Which are the requirements to get the Sephardic passport in Spain?
The granting of citizenship requires proof of the fulfillment of two requirements:
1. Proof of Sephardic status
Proof can be confirmed by the following possible evidentiary means, assessed as a whole:
a) Certificate of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain.
b) Certificate by the President of the Jewish community of the zone of residence or birth.
c) Certificate from the rabbinical authority, recognized legally in the country of residence.
In the case of the certificates in parts b) and c) the applicant may include a certificate by the President of the Permanent Commission of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain that endorses the authority status of the Rabbi or the Jewish Community Leader.
Alternatively, to prove the suitability of such documents, the applicant must provide:
1) Copy of the original statutes of the foreign religious organization.
2) Certificate of the foreign entity that contains the names of those who have been designated legal representatives.
3) Certificate or document that proves that the foreign entity is legally recognized in its country of origin.
4) Certificate issued by the legal representative of the entity that proves that the Rabbi holds operative and current status according to the requirements established in their statutes.
d) Proof of the use of ladino or “haketia”.
e) Birth certificate or marriage “ketubah” that proves celebration in the Castilian tradition.
f) Report produced by the appropriate entity that proves the membership of the family names of the applicant to the Sephardic lineage of Spanish origin.
g) Any other circumstance that clearly demonstrates his or her status as a Sephardic Jew of Spanish origin.
2. Proof of special connection to Spain
Proof can be confirmed by the following possible evidentiary means, assessed as a whole:
a) Certificates of the study of Spanish history and culture issued by an accredited public or private institution.
b) Proof of knowledge of the ladino or “haketía” language.
c) Inclusion of the applicant or his or her direct ancestry on the lists of Sephardic families protected by Spain, that, concerning Egypt and Greece, refer to the Decree of December 29, 1948, or of others naturalized by special way of the Royal Decree of December 20, 1924.
d) Blood relationship of the applicant with a person that meets qualification C
e) Fulfillment of charitable, cultural, or economic activities to the benefit of Spanish persons or institutions or in Spanish territory, as well as those taking place in support of institutions aimed at the study, preservation, and dissemination of Sephardic culture.
f) Any other circumstance that clearly demonstrates his or her special connection to Spain.
All foreign documents should be translated by an official translator –“traductor jurado”-, and legalized or notarized (apostille).
3. Other requirements
Applicants will have to present a legalized (apostille) and translated, birth certificate.
Furthermore, the accreditation of the special connection with Spain will require passing two tests:
• First test: basic knowledge of the Spanish language (DELE level A2, or higher)
• Second test, the knowledge of the Spanish Constitution and the social and cultural reality of Spain.
These tests will be created and administered by the Cervantes Institute. There are exceptions for applicants from countries or territories of which Spanish is the official language, for those under 18 and for those with a legal capacity modified by court.