Have you heard about the possibility for Sephardic Jews to obtain Spanish nationality if they can prove their heritage? This was approved by law in 2015, leading thousands of descendants of this Judeo-Spanish population to come to Andalusia for this purpose. Not only to complete bureaucratic procedures but also to discover the region, taking advantage of what was, for most, a long journey. Is this your intention? If so, you should know that the situation has changed, as we explain below. In any case, please pay attention to the following lines, where we provide information about this process and the tours we can organize for you and your family.
Can Sephardic Jews still obtain Spanish nationality?
At the time of writing this post (May 2021), we must unfortunately answer, “no longer.” Law 12/2015 stipulated that the application period would last 3 years, with the possibility of a one-year extension. Therefore, the deadline for submitting applications was met in 2019, and according to data from the Ministry of Justice, only applications already submitted are currently being processed. You can find more information here.
However, as a complement to all this, we can say that it cannot be ruled out that a new law may be enacted in the future or a new call for applications may open for Sephardic Jews who did not apply for Spanish nationality during the 2015-2019 period. At least, given the success of that initiative: by early 2021, more than 15,000 people had already obtained this recognition.
Nevertheless, the number of applications was much higher: over 150,000, according to data from the Ministry of Justice, although it should be noted that many of these applications are still being processed, as the Covid-19 pandemic and the corresponding declaration of the State of Alarm forced the suspension and postponement of many of these legal procedures.
A Tailor-Made Journey for Any Sephardic Individual
Whether or not they come to process Spanish nationality, Sephardic Jews have the opportunity to travel to Andalusia to discover the region of their origins. Here are two of the main proposals:
Route through Andalusian Sepharad
On this tour, the central theme is Sephardic culture, which was tragically cut short in our country with the painful expulsion decreed by the Catholic Monarchs in 1492. In this regard, the Jewish quarters are the main attractions, but there are also other points of interest for various reasons. These would be the highlights of the route:
- Cordoba: Jewish Quarter, Synagogue, Casa de Sefarad
- Jaén: Jewish Quarter
- Lucena: Jewish Quarter, Jewish Necropolis
- Úbeda: Water Synagogue
Essential Andalusia
For those with more time and/or traveling from afar, there is nothing better than taking advantage of the trip to organize a broader tour of the region, what we might call ‘Essential Andalusia.’ This must include the capital of the autonomous community, Seville, and the main provincial capitals, such as Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, or Cadiz, as well as other smaller but undoubtedly beautiful towns, such as Ronda. In all of them, obligatory reference will be made to medieval Andalusia, a period of splendor for the Sephardic community, but we will also cover monuments and histories from other earlier and later periods.
In any case, at Andalucía Exclusiva, we can organize a completely tailor-made route, with these destinations or others more oriented towards relaxation, nature, sports, or leisure, for example. Contact us, and we will inform you about the possibility of obtaining Spanish nationality for Sephardic Jews and any other questions you may have.
