Are You Pinoy With Spanish Roots? Here's What You Need To Get A Euro Passport

Filipinos with Spanish grandparents may qualify for Spanish citizenship.

Published on May 22, 2025

PHOTO: Pexels

For over 300 years, the Philippines was colonized by Spain, a centuries-long occupation that profoundly influenced our culture—from religion and language to cuisine. This extensive historical connection also resulted in a small percentage of our population having Spanish roots.

Here's the good news: Through Spain’s evolving citizenship laws—particularly the “Ley de Nietos” or Grandchildren Law—Filipinos with Spanish descent might be able to obtain Spanish citizenship without even moving to Europe.

Ley de Nietos

In 2022, Spain passed the Law of Democratic Memory, an expansion of the 2007 Historical Memory law. This was Spain’s official way of reckoning with its past under dictator Francisco Franco. The law’s objective? To honor those who were exiled or persecuted and restore the rights their descendants may have lost in the process. Among those rights? Spanish nationality.

Specifically, Article 20 of the Spanish Civil Code now allows the grandchildren (and in some cases, even great-grandchildren) of Spanish citizens to apply for citizenship. Eligible individuals include:

Grandchildren of Spanish citizens who were exiled due to political, ideological, or religious persecution during or after the Spanish Civil War.

Grandchildren of Spanish women who lost their citizenship after marrying non-Spaniards before the 1978 Constitution.

Children of Spanish nationals whose citizenship was granted through prior historical memory laws (yes, even if you’re already of legal age now).

Descendants of volunteers from the International Brigades during the 1936–1939 Spanish Civil War.

In this case, "victims" also extend to relatives, including children, grandchildren, and spouses, as this is more than just a legal remedy but also a moral reparation. Since the law took effect in October 2022, over 226,000 applications have been filed, with 110,540 approvals and counting.

Bloodlines Over Borders

Spain doesn’t grant citizenship purely based on birthplace. Instead, it adheres to the principle of jus sanguinis or “right of blood.” Having been born in the Philippines is not a dealbreaker, what matters is whether you can prove a direct line to someone who was legally Spanish.

Here’s where it gets interesting for Filipinos. As mentioned, we were a Spanish colony for three centuries. During that period, many Spaniards settled in our islands, married locals, and spawned the rest of their family tree. While most Filipinos today are not eligible based on these colonial roots alone, those with more recent Spanish family members—particularly grandparents born in Spain—may qualify. The most common eligibility pathways include:

You have a Spanish parent or grandparent.

Your Spanish ancestor was forced into exile (for political, religious, or ideological reasons).

Your grandmother lost her citizenship due to marrying a foreigner before 1978.

Your parent gained citizenship under the old Historical Memory Law, and you missed out due to age.

Notably, Spain has created special considerations for nationals of former colonies. As noted by the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ), a special agreement between Spain and the Philippines allows Filipinos to acquire Spanish citizenship without renouncing their Philippine citizenship. In other words, you can become a dual citizen— no need to surrender your Philippine passport just yet.

What Documents Will You Need?

Now that you’re tracing your ancestry and ready to start processing your citizenship, it’s time to do the paperwork. Here’s what you’ll need:

A completed application form

Original passport (plus a copy of every page)

Original and photocopy of your valid foreign identity card

Birth certificates of your Spanish ancestor (grandparent or parent), yourself, and everyone in between

Spanish and home country criminal background checks (issued within the last 90 days)A DELE A2 certificate (language exam in Spanish)

A CCSE certificate (test on Spanish laws and culture)

A legalized and translated birth certificate (recently printed)

Marriage certificate (if applicable)

Proof of payment for the €100 application fee

Keep in mind that these documents must often be translated into Spanish, legalized, and authenticated. If you’re applying from the Philippines, the Spanish Embassy in Manila can guide you through the local procedures. If you're already living in Spain, your nearest Civil Registry is your best bet.

If you’re uncertain about any step in the process, it’s worth consulting with a lawyer, especially those who specialize in immigration. Unfortunately, applying for Spanish citizenship—or any citizenship for that matter—is no casual errand. It requires intense preparation that could take anywhere from several months to a couple of years. It’s normal for the process to take two to three years before receiving a final decision. If your application goes unanswered for 12 months, it’s considered a "rejection due to administrative silence," but you can file an appeal, which adds another four to six months to the process.

