No. The Act will enter into force on 1 October 2015. You can apply for nationality as from that date.

Pursuant to Article 1.1 of Act 15/2015, of 24 June, Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin may apply for Spanish nationality by following the special procedures regulated in said Act.

We are aware that the procedure for granting Spanish nationality entails complying with a series of formalities established by diverse organisms and bodies in both Israel and Spain – with the added inconvenience of the language barrier and bureaucracy – also implying the need to carry out the procedures within specific periods of time and adhering to strict standards as regards the different steps to follow. As a result, ever since the Act was announced, this law firm has not only attempted to provide simpler solutions to parliamentary debates but also, in particular, faced by the need to comply with formalities in both countries, and due to the fact the firm represents and is linked to Israeli clients in Spain, as regards the management of the different procedures we can specifically work with the law firms of that country in alliance with ours to provide applicants of Spanish nationality with coordinated, comprehensive and complete assessment.

With the aim of offering applicants comprehensive assessment during the steps of the procedure, you can find out about our law firm at (http://www.delorenzoabogados.es/). You can also visit ‘Shachal & Haezrachy’ (http://www.sh-ez.com/about.html) and ‘R. Haezrachy & Co. Advocates’, the law firms with which the nationality procedure files are coordinated in order to provide applicants with comprehensive assessment in both Israel and Spain.

Being a Sephardic Jew of Spanish origin is a compound requirement because in the Jewish world, and especially in Israel, the term ‘Sephardic’ is frequently used to refer to Jews who have nothing to do with neither the expulsion of 1942, nor the Iberian Peninsula.

The term ‘Sephardic’ is used to include all Jews who are not ‘ashkenazi’ (originating from Central Europe), meaning that Eastern Jews are included (Syrians, Persians, Armenians, Yemenis and even Jews from India). The extended use of the term ‘Sephardic’ is due to similarities in the use of Hebrew or the religious rite.

No, because the special procedure regulated by Act 15/2005, of 24 June, and the exceptional circumstances that led to its approval, referred to in its Statement of Reasons, solely and exclusively take into account and apply to Jews who comply with the requirements for being considered Sephardic.

However, if a person is a non-Sephardic Jew, or is a Sephardic Jew but is unable to prove it, this does not imply it is impossible to acquire Spanish nationality. Nevertheless, said acquisition cannot be processed by the special procedure established in Act 15/2005, but must be processed by ordinary legal channels.

No. This is referred to in Article 1.1 of the Act

No. You may keep both your previous nationality and the recently acquired Spanish nationality, as set out in Article 23 of the Civil Code (First Final Provision of Act 15/2005)

Yes, the interested party has to travel to Spain once. The trip must be made once the Notary Public appointed to authorise the act has arranged the appearance with the interested party, after examining the documents provided with the application and initially deeming the interested party meets the requirements to be considered a Sephardic Jew of Spanish origin, as well as the applicant’s special connection with Spain.

Only once for the appointment with the Notary Public and to pay the fees. The remaining formalities do not require the presence of the interested party in Spain because our law firm acts on their behalf.

• To provide documents that prove you are a Sephardic Jew (see Question 2.- in respect to what is understood by ‘Sephardic’)
• Accredit your special connection with Spain

• No, because the special procedure regulated by Act 15/2005, of 24 June, and the exceptional circumstances that led to its approval, referred to in its Statement of Reasons, solely and exclusively take into account and apply to Jews who comply with the requirements for being considered Sephardic and, furthermore, can prove it./li>

• No, because the accreditation of a special connection with Spain is an indispensable requirement for requesting Spanish nationality.

• No. The requirements referred to in Question 6.- must jointly concur; the mere concurrence of only one of them is not sufficient.

• Initially, if all the requirements are met, there should not be any obstacles for granting Spanish nationality.
• However, it must be taken into account that the definitive concession of Spanish nationality ultimately depends on the favourable reports issued by the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of the Interior, in Spain.
• In all cases, in the event of unfavourable reports, there is the possibility of filing an appeal, which would have a high chance of prospering if all the requirements and formalities are successfully met before the file is delivered to the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of the Interior.

