# Spanish Consulates to Work Weekend on Citizenship

24 October 2026 at 13:07

> Staff must process 'Ley de Nietos' documentation this weekend following a Supreme Court ruling on exile proof ahead of November elections.

The **Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs** has ordered consular offices to work through the weekend of 24-25 October 2026. All staff permits and vacations are suspended to process documentation for individuals nationalised under the '**Ley de Nietos**' law.

The **Supreme Court** requires proof that ancestors suffered exile for political, religious, or ideological reasons. It has rejected a 2022 presumption of exile for those leaving between 1936 and 1955, demanding specific certification for each voter instead.

Ministers face potential criminal liability if they fail to comply before the 29 November elections. With only 91 certificates issued from 163,020 cases by 21 October, the **Electoral Census Office** must now exclude any individuals lacking valid accreditation.

**Spain**

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