Spanish citizenship for Moroccan Jews - all you need to know

The expulsion of the Jews of Spain began in 1492 under the order of King Fernando II. Now, after 500 years, the Spanish government has decided to redress the injustice caused to the expelled Jews and gives them the right to receive citizenship of the state. Getting Spanish citizenship confers many advantages, foremost among them a Spanish passport, i.e., an EU passport. To obtain your citizenship and passport, you must apply with all the necessary documents.

The new Spanish citizenship law

In October 2015, the new Spanish Citizenship Law came into effect, granting local citizenship to Jews of Spanish origin and their descendants. According to the new law, any person who proves that he or she is descended from a family that has arrived in one of the countries to which the deportees from Spain have passed, for example, the Jews of North Africa, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, etc., is entitled to Spanish citizenship. Since many Jews expelled from Spain, and later from Portugal, chose to move to Morocco, it is possible to check eligibility for Spanish citizenship for Moroccan Jews.

To obtain the desired Spanish citizenship, one must undergo an investigation carried out by a Spanish notary, also, to demonstrate proficiency in the Spanish language or other languages mentioned in the new law. Also, the police must confirm that the applicant does not have a criminal record and must pass a proficiency test in the fields of culture and the Sephardic constitution. It should be noted that the descendants of Spanish deportees can also apply in some cases for the application of Portuguese citizenship, this procedure is considered easier compared to the process that must be passed to obtain Spanish citizenship.

What documents should I attach to the application?

To obtain Spanish citizenship for Moroccans, it is necessary to prepare an application and attach various relevant documents. The documents must be translated into Spanish only by a sworn translator, and if they do not speak Spanish or Ladino, it is recommended to study Spanish to prepare for the exam and to study the material required for the exam in the knowledge of the Spanish Constitution and Culture. The knowledge test is not complicated, and through a suitable course, everyone can pass the test successfully.

Proof of an affinity for the deportees of Spain for the descendants of Moroccans requires the applicant to provide evidence such as:

Official confirmation that is proof of knowledge and control of the Ladino language or the engraving.

Written in Sephardic style, as is customary among the deportees of Castile.

A professional opinion conducted by a genealogy, academic institution or another official body.

Economic ties to Spain such as residence in the country, studies in Spain, business, real estate investments in the country, membership in an association that deals with the study of Sephardic Jewry and the like.

The primary criterion is proof of the relationship of the family of the applicant to a family expelled from Spain. Although there are lists of about 5,000 family names, the Spanish government has never published an official list. Therefore, through genealogical research, it is possible to prove the affinity for Moroccan Jews expelled from Spain in 1492.