• To be able to apply for Spanish nationality under Act 15/2015, the first requirement is to accredit Sephardic Jew status.
• The proof of said status entails providing the following documents:
• a).- Certificate issued by the President of the Permanent Commission of the Jewish Community Federation in Spain.
• b).- Certificate issued by the President or person with an analogous position within the Jewish Community of the area of residence or interested party’s town of birth.
• c).- Certificate issued by the rabbinical authority, recognized legally in the applicant’s usual country of residence.
• d).- Proof the family usually speak Ladino or <>, or other evidence that demonstrates the tradition of belonging to said community.
• e).- Birth certificate or <>, or marriage certificate that proves the marriage was celebrated in the Castilian tradition.
• f).- Reasoned report that proves the applicant’s surname(s) belong to the Sephardic lineage of Spanish origin.
• g).- Any other circumstance that reliably demonstrates the applicant’s status as a Sephardic Jew of Spanish origin.

• No. If you have a Jewish surname and you have a document that proves it, this will be extremely useful when it is time to accredit your status as a Sephardic Jew. Having a Jewish surname does not accredit said status and it will be necessary to include a document that proves the possession of a Jewish surname with the rest of the documents mentioned in Question 16.

• The Act mentions that the documents will be evaluated as a whole. This means that although it is recommended to provide all the documents, if one is missing it does not necessarily imply the application to be granted Spanish nationality will be dismissed, as long as status as a Sephardic Jew can be reliably deduced from the analysis of the rest of the documents.

• To request this document and additional information, we recommend you consult the Jewish Community Federation in Spain via www.fcje.org or, if requested, our firm can take care of the required administrative procedures and contact the above mentioned Federation on your behalf.

• In the event the applicant is not sure whether the certificate has been issued by a person with a suitable position within the corresponding organisms in the applicant’s place of residence, the Act stipulates the possibility to provide a certificate issued by the President of the Jewish Community Federation which endorses the authority of whoever issues the certificate.
• Since the conditions of said document (cost, period of issue) do not depend on the Spain, if you require further information you must go to the corresponding organism in your place of residence or origin.
• Nevertheless, the law firms in Israel, ‘Shachal & Haezrachy’ and R. Haezrachy & Co. Advocates’, working in alliance with our firm, will be at your disposal to resolve any issue that may arise with whoever coordinates the nationality procedure files, thus ensuring applicants receive comprehensive assessment in both Israel and Spain.

• In the event the applicant is not sure whether the certificate has been issued by a person with a suitable position within the corresponding organisms in the applicant’s place of residence, the Act stipulates the possibility to provide a certificate issued by the President of the Jewish Community Federation which endorses the authority of whoever issues the certificate.
• Since the conditions of said document (cost, period of issue) do not depend on the Spain, if you require further information you must go to the corresponding organism in your place of residence or origin.
• Nevertheless, the law firms in Israel, ‘Shachal & Haezrachy’ and R. Haezrachy & Co. Advocates’, working in alliance with our firm, will be at your disposal to resolve any issue that may arise with whoever coordinates the nationality procedure files, thus ensuring applicants receive comprehensive assessment in both Israel and Spain.

• As regards the documents mentioned in Sections b) and c) of Article 1.1.2 of the Law, the conditions of said documents (cost, period of issue) do not depend on the Spain, if you require further information you must go to the corresponding organism in your place of residence or origin.
• Nevertheless, the law firms in Israel, ‘Shachal & Haezrachy’ and R. Haezrachy & Co. Advocates’, working in alliance with our firm, will be at your disposal to resolve any issue that may arise with whoever coordinates the nationality procedure files, thus ensuring applicants receive comprehensive assessment in both Israel and Spain.

• The apostille procedure consists of placing an apostille or annotation on a public document, or its extension, which certifies the authenticity of the signature on the public documents issued in a country that has signed the 12th Hague Convention of 5 October 1961; thus abolishing the requirement to legalise Foreign Public Documents that must be valid for legal purposes in another signatory country.
• Therefore, all documents issued in a state that has signed the Convention and which have been certified by an apostille shall be recognised in any other country of the Convention without any other kind of authentication being necessary.
• You can find the list of States that are party to the Convention here. Israel and Spain are included: http://www.hcch.net/index_es.php?act=conventions.status&cid=41
• The cost of the Hague Apostille depends on the organism in charge of providing it; therefore, you must the request the information from said organism. However, our firm and our collaborators would be delighted to advise you as regards the legalisation process.

• The Language Interpretation Office periodically draws up a list of all the sworn translators who have been appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, stating the language or languages for whose translation the translators have been authorised. You can consult the list at the following link: http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Documents/15.07.03_Listado_T-IJ.pdf
• Nevertheless, our firm remains at your disposal to carry out the necessary procedures for ensuring all the documents are translated by a sworn translator.

