Cuba and Spain sign agreement that favors procedures to acquire Spanish nationality

The governments of Cuba and Spain signed a cooperation agreement that will favor, among other issues, the processes of acquiring Spanish nationality for people born in the Caribbean territory.

The official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso specified that the institutions that signed the agreement were the Ministry of Justice of Cuba and the College of Administrative Managers of Spain.

The agreement focuses on several crucial aspects. Firstly, the supply of computer equipment to entities of the Ministry of Justice stands out to improve service to the public.

The equipment includes 500 computers and a high-tech scanner for the digitization of Cuba's Civil Status records, where the demand for access to documents is especially high and urgent.

The professional training of Cuban jurists is also a priority in the agreement. It is expected that they will have the opportunity to attend educational programs in Spain, in addition to the possibility of accessing online courses.

Another section of the agreement offers Cuban citizens the possibility of processing document legalization services through specialized law firms in collaboration with administrative managers in Madrid.

This measure seeks to expedite the great demand for consular services, intensified by the Democratic Memory Law, a key regulation that has increased the number of applications for Spanish nationality at the Consulate General in Havana.

Fernando Santiago Ollero, presiding over the College of Administrative Managers of Spain, addressed the issue of global delays in the acquisition of documents necessary to obtain nationality.

The end of the validity of the Democratic Memory Law It is scheduled for October 21, 2024. Santiago warned interested parties that the effective date to exercise the right to the option is the day of presentation of the documents in the civil registries.

Applications cannot be submitted outside the deadline, but files will continue to be processed. In addition, the official expressed that efforts are being made to seek to extend the law for another year.

The migration crisis on the island has led many Cubans to apply for Spanish citizenship as a way to leave the country.

Data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) of the Iberian country show that almost 200,000 Cubans live in Spain at the beginning of 2023, of which 73,548 are stable residents.

He spanish passport In 2024, it became one of the most powerful in the world, allowing visa-free access to 194 destinations. Spain shares the first place for the most powerful passports with countries such as Singapore, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, rising places in the quarterly ranking.

Spanish citizenship has become an attractive option for Cubans and many decide to emigrate to settle in the homeland of their grandparents and great-grandparents.