The Law of Transitional Jurisprudence and Foundation of the Republic presented today to lay the groundwork for if the result of the upcoming independence referendum is a "yes" vote includes the possibility of "dual nationality". In other words, Catalan nationality will not require renouncing Spanish nationality.
In article 9 of the Law of establishes that: "The conferring of Catalan nationality does not require the renunciation of Spanish nationality nor of any other".
Point two of this article makes it clear that "the [Catalan] government will promote, in the briefest possible time, negotiations with the Spanish State to sign a treaty on the topic of nationality".
The law establishes, in article 9, that, when the rule comes into effect, people holding Spanish nationality and registered as living in some place in Catalonia ("empadronat") before 31st December 2016 will have "Catalan nationality of origin".
It also defines circumstances for when people who do not fit into this first case can apply for Catalan nationality: people born in Catalonia; people living abroad whose last administrative residence in a Catalan town lasted at least five years; or children whose mother or father has Catalan nationality.
The text specifies that the rights given in these articles have to be exercised before the responsible bodies of the Civil Register "within three years from this law entering into effect".
Also "people born or adopted as minors after this law enters into effect whose father or mother is Catalan" have Catalan nationality of origin.
The final categories who will have the right: those born after this law enters into effect, born in Catalonia to foreign parents "if the personal legislation that applies to them gives them no nationality or their parents have none", and those people "born in Catalonia and of undetermined parentage".
Article 8 defines the conditions in which nationality can be acquired: through legal and continuous residence in Catalonia for a period of five years or by choice as the young child of people who have thus acquired nationality. Point four of this article makes it clear that falsifying details can lead to the loss of nationality.
The second of the final rulings of the law states that nationality petitions will have to be resolved before the holding of the constituent elections. Catalan nationality will be required to be able to vote in those elections