• This accreditation is made by providing a certificate issued by the Jewish Community Federation of the country where the applicant resides, or by a certificate issued by the rabbinical authority in the applicant’s area of residence The certificates must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator and legalised by the Hague Apostille.

• Birth certificates are obtained from civil registry of the country where the birth was registered. Our collaborators in Israel can help you with the administrative procedures associated with the civil registry. The cost of the certificate depends on the civil registry from where the birth certificate is requested.

• Marriage certificates are obtained from civil registry of the country where the marriage was registered. Our collaborators in Israel can help you with the administrative procedures associated with the civil registry. The cost of the certificate depends on the civil registry from where the marriage certificate is requested.

• This report must be issued by a body whose authority as regards this matter is recognised by Jewish communities or rabbinical authorities; therefore, for these purposes, applicants must contact them.
• It is also deemed that "bodies with sufficient authority" to issue this report are individuals who, as individual businessmen or self-employed people, carry out this activity professionally, as long as they are duly accredited and recognised by the Jewish community or competent rabbinical authority.

• Any other document which, evaluated together with those mentioned in Question 16.-, supports the accreditation of the status as a Sephardic Jew. For example, genetic reports, genealogical studies, etc. can be presented. However, we remain at your disposal to help you with any queries related to using other documents that are not mentioned in Article 1.2 of the Act.

• The second requirement that must be met to be able to request Spanish nationality under the protection of Act 15/2015 is to be able to demonstrate a special connection with Spain.
  
  The accreditation of said connection implies providing a series of documents:
  
  a).- Certificates of studies of Spanish history and culture issued by official or private institutions with official recognition.
  
  b).- Accreditation of the knowledge of the Ladino or <> language.
  
  c).- Inclusion on the lists of Sephardic families protected by Spain.
  
  d).- Blood relationship with one of the people mentioned in Section c).-
  
  e).- Proof of carrying out charitable, cultural or economic activities in favour of Spanish people or institutions, or in Spanish territory, as well as activities carried out in support of institutions directed towards studying, preserving and disseminating Sephardic culture.
  
  f).- Any other circumstance that reliably demonstrates a special connection with Spain.
  

• Our law firm is at the applicants’ disposal to carry out the corresponding administrative procedures on their behalf in order to certify if the institutions where the pertinent studies were carried out are officially recognised, regardless of whether applicants, in the event they deem necessary, directly contact the institution where said studies were carried out and enquire whether or not they are officially recognised.

• The only list of Sephardic families protected by Spain is the one contained in the Circular Order number 2217, of 11 February 1949, of Sephardic families protected by Spain and published as a consequence of what is stipulated in the Decree-Law of 29 December 1948, included in the Official State Gazette (B.O.E.) of 9 January 1949, related to the exchange of notes carried out between Spain and Egypt on 16 and 17 January 1935 and with Greece on 7 April 1936.
• It is important to note that ever since it was announced that the Act had been approved numerous lists have appeared on the Internet, with one in particular containing approximately 5,200 surnames. This list is NOT official and neither is it the one to which the Act refers for granting Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin.
• The Act sustains that the status as a Sephardic Jew can be proved by the inclusion of the applicant or their ascendants in the list o Sephardic Jew ‘protected by Spain’, referred to in the Royal Decree of 29 December 1948 and the Royal Decree of 20 December 1924.
• This list, which is official, only includes a few surnames, in particular Gattegno, Carasso, Haguel, Saporta, Benveniste, Hassid, Saltiel, Benadon, Nahmias, Botton, Abravanel, Salem, Revah, Bourla, Cohén, Sasson, or Mijan

• Charitable, cultural or economic activities may be accredited by means of the certificate which states said activity has been carried out.

• By itself, if an applicant has not carried out any charitable, cultural or economic activity in favour of Spanish people or institutions it is not a reason to refuse Spanish nationality, as long as there are other means that prove a special connection with Spain.

• There are many circumstances that can be studied with the purpose of accrediting a special connection with Spain, and which will be object of a joint evaluation, together with the rest of evidentiary means included in the Act.
• For example, it is worth pointing out the following: be married to a Spanish national, possess shares of a Spanish business, own a home or other property in Spain, having carried out exchange study courses in a Spanish city, have an employment contract in Spain, live or have lived in Spain for at least six months, having attended courses of a different nature held in Spain, have children enrolled in Spanish schools, be a member of any Spanish club of any kind (sports, culture…) etc.

