BritInParis

That's not necessary and it's meaningless in legal terms. You only 'renounce' your British citizenship in front of a Spanish official to satisfy Spanish citizenship requirements but it has zero effect on your British citizenship under British nationality law.

Rufi

Hi, so the British Embassy were totally correct. I would like the Spanish government to allow dual nationality by law, an official agreement.

Rufi

I think you will find that according to Spanish law, I'm not far from being wrong, but laws change daily here!

Rufi

The truth is this, as far as I know. Spain has no dual nationality agreement with the UK. You decide to become Spanish, by law you must give up your passport and British nationality. Your passport is sent to the British Embassy, the Uk receive your passport, it belongs to you, so it is sent back to you as you are British, according to British law! I could also be wrong about this.

Rufi

Everything is so easy with Internet, just look into it, find out, ask questions, look on official web sites, ask the British Embassy!

Pollyana

I'd rather listen to BritinParis than hand over my passport to the Spanish authorities.

amideislas

Well, if you want to live in England, I'd have to agree. But if you plan to live in the EU, your British passport won't likely do you much good after 2019.

MikeJ

Jon, my friend, you pose an interesting philosophical question.

Maybe seeking naturalisation in another state, particularly if the 2nd (or 1st) is an ongoing member of the EU, is an attempt to mitigate – at a personal level – some of the damage done by Brexit, i.e. a means to retain the freedoms of movement, work and residence which others enjoy by remaining members of the EU (cake and eat it?).

Maybe there are some – perhaps 48% in the UK – who believe in the European ideal? After all, the EU is more than just a political and economic construct; it’s not even a bureaucratic one. It was originally founded on idealistic principles to counter the nationalism and jingoism which had caused at least two major wars in the 20th century and countless more before then; about removing the trading inequalities and jealousies; removing divisions rather that creating them. Maybe it’s more about preventing the impositions on the poor and weak by the rich and strong; about being good neighbours and good friends? Maybe some believe in ‘love they neighbour’ and ‘it is better to give than receive’ and other unfashionable beliefs?

[Quite frankly I find the rise of isolationism with its attendant nationalism and xenophobia to be upsetting and frightening. I fear that my children or maybe my grandchildren will eventually have to face the inevitable consequences of the rise in nationalism, populism and extremism. Will we never learn the lessons of history?]

The EU is not about surrendering sovereignty – it was/is about pooling it, sharing it, growing it to something bigger and better. It’s about cultural enrichment; it’s about living with and embracing differences; it’s about the future, not the past.

The EU has its faults in its implementation but not in its philosophy. Maybe we should make more effort to fix its faults rather than chucking the baby out with the bathwater!

Maybe, who knows?, rather than rodents fleeing a sinking ship, other HCs (sic) will see those seeking naturalisation as good Europeans and welcome them with open arms – unlikely I know and harsh but true.


PS: Maybe some of us are not just remoaners maybe we are the unheeded idealists; the optimistic minority not the pessimistic majority?

Boseley

I was granted Spanish Nationality not too long ago, I was not required to surrender my passport.

Rufi

Hi, Yes that's fine, but it still doesn't change the fact that according to Spanish law there is no dual nationality agreement with the UK. I hope this will change. If I swear to my King

Rufi

and country, I would also like my Queen and country accepted by law

Rufi

Hi, wow I getting in too deeply here, anyway good luck to you all, my view is not importante.