Civil Code, Articles 17–26 (Nationality)
Código Civil, arts. 17–26, en su redacción dada por la Ley 36/2002
The Civil Code's nationality title, in its current form following the 2002 reform. Article 20 gives children of a Spanish-born national of origin a standing, no-deadline right to Spanish nationality by declaration. Article 22.2 reaches one generation further — a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish — but requires one year of legal residency in Spain first, and reaches no further than grandparent. Article 22.1 is unrelated to Spanish ancestry: it gives nationals by origin of Ibero-American countries (and a short list of others), or applicants of Sephardic origin, a reduced two-year residency route.
What this law actually does
Article 20: children of a Spanish national of origin born in Spain can acquire Spanish nationality by declaration, with no deadline and no residency requirement.
Article 22.2: a parent or grandparent who was originally Spanish opens naturalisation after one year of legal residency — the statute's own text ("padre o madre, abuelo o abuela") stops at grandparent and does not reach a great-grandparent.
Article 22.1: nationals by origin (not by later naturalisation) of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea or Portugal, or applicants of Sephardic origin, can naturalise after two years of residency — independent of any Spanish ancestor.
This law is one piece of the Spain eligibility picture. See the full overview for how it interacts with disqualifiers, documents, and timelines.
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