That being said, it’s worth stressing that you shouldn’t rush through the application. A minor typo or missing seal can delay your case by months. Consider hiring a lawyer, especially if you’re doing this remotely or dealing with tricky family documents. Think of it as investing in a second passport with a lifetime of benefits.

Benefits of Becoming a Spanish Citizen

Acquiring Spanish citizenship by descent doesn’t just give you bragging rights at family reunions, it opens a world of tangible advantages. For one, you will have visa-free access to 180+ countries and full rights to live, study, and work anywhere in the EU. If you’ve always wanted to travel the world—and have always been bothered by the lengthy, painstaking processes of proving you won’t be an illegal immigrant—then this is definitely an option to consider.

It also gives you the ability to start a business or buy property anywhere in Europe, free public healthcare in all EU member states, and access to world-class education (often at little to no cost).

For many, however, the appeal is deeply personal. It’s about reclaiming a lost identity, building a bridge back to ancestral homelands, and standing tall in two cultures at once. Learning about your past so you could also share the story with your children and future grandchildren.

There’s also the symbolic value. For a country like Spain, which once held dominion over the Philippines for 333 years, the act of recognizing Filipinos as citizens feels like a turning point—a historical thread pulled into the present, then re-woven into something new.

Another Option: Citizenship by Residency

Here’s a lesser-known hack for those who don’t have Spanish ancestry but are still interested in attaining citizenship: citizenship by residency. It’s particularly useful for Filipinos who are already legally living in Spain or are planning to move there. While most foreigners need to live in Spain for 10 years straight before applying for naturalization, Filipino nationals only need two years. That’s thanks to a long-standing treaty between the Philippines and Spain—a diplomatic not to our shared (and complicated) colonial past.

The catch? Your stay must be continuous and uninterrupted. That means:

You need a valid long-term residence permit (student and tourist visas don’t count).

You cannot leave Spain for more than three consecutive months in any given year.

You’ll need to provide proof of income, health insurance, and stable housing.

You must pass the DELE A2 (basic Spanish language exam) and the CCSE (a civics test covering Spanish laws and culture).

Of course, a clean criminal record helps. Then there’s also a financial cost. Aside from the €100 non-refundable application fee, you’ll pay another €26 for your Spanish passport once approved. Not to mention the expense of document translations, legalizations, and (if you’re like most applicants) help from a lawyer or consultant to decode the bureaucracy.

Still, this two-year residency shortcut is one of the fastest and most accessible naturalization pathways in the entire EU, and it’s tailor-fit for Filipinos. So if you’re already living in Spain or planning to relocate for work or study (or even love), then you’re just two, short years away from holding a Spanish passport. All it takes it a bit of patience, a mountain of paperwork, and learning enough Spanish to convince the señors and señoras that you’ll fit right in and won’t be any trouble. Make no mistake, however: achieving this outcome will likely demand a substantial investment of your time, effort, and energy.

One Redditor who underwent this process commented on a thread: “It might seem oversimplified when you hear it’s easy to get Spanish citizenship as a Filipino. Well, it could be, if you have all the requirements in order. The main challenge would be getting legal residence. This is usually one of several visa options—work visa, golden visa, digital nomad visa, family member of an EU citizen visa, etc. You have to satisfy the requirements of these visas in order to get legal residence.”

More Than Just a Passport

As a country, our identity has been challenged time and time again by having been colonized by multiple countries, Spain being the longest of them all. For better or worse, we’ve adopted bits of their cultures here and there—our predominantly Roman Catholic population from Spain, English becoming one of two official languages from our time under Americans, among others. Acquiring Spanish citizenship as a Filipino is not about abandoning your Filipino roots, it’s about embracing our complex history.

It's proof that identity isn’t just a box to check in a legal document, it’s our nation’s histories and stories. It’s about honoring your lolo’s Spanish ancestry and stepping into a new future with that lineage in your heart—and handily, also in your passport.

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This article originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.