MPH140

Hi everyone,

I apologise if this has been asked before.

If I become a Spanish citizen, do I just have to tell the Spanish authorities I have given up my British citizenship or do I have to officially do it and provide proof?

Thanks

snikpoh

It's a very formal process.

Whilst APPLYING for Spanish Citizenship, you will be asked/told to renounce all others.

Loafing Along

Worth getting clear legal advice as Spain does permit two nationalities/ citizenships. My wife is a Spanish national but originally Brazilian and does retain her Brazilian nationality/passport.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Boseley

I have been down this road, I now have Spanish nationality, I had to sign papers at the local court house, renouncing my U.K. nationality. In the eyes of the Spanish government I have only one nationality, Spanish.....................

However in the eyes of the U.K. government I have dual nationality, I can only renounce my U.K. nationality formally, at the Home/Foreign office in London or at a U.K. consul overseas.

I have been given an additional surname, my mothers surname, Spanish DNI, and surrendered my green A4 foreign residents form.

Otherwise not much difference, I'm still a Yorkshire lad and always will be

Lewisb73

Hi Boseley,

I'm in the same boat and I'm finding it hard to get any solid clarification of keeping my UK passport and rights when applying for Spanish citizenship.

My father was Spanish before he died when I was young and I have a large family of cousins and aunts etc in Spain. My mother remarried and I never had the opportunity to grow up with the regularity of visiting Spain and appreciating my Spanish heritage. Now with brexit etc I feel compelled to take up my right to be officially Spanish so that whatever happens with brexit, I shall still be able to live And work in Spain if I choose to.

I have all my papers needed and have my nacimiento registro form filled out and ready to send to the consulate in London who have said that I am entitled to citizenship because of my father.

My only hesitance is losing my UK citizenship, pension, rights etc as well. I know it's having your cake and eat it but I feel I should be able to be both as I have family in both countries.

My questions and confusions are:

At the consulate, will they take my UK passport from me or report that I have renounced the UK?

My Spanish is poor, I won't need to take an exam if by blood I am Spanish will I?

I'm ready to post the application but am really cautious presently because of the uncertainty of losing UK citizenship,and rights.

I would be grateful if you could share your insights and success in your application etc..

Many Thanks
LewisB

Boseley

I did my application at the local court house. I renounced my U.K. nationality on paper, at no time was passports mentioned.

The U.K. consulate here in the Canary islands, prior to my application, told me, if in the unlikely event I had to surrender my passport, the Spanish authorities would sent the passport to them and they would post it back to me.

I now have a Spanish passport and ID card, the passport only cost just over 26€ and the identity card 10.50€.

I am also informed that unless you formally renounce your U.K. nationality at the Home office, in the eyes of the U.K. government you will have dual nationality.

Incidentally my application took two and a half years to process.

Regarding the exam, I do not know, I applied before the examination was necessary.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

HKG3

Lewis

You can give up your British Citizenship by post using form RN. Please see link below for details -

https://www.gov.uk/renounce-british-nationality/apply

It is good to know that you can resume your British Citizenship using form RS1 after giving it up. This can only happen once in a lifetime. Please note that once you regained your British Citizenship, you will be a British Citizen by descent, which means that you cannot automatically pass on your British Citizenship to your overseas born child.

https://www.gov.uk/renounce-british-...sh-nationality

sakany123

Once you have received your Spanish nationality and assuming you still have your British passport, do you need to inform any UK authorities about your new nationality e.g. DWP, etc? I'm thinking of pensions and healthcare which are contribution based so of course you're entitled to them even as a foreigner. There shouldn't be any problems here but do they need to be informed as a courtesy?

Boseley

Not that I am aware of.

spainrico

(LewisB73)....My Spanish is poor, I won't need to take an exam if by blood I am Spanish will I?....

I have just checked a guide to the process I downloaded recently and I think the need for the exams applies to all but I would check with official sources.

BritInParis

Just to reiterate for anyone reading this thread in its entirety there is NO requirement to formally renounce your British citizenship with the Home Office in order to naturalise as a Spanish citizen nor 'return' your British passport to HMPO, the FCO or anybody else. The 'renunciation' of British citizenship you make to the Spanish authorities is merely a formality to fulfil the requirements of Spanish nationality law and has ZERO effect on your British citizenship.

Retired in Euskadi

Spain only allows dual nationality to those Spanish/Portuguese speaking countries, not to others such as GB etc.

Boseley

I have friends who have Spanish and Australian nationality.