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The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded this Tuesday that the deadline to apply for the Law of Democratic Memory, commonly known as the Law of Grandchildren, is set to expire on October 22, 2025, which has allowed hundreds of thousands of descendants of Spaniards to apply for citizenship.
The deadline to apply for Spanish nationality under Law 20/2022, of October 19, on Democratic Memory (LMD) concludes on October 22, 2025. At 11:59 PM (local time) on October 22, the opportunity to schedule an appointment to apply for Spanish nationality through our online platform will be closed, stated the ministry in a notice published on its official website.
The statement from the Consulate of Spain in Havana clarified that only those who have obtained a justification with an electronic signature —Secure Verification Code (CSV)— will be guaranteed the right to an in-person appointment. Conversely, those who have received rejections of credentials or do not yet have the CSV will need to re-register before the deadline.
Over 414,000 beneficiaries, but thousands are still waiting
According to the Spanish newspaper La Región, as of July 31, a total of 875,000 applications for nationality under the Law of Democratic Memory have been submitted, of which more than 414,000 have already been approved.
A quarter comes from Argentina (185,000 in Buenos Aires, 75,000 in Rosario, and 60,000 in Córdoba), while Cuba ranks second with over 108,000 requests. São Paulo (76,000) and Mexico also stand out.
The General Director of Spaniards Abroad, Carolina de Manueles, acknowledged that the number of applications is equal to the number of appointment requests in many consulates, which has resulted in bottlenecks and delays.
Reports in Cuba: “We feel defenseless”
Meanwhile, in Cuba, discontent is growing. Dozens of descendants of Spaniards have sent letters to our editorial team in which they denounce technical failures, delays, and arbitrary actions in the credentialing system of the Consulate in Havana.
In one of the formal complaints, an applicant states that the system “has placed thousands of applicants in a situation of defenselessness and violation of rights,” by assigning credentials arbitrarily, deleting records without explanation, and failing to ensure the migration of applications to the new system.
The letter warns that the situation has caused “anxiety, economic harm, health issues, and extreme vulnerability,” as many fear being left out of the process when the deadline expires.
The claimants demand an effective communication channel, the immediate issuance of acknowledgment receipts, adherence to chronological order, and an exceptional extension to prevent leaving thousands of families without Spanish citizenship.
Collective complaint: "The system skips turns"
A second document, collectively signed by Cuban applicants, denounces that the dating platform “jumps queues” and provides credentials to individuals who registered later, while many prior applications remain unanswered.
We feel discriminated against and unprotected compared to other consulates where the process moves more smoothly, such as Buenos Aires, they express in the letter. They also point out the arbitrary rejections of credentials and the lack of transparency in the system.
The claim calls for urgent actions to ensure that no application submitted before October 22 is excluded, reminding that in thousands of Cuban households, the chance to obtain Spanish nationality depends on the regularization of this process.
Less than a month before the deadline, the countdown leaves thousands of Cubans in suspense. While Spain boasts over 400,000 beneficiaries of the Grandchildren's Law, many descendants on the Island are reporting that, far from being a fair and transparent process, bureaucracy and system failures threaten to undermine a right that for many represents not only blood ties but also a different future.
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