Citizens of France who qualify for Spanish citizenship will soon be able to obtain it without having to renounce their previous citizenship. At the same time, citizens of Spain who qualify for French citizenship will be able to obtain it without having to renounce Spanish citizenship first.
Such a thing has been made possible after a nationality agreement was signed, which was signed in March last year between the governments of France and Spain, came into effect on April 1.
“France is the first country outside Latin America with which Spain has signed such an agreement,” the Spanish government notes in a press release issued regarding the coming into force of the Agreement.
On March 3, 2021, the Spanish General Directorate of Legal Security and Public Faith, which reports to the Ministry of Justice, had issued instructions on the establishment of criteria for a Spanish citizenship application for French citizens, which has now been published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
The instructions will affect not only all Spanish and French citizens who from now on will obtain citizenship in the other country but also those who up until now have had to renounce their previous Spanish or French citizenship in order to become citizens of France or Spain. The latter can now apply to gain their previous citizenship back and enjoy their dual nationality from the date on which they apply for it.
“The Instruction approves the application guidelines and registry procedures that allow the implementation of the nationality agreement between Spain and France, applicable in all Civil Registry Offices and Notaries that may be affected, both in Spanish territory and in Consular Offices,”
the press release further explains.
The Agreement was signed in March 2021 in the French city of Montauban. At the time, Foreign Minister of the Spanish Government, Arancha González Laya, had highlighted the “exceptional nature” of the Agreement, adding that the same would affect the 275,000 Spaniards living in France and more than 125,000 French people living in Spain.
Present at the signing of the Agreement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, had called the agreement “a strong symbol” of the good relations between France and Spain
Now, the current Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, and the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian have both welcomed the coming into force of the Spanish-French nationality agreement during a meeting on the eve of the Third General Assembly of the Sahel Alliance, which was held on Monday in Madrid.
This Agreement is set to remain effective indefinitely, though either party may terminate it at any time by notifying the other party in writing and through diplomatic channels.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is provided for information purposes only.
Read all the Latest News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Add comment