• In these cases, the certificate must be obtained through the legal means established for these purposes in the place of birth.

• A command of Ladino and a Sephardic surname are two of the means contemplated in the Act for accrediting the concurrence of the special circumstances established therein, but if these means are lacking it does not mean Spanish nationality will be refused, as long as said circumstances can be demonstrated by other means stipulated in the Act that will be object of a joint evaluation.

• 1.- The first examination tests applicants’ basic knowledge of Spanish. Unless they live in a country where the official language is Spanish, it will be necesary to pass the examination prepared by the Instituto Cervantes to obtain a Diploma of Spanish as a Second Language (DELE) at level A2, or higher.
• 2.- The second examination tests applicant’s knowledge of the Spanish Constitution, culture and social reality. The Instituto Cervantes will be in charge of preparing the examination that evaluates said knowledge.

• No. Applicants may take the examinations in any of the centres the Instituto Cervantes has abroad (therefore, applicants are NOT obliged to travel to Spain to take the examinations).

• Applicants under 18 and people with modified legal capacity are exempt from taking the examination. In this case, said applicants are required to provide certificates from their training centres, residence, foster homes, care or special education centres in which, where relevant, they have been registered.

• It is not sufficient. Article 1.3 of the Law establishes a set of criteria which, evaluated as a whole, will determine a special connection with Spain. Passing the examinations that test applicants’ knowledge of the Spanish Constitution and the social reality and culture is added to these criteria.

• A basic knowledge of the Spanish language must be accredited by passing the A2 level, or higher (B1, B2, C1 and C2 levels). Any other certificate issued by another institution or a certificate for a lower level (A1) issued by the Instituto Cervantes will not be valid
• Under no circumstances will applicants be required to have a command of any of the autonomous languages in Spain, regardless of the fact it can be used to prove the connection with Spain.

• No, all applicants who are nationalised in countries or territories where Spanish is the official language are exempt from taking the examination that accredits knowledge of the Spanish language. This exemption does not include the examination of the knowledge of the Spanish Constitution and cultural and social reality in Spain.

• Yes, you must take and pass these tests, except for those under 18 and people with modified legal capacity, who are exempt from doing the tests but must provide certificates from their training centres, residence, foster homes, care or special education centres in which, where relevant, they have been registered.

• The procedure for applying for Spanish nationality consists of the following stages:
  
  I.- Applicants must obtain all the documents referred to in Article 1 of the Act.
  
  II.- Applicants must request a criminal record certificate.
  
  III.- Applicants must pay a fee of €100 for each application for Spanish nationality.
  
  IV.- Applicants must file online the application for Spanish nationality, a copy of all the documents, the criminal record certificate and proof of payment of the fee at the Directorate General for Registries and Notary Publics.
  
  V.- The Notary Public reviews the application and the copy of the documents.
  
  VI.- Applicants appear in person before the Notary Public.
  
  VII.- The Notary Public issues the affidavit if they deem that the documentation submitted and the personal appearance prove Sephardic status and a special connection to Spain.
  
  VIII.- A decision is taken by the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of the Interior.
  
  IX.- Registration in the civil registry.
  

• The criminal record certificate should be requested in both the interested party’s country of residence and in all the countries where the applicant has resided in the last five years prior to filing the application. This certificate must be translated into Spanish by a sworn translator and legalised by an apostille.
• The temporary effects and conditions for obtaining the certificates that demonstrate applicants do not have a criminal record depend on the national law of the interested party’s place of residence; therefore, to obtain information about this matter you should consult your country of residence.

• The method used to pay this fee will be determined by the Ministry of Justice.

• No exemptions or discounts are offered

• The fee referred to in this Act is mandatory for the Spanish nationality applications made by Sephardic Jews of Spanish origin who choose to benefit from the Act. This fee is similar in amount to that generally paid by anyone wishing to apply for nationality by residence, whether or not they are Sephardic Jews

• The interested party may also apply for Spanish nationality for their children under 18. In this case a separate application is required for each of them, although they do not have to travel to Spain as their legal representatives, or in other words those exercising parental authority, will appear in their place.
  
  The €100 fee is per application (Second Additional Provision 2 of the Act). No discounts are offered.

