A Cuban identified on TikTok as @daylih77 explained how she managed to go to Italy without a visa, without much paperwork and without years of waiting: she obtained Spanish dual nationality in less than a year and traveled with her community passport.
"I am Cuban, and this is how I managed to get to Italy without a visa, without much paperwork, and without procedures that take years," she explained in her video, which quickly captured the attention of thousands of followers eager to learn about her experience.
The young woman detailed that she was able to take advantage of the Spanish Democratic Memory Law, also known as the Law of Grandchildren, which allowed descendants of Spaniards in exile to apply for Spanish nationality. Thanks to that route, she had her documentation ready to travel freely throughout Europe in less than twelve months.
However, this path is no longer available to everyone. The deadline for submitting new applications under that law has passed, which has excluded many Cubans who had not yet completed their process.
According to known data, more than 300,000 were in the process of obtaining Spanish nationality through this legislation, which gives an idea of the enormous impact it had among the Cuban community both on the island and in the diaspora.
Once in Italy, the process of establishing legal residency is relatively straightforward for EU citizens. The first step is to register with the Anagrafe by presenting a Spanish passport, which serves as proof of European citizenship and allows one to live and work in the country without additional restrictions.
However, the journey to regularize one's status in Italy is not always easy. Another Cuban resident in the country shared that after long nine years in this country, I obtained my papers, a wait that stands in stark contrast to the expedited process offered by Spanish nationality for those who were able to obtain it in time.
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