Option — patria potestad of a Spaniard

Overview. ES-CBN-01 is the route to acquire Spanish nationality by option (opción) for a person subject to the patria potestad (parental authority) of a Spaniard, exercisable within twenty years of age. It sits within Spain's nationality-by-option framework rather than the residence-based naturalisation track, so it is a comparatively short, lighter-burden pathway for those who qualify.

Legal basis. The route operates under the Código Civil, Artículo 20.1.a. Option to Spanish nationality is available to (a) persons subject to the patria potestad of a Spaniard; (b) persons whose parent was originally Spanish and born in Spain; and (c) those within the scope of CC Art 17.2 or Art 19.2. This route concerns ground (a). These provisions sit within the Código Civil's nationality framework (Arts 17–26, Título Primero, Libro Primero: De la nacionalidad), and the constitutional anchor is Constitución Española 1978 Art 11.1, under which Spanish nationality is acquired, conserved, and lost in accordance with the law.

Competent authority. Applications under this route are handled by the Registro Civil. Within the wider Spanish nationality system, the Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública (DGSJFP), under the Ministerio de Justicia, oversees the registries, with apex review before the Tribunal Constitucional and the Tribunal Supremo (Sala 3ª, contencioso-administrativo).

What to expect. The route is classified as a short-timeline, moderate-documentation pathway. It addresses key questions on who qualifies for Spanish nationality by option and on the conditions and age limit attached to exercising that option. Spanish nationality acquired by option is distinct from nationality of origin (such as that held by those born to a Spanish parent), and from other acquisition mechanisms in the Código Civil, including adoption (CC Art 19.1), the discretionary Carta de Naturaleza by Royal Decree (CC Art 21.1), and recovery of lost nationality (CC Art 26.1).

STS 8 Mar 2017 (rec. 1453/2016) — Patria potestad must have existed under Spanish law, not foreign equivalent; effective custody not enough. DGRN Resolución 5 Sep 2019 — Clarified that adoption that creates patria potestad triggers Art 20.1.a where adoptive parent acquires Spanish nationality. Resolución DGSJFP 21 Feb 2023 — Coordination with Ley 20/2022 DA 8ª for Memoria Democrática-eligible descendants.

Precedent framework: apex review at Tribunal Constitucional (constitucional) + Tribunal Supremo Sala 3ª (contencioso-administrativo) — apex review. Specialized first-instance: LO 6/2024 — Audiencia Nacional Sección 4ª (specialized nationality section). Statutory anchor: Código Civil — Artículos 17 a 26 (Título Primero, Libro Primero: De la nacionalidad). Authority: DGSJFP (Dirección General de Seguridad Jurídica y Fe Pública) under Ministerio de Justicia; Registros Civiles (territorial). Backlog-reform context: Plan Choque 2022-2025 — backlog-reduction administrative reform program.