• In relation to this matter, and also considering that the application must be made in Spanish, our firm remains available to guide and advise you regarding the completion of this administrative process in order to ensure the electronic application is submitted properly, along with a copy of the documents and the document that proves the fee has been paid.

• The Notary Public appointed by the General Council of Spanish Notary Publics will review both the application submitted and all the attached documents to assess whether, in principle and provisionally, and in light of the foregoing, the applicant can demonstrate their Sephardic status, their special connection to Spain, and whether they have passed all the relevant tests.
• If this is the case, the Notary Public will summon the applicant to appear in person. Otherwise, the Notary Public will reject the application.

• The accreditation of Sephardic status will be personally conducted before a Spanish Notary Public appointed by the General Council of Notary Publics but taking into account the preferences expressed by the applicant.
• It is essential to personally visit the appointed Notary Public. Only in the case of those under 18 or applicants with modified legal capacity should the personal appearance be replaced by that carried out through a legal representative

• The required documentation must be submitted online along with the application submitted using the software application. In this way the Notary Public can carry out a preliminary assessment, avoiding the need for the applicant to travel if it is deemed they have failed to fulfil the requirements for granting nationality.
• Once the appointed Notary Public has considered the status of Sephardic Jew with Spanish origin to be initially justified, as well as the applicant’s special connection to Spain, they will arrange the applicant’s appearance and the act will be recorded. This is when the applicant must provide the original evidentiary documents so they can be included in the affidavit.

• In the case of those under 18 and people with a modified legal capacity, their legal representative must appear before the Notary Public and must always prove their status as such.
• Under no circumstances can the representative of such applicants be voluntary.

• Except in the case of those under 18 or people with a modified legal capacity, when the appearance may be carried out through a legal representative, in all other cases applicants must personally appear before the Notary Public.
• In the course of that appearance, the Notary Public will be shown the original documents and applicants will be required, at their own responsibility, to declare that the facts on which the request for Spanish nationality are based are true.

• After the personal appearance of the applicant before a Notary Public, and after all the documents have been reviewed, the Notary Public will issue an affidavit that will indicate whether, in their view, the status of Sephardic Jew with Spanish origin and the special connection of the applicant to Spain is justified or, if instead, it is considered that these conditions are not met. Thus, by means of this affidavit the Notary Public issues an opinion about compliance with the requirements established in Article 1 of the Act.
• If after the personal appearance, and after reviewing all the documents, the Notary Public considers that the status of Sephardic Jew with Spanish origin and the applicant's special connection to Spain have been demonstrated, they will issue the affidavit, sending a copy of this to the Directorate General for Registries and Notary Publics.

• When the Directorate General for Registries and Notary Publics receives the affidavit from the Notary Public, it will request reports from the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of the Interior that contain a decision which accepts or rejects the application for Spanish nationality.

• That the application for Spanish nationality has been rejected by negative silence.

• Yes. You can file an appeal with the Sub-secretariat of Justice.
  
  The period allowed to file this appeal can be one month (in the case of express refusal) or three months (in case of refusal by silence from the Administration).
  
  The decisions taken to resolve these appeals can also be subject to administrative appeals (Articles 1 and 2 of Act 29/1998, of 13 July, regulating the Administrative Courts). The jurisdiction to hear these appeals will correspond to the Administrative Court of the Superior Court of Justice (Article 10.1.m). Madrid is the competent jurisdiction.
  In any case, our firm remains on hand to provide advice on these proceedings given the importance of grounding any appeal on a legal basis, as well as filing any appeal before the right authority and within the deadline.

• Once the Notary Public has approved and submitted the affidavit certifying compliance with the requirements of the Act to the Directorate General for Registries and Notary Publics, this body has a maximum period of twelve months to issue a decision, after the reports mentioned in the Act have been received
• After obtaining a decision granting Spanish nationality, applicants have a period of one year to request registration, provide a new valid certificate demonstrating they have no criminal record, and make an oath or affirmation of allegiance to the King and obedience to the Constitution and Spanish Laws before the civil registrar corresponding to their residence.
• Once all the requirements have been met, registration takes place in the competent civil registry.

• Applicants must perform the following steps within one year after they have received the notification of the decision to grant Spanish nationality:
  
  - Request the registration of the decision to the competent civil registrar where the applicant resides.
  
  - Oath of allegiance to the King and of obedience to the Constitution and Spanish Laws. This procedure is performed before the civil registrar where the applicant resides; that is, before the consulate of the applicant’s place of residence. It is therefore not necessary to go to Spain again for this purpose.
  
