Moroccan/Sephardic Jews to return to Spain

Hello,

I am interested in gaining Spanish nationality. My case is as follows:

-I am American born and only hold an American passport.

-My mother is also American born and only holds an American passport.

-My father was born in Morocco and is a Sephardic Jew.

-His family has lived there for at least 300 hundred years.

-He no longer has his Moroccan passport, just an American and Israeli.

How would I go about obtaining Spanish nationality? Would it be any different/easier if my father redeclared his Moroccan nationality? Would it be any different/easier if he redeclared his Moroccan nationality and then I declared my Moroccan nationality and obtained a Moroccan passport?

Thank you very much for your help.

Hello Sephardic,

Holding a Moroccan Passport will not help you in a Spanish nationality application, as there is not any special and easy access to Spanish nationality for Moroccan citizens, nor is there any convention or agreement. However if you could prove your Sephardic ancestry there could be an option for your to apply for Spanish nationality. Before applying for the Spanish citizenship based on that, you need to prove that you have lived legally in Spain during two years. If this is the case, the next important issue to consider is the documented proof you have to acknowledge your Sephardi ancestry. Not only a certificate issued by the Jews authorities in needed, but also additional proof, as Surname, documents that prove you practice the religion, family language, proof that your father has Sephardi ancestry and was included in the list of direct descendant of Protected Jew families from your country.

You can read more information at the Ministry of Justice, Nationality section.

I hope this information has been of help.

Regards,

A residence permit under regimen comunitario ( EU ) in Spain will allow you to work only in Spain ( that would be case for your family ). However, once you were an EU citizen ( Spanish national in your case ), you could work anywhere in Europe.