Andreu Prat Marín

The Democratic Memory Law (Ley de Memoria Democrática) of Spain was enacted on October 19, 2022. It was published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) as Law 20/2022 on October 20, 2022, and came into effect the following day. The law was designed to remedy past injustices and enable the descendants of Spanish parents and grandparents who were exiled under Franco's fascist dictatorship to re-gain their Spanish citizenship through an application under the new law.

Nearly all countries in Europe require a criminal record check before granting a residence visa or work visa. Spain is no exception, foreign nationals that are planning to relocate to Spain or regularly visit for long periods of time must obtain a visa suited to their needs. Also, when renewing your visa an applicant often must provide proof that they have no acquired a criminal record since their initial application.

The Spanish government is still extremely concerned about the high numbers of residential properties that are purchased by foreign nationals, often to be let out as holiday rentals. The Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, spoke at the forum "Housing, the Fifth Pillar of the Welfare State" in Madrid, to outline new steps his Government will take to off-set Spain's housing crisis and improve access to housing for the Spanish people. The escalation under the Golden Visa Programme has now become a worry.