How to have a passport from another country thanks to grandparents or great-grandparents

More and more Argentines are leaving the country in search of a better quality of life. Have the citizenship of a European country It is an advantage when starting studies or looking for work.

From which a large number of Argentines descend Spanish or Italianthe consulates of Spain and Italy receive thousands of applications to obtain nationality.

The procedures can be complex and take months. But, to the emotion of “recovering” the nationality of your grandfather or great-grandfather is added that, once you have obtained citizenship, it is possible to process the passport of your country of origin, a document that will be very useful for traveling the world.

Among other things, a passport from a country belonging to the European Union allows you to save time in queues at many customs and also exempts you from requiring a tourist visa to enter a good number of countries.

Therefore it is essential to know the main requirements request this “second nationality”, and then have the passport of the country of your grandparents or great-grandparents.

How to have a passport from another country thanks to grandparents or great-grandparents

ITALY. The Consulate of that country in Buenos Aires informs that Italian citizenship is regulated by art Law 91/1992 which “re-evaluates the weight of individual will in the acquisition and loss of citizenship and recognizes the right to hold multiple citizenships”.

He adds that “Italian citizenship is based on principle of ius sanguinis (right of blood), according to which the child born to an Italian father or an Italian mother is Italian; However, it must be kept in mind that the Italian citizen mother transmits citizenship to her children only starting from 1 January 1948, by virtue of a specific ruling by the Constitutional Court.

In this legal context, an Argentine person who wishes to be an Italian citizen must have a ancestor born in Italy (great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather, grandfather, father or mother). The first step, therefore, is to obtain the birth certificate of this person who must be requested from the Municipality of origin.

Once this document has been obtained, others must be added: marriage and death certificate of the family member who emigrated to Argentina, birth, marriage and death certificates which allow the entire line of descent to be verified up to the applicant.

Finally a report from the National Electoral Chamber that certifies that the ancestor did not obtain Argentine citizenship. This document from the Electoral Justice is particularly relevant because, in the case of Italy, if one of the people in the line of succession renounces Italian citizenship, it will be impossible to access citizenship.

Argentine documents must be legalized, apostilled and translated into Italian. Subsequently you will have to request an appointment at the Consulate from the Prenot@mi platform of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

SPAIN. In 2007, the Spanish government approved the so-called Nietos Law, thanks to the initiative of a group of Argentines (HyNE, Hijos y Nietos de Españoles). In this way the grandchildren of the Spaniards could access citizenship for a certain period.

In October 2022 the grandchildren regained that right, this time, through the Democratic Memory Law. The Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Court Relations illustrates the conditions established in the eighth additional provision of this law.

The Ministry states that “the born outside Spain to a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who would originally have been Spanishand who, as a consequence of having suffered exile for political, ideological or belief reasons or sexual orientation and identity, have lost or renounced Spanish nationality, may opt for Spanish nationality.

In the case of this annex it is also specified that “Persons whose father or mother, grandfather or grandmother were originally Spanish may opt for Spanish nationality of origin”.

He adds that “They can also acquire nationality sons and daughters born abroad of Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying foreigners before the entry into force of the 1978 Constitution; adult sons and daughters of Spaniards whose citizenship of origin has been recognized by virtue of the right of option in accordance with the provisions of this law or the seventh additional provision of law 52/2007, of 26 December”.

The presentations, as established by the aforementioned Provision, must be made “within two years of the entry into force of this law” (i.e. until October 2024). However, as the Ministry clarifies, “at the end of this period, the Council of Ministers may decide to extend it for one year”.

For further details on the documentation to be submitted, visit the following link. Inside Consulate of Buenos Aires All procedures must be carried out by appointment, to be requested from their website, and are free, without the need to resort to managers.

PORTUGAL. Nationality by attribution is available grandchildren of Portuguese. The Embassy will clarify that “if your grandparents were married abroad (a country other than Portugal) it will be necessary first register their marriageeven if one of the parties has died or is divorced.

He adds that “if the marriage is already registered in Portugal, or your grandparents were married in Portugal, you can continue with the application. Those who obtain nationality in this way are considered Portuguese citizens from birth”.

After requesting an appointment (Request for Portuguese Nationality/Civil Registry), the interested party will have to present his/her birth certificate duly legalized with the Apostille of the Hague and translated into Portuguese.

You also need to introduce yourself birth and marriage certificate of the father or mother who is the son or daughter of the Portuguese citizen (astilled and translated). Another necessary document is the background certificate (astilled and translated) issued by the National Recidivism Registry. Moreover, approved certificate of level A2 or higher from the Centro de Avaliaçao de Portugues Lingue Estrangeira (CAPLE), valid DNI (original and photocopy and payment of a fee of €175. More information at this link from the Portuguese Embassy in Buenos Aires.

POLAND. The grandchildren of Polish immigrants, who arrived in the country after 1920, the nationality of this European Union country can also access. The Consulate clarifies that “if it matches you by bloodline, you must carry out the citizenship confirmation process. If you do not have the required documents, you must search the archives to locate them and thus confirm the identity and citizenship of your ancestor.”

In this case the candidates will also have to present the documentation demonstrating personal lineage. The documents must be legalized and translated into Polish so that they are then approved by the Presidency of that country. More information at this link.

Once you have acquired citizenship from the country of grandparents or great-grandparents, the passport at the corresponding consulate or embassy.