- By: Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades
Andrés Chamás, legal executive and CEO of Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades, emphasized that the certificate significantly increases the chances of success in the nationality process, both in administrative or judicial channels to almost 100%. The reactivation of this mechanism offers a new opportunity for those who have already started their application and for those who wish to begin the process.
Jewish Sephardic ancestry originates from historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula and their descendants, who were expelled in the late 15th century and dispersed across the globe. The term “Sephardic” comes from Sepharad, the Hebrew word for Iberia or Spain.
Andrés Chamás CEO of Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades at
his office of Plaza de Callao in Madrid, Spain
Hope. That is the word Andrés Chamás, CEO of Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades, uses to describe the decision by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) to once again open the possibility of applying for the certificate issued by the President of the Permanent Commission of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain for people not residing in Spain since last November 1st , 2024, as a special means of proof in accordance with the Law (Art. 21.1 of the Spanish civil code) to apply for Spanish nationality via carta de naturaleza.
Jewish Sephardic ancestry originates from historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula and their descendants, who were expelled in the late 15th century and dispersed across the globe. The term “Sephardic” comes from Sepharad, the Hebrew word for Iberia or Spain.
The measure, which benefits descendants of Sephardic Jews, was taken after four years of this possibility being denied. According to Chamás, obtaining the FCJE certificate would increase the likelihood of a positive outcome for applicants in their Spanish nationality process to almost 100%.
Andrés Chamás, legal executive and CEO of Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades, emphasized that the certificate significantly increases the chances of success in the nationality process, both in administrative or judicial channels to almost 100%. The reactivation of this mechanism offers a new opportunity for those who have already started their application and for those who wish to begin the process.
The measure, which benefits descendants of Sephardic Jews, was taken after four years of this possibility being denied. According to Chamás, obtaining the FCJE certificate would increase the likelihood of a positive outcome for applicants in their Spanish nationality process to almost 100%.
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain is the organization that brings together most Jewish communities and organizations in Spain. It therefore has special probative value, in accordance with Law 12/2015 of June 24, for certifying Sephardic origin. It is the means par excellence, let’s say it is the golden ticket to prove to the institution, the Ministry of Justice, that one has Sephardic origin.”
Chamás explained that anyone who can prove their jewish sephardic ancestry, according to the law (art. 21 of the spanish civil code), can apply for citizenship via carta de naturaleza. This new route which started on November 1st, 2024 although is discretionary and subject to Government´s approval, will also be successful because Spain has a tradition of granting Spanish citizenship to people of sephardic origin which dates back to almost 100 years. This has been reflected in numerous Real Decrees such as in Real Decreto 893/2015 de 2 de octubre y Real Decreto 322/2016 de 5 de Agosto both posted on the Boletin Oficial del Estado (BOE), Spain´s official journal of the State.
Sephardim or Sephardic Jews are, in the broadest sense of the term, that part of the Jewish people who lived in the Iberian Peninsula until their expulsion by the Catholic Monarchs of Castile and Aragon in 1492, and their subsequent expulsions from Portugal in 1496 and Navarre in 1497. Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Venezuela, he said, have a large number of people who can apply for the study to find out if they are eligible to opt for Spanish nationality because of their Jewish ancestors.
The first step is to conduct a viability study. This involves a preliminary review of the genealogical information of the ancestors. In this case, parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. At Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades, we have a team of genealogists and historians who help us evaluate this information. The goal is to analyze the possible genealogical lines that lead to an ancestor of Sephardic origin. Sometimes we are talking about 15, 18, 20, or more generations to identify if we find an ancestor,” he emphasized.
Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades has a team of 13 professionals: 4 in the administrative area and 9 lawyers, of whom 7 are in Spain and 2 in Italy. All are registered with the General Council of the Bar. This allows them to have more tools to defend their clients before the public administration.
A pathway that facilitates Spanish citizenship for Sephardic Jews
In recent years, Chamás pointed out, the methods and procedures used to verify Sephardic origin have become a crucial topic of debate and interpretation. This issue has generated differences of opinion among Spanish administrative authorities, lawyers specializing in the subject, and applicants seeking to prove their Sephardic ancestry. For this reason, he insisted, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) has become a channel that will facilitate the process for those who apply.
He also pointed out that there are thousands of Sephardic Jews who have not yet obtained their Spanish passport. Therefore, he said, it is very important for people to understand that the best way to prove Sephardic origin is with a certificate from the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain.
“We focus on having means of proof. Genealogy reports come with supporting documentation, not just information about each generation. Each generation must prove its ancestry with documentation until the Sephardic ancestor is found. Once we have that information, we send it to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain. Once they analyze and verify all the evidence, they issue the certificate. With that certificate, the person can then apply for Spanish nationality.”
A new opportunity
But the news from the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE) is also good for descendants of Sephardic Jews who have already started the process and have not yet received a response. It is an opportunity to check if there are errors in the file and correct them. Chamás is convinced that obtaining a Spanish passport is a great benefit for many people who will be able to reunite their families and enjoy all the benefits and rights, not only in Spain, but throughout Europe.
“There are people who started the application process in 2015 and have their file code on the Ministry of Justice website. They then came to sign the notarized document here in Spain and have not obtained their passport. In this case, many months, many years have passed without a decision from the Spanish government.
Andrés Chamás CEO of Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades at
his office of Plaza de Callao in Madrid, Spain
The first thing we must do is review the documentation provided to see what status this file has. It may have been denied, it may be pending, it may not have been evaluated, or it may have been archived. We must evaluate the documentation provided, and based on that assessment, we can take different approaches to move the process forward.”
“It’s a priority.”
Regarding the steps to initiate the Spanish nationality process as Sephardic Jews, Chamás pointed out that the first thing applicants must do is meet with Iberoamericana de Nacionalidades to conduct a comprehensive review of the file. The legal executive indicated that in recent weeks they have received files in their office that actually contain very serious errors from the very first point of submission.
He emphasizes that applicants should prioritize seeking professional assistance, not only in matters of nationality but in any immigration process. He assured that the way in which the substantive and formal documents are prepared is very important. He pointed out that it makes a difference when it comes to review by the Spanish authorities. Chamás understands the importance for applicants to obtain a Spanish passport. As someone who went through the process of obtaining a Spanish passport due to his Sephardic origin, he knows that there are people who need this nationality to start university studies or who may already have a job offer and, with the document, can arrive in the country and register for social security.
Success stories
Andrés Chamás points out that they have long been happy with the results in resolving their clients’ cases. Now he believes that with the certificate from the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain, success will be resounding. Currently, in the case of Venezuela, there are at least 15,082 applications, of which only 9,142 have received a response. This means that more than 4,000 people could review their files to verify that they meet all the necessary requirements.
He reminded everyone that anyone who wants to know how to start the process or has questions about this route to citizenship can book a consultation. For more information, call or text +34 675 88 69 14 on Whatsapp or visit www.iberonacionalidades.com.
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