Who are the Sephardic Jews?
This term refers to the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula and, in particular, to their descendants, those who, after the Edicts of 1492 which compelled either forced conversion or expulsion, chose this drastic path.
What if I am Sephardic Jewish but can’t prove it?
These three methods apply ONLY to Sephardic Jews who can certify this circumstance.
What if I am of Sephardic origin but do not practice the religion?
The law only requires certification of origin, not religious confession.
What if I am Jewish but not Sephardic?
These three methods apply ONLY to Sephardic Jews who can certify this circumstance.
The law on the acquisition of Spanish nationality for Sephardic Jews, passed in October 2015, opened a specific pathway for this community to acquire nationality. This option was supposed to close in October 2018, but the government recently extended the deadline until October 2019.
Therefore, Sephardic Jews who wish to acquire Spanish nationality can do so in two ways:
- By naturalization: Sephardic Jews can apply for Spanish nationality, regardless of their nationality and without any residency requirement.
- By residency: Sephardic Jews can apply for Spanish nationality after living continuously and legally in Spain for two years.
Thanks to the 2015 law, regardless of which path you choose as a Sephardic Jew, you will not lose your previous nationality upon acquiring Spanish nationality. However, to apply through any of these three methods, it is essential to certify Sephardic origin.
How do I certify that I have Sephardic origin?
The list of documents accrediting Sephardic origin is not exhaustive, so you are not obliged to submit each one of them. A designated notary will be responsible for examining the submitted documents and determining if they demonstrate your Sephardic origin.
Here is a list of documents that certify Sephardic origin:
- Certificate issued by the President of the Permanent Commission of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain.
- Certificate issued by the president or similar position of the Jewish community in the area of residence or hometown of the interested party.
- Certificate from the competent rabbinical authority, legally recognized in the country of the applicant’s habitual residence.
To certify the authenticity of these last two documents, the applicant must provide:
- A copy of the original Statutes of the foreign religious entity.
- Certificate from the foreign entity containing the names of those who have been designated legal representatives.
- Certificate or document proving that the foreign entity is legally recognized in its country of origin.
- Certificate issued by the legal representative of the entity certifying that the signing Rabbi currently holds such a position in accordance with the requirements established in its statutory norms.
Other relevant documents:
- Accreditation of the use of Ladino or “Haketia” as a family language, or other indications demonstrating the tradition of belonging to such a community.
- Birth certificate or “ketubah” or marriage certificate showing its celebration according to the traditions of Castile.
- A reasoned report, issued by a sufficiently competent entity, accrediting the applicant’s surnames as belonging to the Sephardic lineage of Spanish origin.
- Any other circumstance that reliably demonstrates their condition as a Sephardic of Spanish origin.
How can I demonstrate my special connection with Spain?
If you choose to apply for Spanish nationality by naturalization, although you do not have to be a resident in Spain to do so, you need to demonstrate a special connection with the country.
For this, you will need to provide the following mandatory documents to your file:
- Passing the CCSE exam of the Cervantes Institute. This is an exam on Spanish culture and history.
- Passing the DELE exam of the Cervantes Institute, which certifies your knowledge of the Spanish language. The minimum required grade is A2.
You can request an exemption from these two exams if you are over 70 years old.
As with proving your Sephardic origin, the list of documents that demonstrate your special connection with Spain is not exhaustive, and the documents will be examined as a whole. Therefore, you can provide:
- Certificates of studies in Spanish history and culture issued by official or private institutions with official recognition.
- Accreditation of knowledge of the Ladino or “Haketia” language.
- Inclusion of the petitioner or their direct ancestry in the lists of Sephardic families protected by Spain, as referred to in the Decree-Law of December 29, 1948, or those who obtained their naturalization through the special route of the Royal Decree of December 20, 1924.
- Blood relationship of the applicant with a person mentioned in the previous point.
- Conducting charitable, cultural, or economic activities in favor of Spanish people or institutions or in Spanish territory, as well as those carried out in support of institutions aimed at the study, conservation, and dissemination of Sephardic culture.
- Any other circumstance that reliably demonstrates their special connection with Spain.
I can certify my origin but not my special connection. What can I do?
As explained in the last point, you can invoke other circumstances establishing a link, such as having legal residence in Spain. Clearly, the more circumstances you meet, the greater the chances of success for the application.
But what if it’s not enough?
Being Sephardic, able to prove it, and having legal residence, you can follow the procedure according to the law of nationality by residence. As in the previous case, language exams (according to the official language of your country of origin) and the culture exam are necessary.
If you still have questions, do not hesitate to contact us, you can call us at +34 911 270 920 or send us an email at info@sternaabogados.com