  - Provide a new criminal record certificate, duly translated and legalised with the Hague Apostille. It is important to note that these certificates normally have a fixed validity period, the length of which depends on the issuing country.
  
  If within one year after the decision was notified the applicant has not carried out the three procedures listed above, the granting of Spanish nationality will lapse.
  

• Once there is a favourable decision from the Directorate General for Registries and Notary Publics, the oath or affirmation should be made before the civil registrar corresponding to the applicant’s residence

• Within one year from the day following the notification of the favourable decision granting Spanish nationality, the interested party must comply with the following conditions before the appropriate civil registry corresponding to their place of residence: a) request the registration, b) provide a new legalised or apostilled valid certificate demonstrating the applicant has no criminal record and, where relevant, translated, and c) perform before the civil registrar the legally required actions relating to the oath or affirmation of allegiance to the King and obedience to the Constitution and the Laws.
• Once these conditions have been fulfilled, and without any further action being required from the interested party, the registration will take place in the civil registry corresponding to the place of birth of the applicant

• The procedure will be carried out online and in reality there is no double journey. The Sephardic Ancestry Act does not speak of double registration or of a second registration in consular register in the place of residence. The literal translation of what it states is:
  
  a. that, before the competent civil registry by reason of their address, the interested party must request registration, provide a new legalised or apostilled valid certificate demonstrating the applicant has no criminal record and, where relevant, translated, and perform before the civil registrar the legally appropriate acts relating to the oath or affirmation of allegiance and obedience (art. 2.6), and
  
  b. that for the registration to be carried out, the jurisdiction corresponds to the civil registrar responsible for registering the birth (Fourth Additional Provision).
  
  That is, notwithstanding the registration in the consulate corresponding to the birth, and precisely in order to avoid applicants having to make this trip, the processing of the oath or affirmation will be carried out in the consulate corresponding to their place of residence. Once this procedure has been carried out in the consulate corresponding to their address, the consulate of birth will proceed with the registration without the interested party needing to travel there
  

• This expiration implies that once applicants have been notified of the favourable decision, they have one year to conclude the acquisition of the Spanish nationality before the civil registrar. Failure to do this implies the decision to grant nationality ceases to be effective and in this case, it would be necessary to re-examine the case in its entirety.

• Not including any personal expenses incurred, the cost of obtaining the necessary documents or the fees for any professional services hired, in addition to the €100 fee the process will involve the Notary Public’s fees that correspond to the authorization of the affidavit, plus the prices charged by the Cervantes Institute for taking the tests they arrange, the cost of which is available on the website of that organization, http://www.cervantes.es
• Regarding our fees, and of course without the need to make any commitment, you can request a quote through the link below: http://www.delorenzoabogados.es/formulario-presupuesto-sefarad.php?idioma=eng

• The introduction of the procedure for granting Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews under the Act of 11 June 2015 does not imply any change to any applications for Spanish nationality by residence, which have already been presented. These will continue to be governed by their specific regulations.
• However, interested parties may renounce the procedure for acquiring Spanish nationality by residence and initiate a new procedure subject to the Act of 11 June 2015.

• The procedure for granting Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews, established in the Act of 11 June 2015, does not imply any changes in terms of the ordinary procedure for granting nationality by letter of naturalisation; therefore, it does not affect the applications in progress and pending resolution
• However, the Act does allow those who meet the necessary requirements and who prior to its entry into force had requested the granting of Spanish nationality by letter of naturalisation through the ordinary and individualised procedure, who have not received notification of the relevant decision, to choose to continue with the processing of their application in accordance with the new procedure.

• No. The Sephardic Ancestry Act does not involve any changes to the cases in progress for granting Spanish nationality requested through any of the other procedures included in the Spanish legislation.

• Yes. To be able to choose the procedure established under this Act you must meet its mandatory requirements, and the corresponding procedure for nationality by letter of naturalisation, already initiated, will continue its path in accordance with the Sephardic Ancestry Act.

• No, there is no option for giving preference since all requests, including those switching option, must be processed in the order the documents and reports required are received

• Yes. The interested party, either personally or by means of an authorised person, may request the Directorate General for Registries and Notary Publics to itemise the documents provided at the time of opening the procedure so they can be included in the affidavit and applicants should also, personally or by means of an authorised person, complete the file with any documentation required under Article 2 of the Act and not previously provided, or seek a new affidavit if necessary.