Spain and France celebrate the Spanish-French nationality convention coming into force

During their meeting, the two ministers welcomed the Spanish-French nationality agreement coming into force on 1 April 2022. Following the ratification procedures that both countries carried out as a priority, the text has come into force one year after being signed by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, during the 26th Spanish-French Summit in Montauban, on 15 March 2021. This agreement is a step forwards in the friendship between our countries, which strengthens the deep human ties between the Spanish and French peoples.

The Spanish-French nationality agreement establishes symmetry between Spain and France in the treatment of dual nationality and strengthens the ties between the two countries. France is the first non Spanish or Portuguese speaking country with which Spain has signed a bilateral agreement such as this.

This agreement will further reinforce the great cultural and social proximity that links Spanish and French people, in particular the more than 100,000 French people living in Spain and the almost 300,000 Spaniards living in France, who contribute to the prosperity of our two countries every day.

The coming into force of the agreement has a strong historical dimension, as it allows Spaniards who lost their original nationality when they acquired French nationality to regain it retroactively.

It thus acknowledges the deep roots of the Spanish presence in France, marked by the reception of 500,000 refugees during the 1939 Retreat, including many freedom fighters who joined free France, as well as the fact that thousands of Spaniards made France their home after exile.

Spain and France now jointly recognise the legitimacy of the aspirations of many of their fellow citizens to prove their dual origin, Spanish and French, both integrated into the common European project. This Convention thus contributes to strengthening the Europe of citizens, which we are promoting during the current French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and will continue to promote during the Spanish Presidency in the second half of 2023.

Non official translation