Dual citizenship for Romanians living in Spain

Romanian nationals living in Spain will be able to hold dual citizenship as of this year, following an agreement between Romania and Spain.

Corina Cristea, 20.02.2024, 14:00

Spain is one of the European states that do not allow dual citizenship, with two exceptions: France and Portugal. So, if Romanian citizens wish to get Spanish nationality they must meet a number of conditions, the most important of which is giving up their Romanian citizenship, which has so far deterred many from applying for a Spanish passport. The Romanian community is Spain’s second largest after the Moroccan community, numbering 629,000 official residents but being estimated at over one million according to unofficial numbers.

At a meeting in November 2022 in the Mediterranean town of Castellón de la Plana, the Spanish and Romanian governments agreed to make dual citizenship possible for Romanian nationals living in Spain. The news has been received with hope and joy by the members of the Romanian community in this country, as dual citizenship is something they have wanted and for which they have lobbied for a long time. So, apart from other concrete advantages, Romanians seeking Spanish citizenship will no longer have to give up their Romanian nationality. They will also be able to have access to jobs and positions in the police force, the army and the administration and to travel to the Unites States visa-free.

This will be implemented this year, according to the speaker of the Romanian Senate Nicolae Ciucă, who met his Spanish counterpart during an official trip to Spain: “The visit to Spain began with a meeting with my counterpart Pedro Rollan Ojeda, our talks focusing on the importance of parliamentary diplomacy for the bilateral relationship between our countries. Together we can identify common solutions to the problems of the two societies, improving political, commercial and cultural ties. I was impressed by how warmly the speaker of the Spanish Senate has spoken about the Romanians living here”, the Romanian official said in a social media post, and added: “the Romanian community in Spain has vast working experience, is a highly qualified resource and has a western mentality”.

The wording of the agreement between the two countries on dual citizenship has already been approved by both sides, according to government sources, and the document is to be signed soon, during a forthcoming trip to Romania by the Spanish prime minister.