
The law established two routes to Spanish nationality. The first, designed as historical reparation, benefits children and grandchildren of the Franco dictatorship exiles and victims. For those who emigrated between 1936 and 1955, the law automatically presumes exile status, requiring only proof of departure, such as passports or civil registers.
Those who left between 1956 and 1978 must also provide evidence of exile status, such as pensions, certificates from international organisations, or reports from political parties or democratic memory organisations.
The second, simpler route — which explains much of the surge in applications — allows anyone born outside Spain with Spanish parents or grandparents to obtain citizenship. Applicants need only prove Spanish ancestry through birth certificates.
This provision continued a pathway from the 2007 Historical Memory Law but expanded eligibility to include grandchildren, not just children.
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated processing could continue until 2028 despite the October 2025 application deadline.
