The Spanish Consulate located in Havana announced this Wednesday an increase in the number of individuals allowed to submit their applications under the Democratic Memory Law, colloquially known as the "Grandchildren Law." Starting October 21, the consulate will expand its capacity by 37.33%, welcoming an additional 326 applicants each week. This initiative aims to streamline the application process for Spanish nationality for descendants of Spaniards living in Cuba.
Applicants must adhere to specific requirements and follow the appointment procedure to submit their applications. This adjustment comes in response to the substantial demand for nationality applications and the consulate's commitment to providing a more efficient and accessible service for interested individuals. For further information on the requirements and appointment process, the Spanish Consulate in Havana encourages applicants to monitor their official channels for updates.
Recently, the consulate announced plans to deactivate accounts of users who received their credentials before January 1, 2024, and have yet to utilize the system. This decision aims to enhance the appointment scheduling process for the Law 20/2022 of Democratic Memory (LMD). According to a post on the social platform X, users registered before the specified date had until the end of September to book their appointments, with the new measure taking effect on October 1. Although the reservation needed to be completed within three weeks, appointments could be set for a later date, as stated on the consulate's official website.
Back in June, it was revealed that the Spanish government, in its 2023 Consular Activity Report, highlighted the Havana Consulate as one of the busiest offices, issuing a significant number of passports over the past year. Between October 21, 2022, and December 31, 2023, the consulate network received 226,354 applications, approving 110,540 and registering 69,421, according to the report. This official document was presented on May 21 by José Manuel Albares, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs. The report indicated that the consulates with the highest passport issuance were Buenos Aires with 38,127 documents and Havana in second place with 25,221.
The Democratic Memory Law, known in Cuba as the "Grandchildren Law," outlines two primary scenarios for applying for Spanish nationality. The first scenario is for individuals who are grandchildren of Spaniards and have not lost Spanish nationality. They can obtain nationality by choice, meaning they must declare their intention to acquire it. The second scenario applies to descendants of Spaniards who lost their nationality due to the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship, or by acquiring another nationality. These descendants can apply for nationality through recovery, provided they meet the criteria established by the Democratic Memory Law.