Citizen Guides to Living in Spain

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Citizen Guides to Living in Spain

Consular offices provide services for their expatriate citizens living in Spain. Services include replacement of lost or stolen passports and help and advice in difficult situations.

All foreign Embassies exist to represent their nation to their host country nationals, providing information and services on trade, tourism and culture in the home state. All Embassies have a Consular Section that exists to provide information and services to its own nationals visiting or living in the host country.

• For further information on citizens' consular services see: American, British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand

US/American Citizens

The US Embassy and Consulate's office offer a variety of services to the approximately 80,000 Americans living in Spain and the 1,000,000 American tourists who pass through the country on average each year.

Included in the services offered are:

• Issue of emergency passports
• Handling of passports applications
• Legal assistance
• Election and voting information
• Registration of a birth or death of a US citizen in Spain
• Medical care rights
• Criminal rights, if a citizen is in trouble with the Spanish law
• General assistance for any US citizen who is having problems in Spain

The American Embassy is located at:

• American Embassy
  At: Calle Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
  Open: Embassy "walk-in" hours 08:00-13:00
  Tel: 915 872 240 (available 15:00-17:30 for help and advice)
  Duty Officer Tel: 915 872 200 (emergencies only)
  Website

There is also a Consulate General in Barcelona and six consular agencies in cities around Spain. For more information see this page of the US Embassy website. The provinces of Almería and Granada fall under the jurisdiction of the US Consulate Agency in Fuengirola in the province of Málaga.

• US Consular Agency in Fuengirola
  At: Avenida Juan Gómez "Juanito" 8, Edificio Lucía 1º-C, 29640 Fuengirola
  Open: Monday to Friday 10:00-13:00
  Tel: 952 474 891
  Fax: 952 465 189
  Website

The office does not issue passports or visas but will provide the application forms.

UK/British Citizens

The British Embassy in Spain website has a comprehensive guide to living in Spain with a section called Help for British Nationals which includes information on getting settled, pensions, benefits and healthcare, staying safe and what to do when things go wrong. 

Britons are requested by their government to register with the LOCATE service when planning to visit or live abroad for an extended period so that they can be helped in the event of a crisis. This can be done online.

• For information on registration: Click here

There are several British Consular offices in Spain serving British citizens in Spain.

The following services are provided by a Consular office

• Emergency passports (these can be issued by the local Consul for a one way trip back to the UK)
• Passport renewal applications available through the office of the Madrid Consulate General
• All births and deaths of British citizens in either Spain or Andorra must be reported to the Consulate in Madrid. 
• Notary service with authorisation to legalise a document
• Help and advice in an emergency situation concerning a British citizen in Spain
• Advice on moving to and living in Spain

The British Embassy is in Madrid.

• British Embassy 
  At: Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid
  Tel: 917 146 300
  Fax: 917 146 301
  Open: Monday to Friday 09:00-17:30, by appointment only
  Duty office emergency Tel: 917 146 400 - Consulate number for details on how to proceed in case of an emergency 
  Website

There is a Consular office in Málaga that serves citizens in Andalusia and Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa. There is a Consular Agent available in Granada, but contact with the British Consulate in Malaga must be made first.

• British Consulate Málaga
  At: Edificio Eurocom, Bloque Sur C/ Mauricio Moro Pareto 2, 2º, 29006 Málaga
  Open: Monday to Friday 08:30-13:30
  Tel: 952 352 300
  Fax: 952 359 211
  Website

The Consulate does not issue passports or visa, but can issue an emergency visa for a one-way trip to the UK.

Britons in Spain

The British Government website has a section for Britons living abroad. The information is not specific to Spain but provides useful facts relevant to moving, relocating with a family or retiring abroad. It includes information on tax and pensions, education, employment, insurance, as well as having information on everything to be considered when returning to the UK after a period of time overseas.

Australian Citizens

There are about 2,000 Australian citizens living in Spain (many of them with dual citizenship) and over 90,000 Australians who visit Spain each year. The Australian Embassy (and its Consular office) is in Madrid. There are Honorary Consuls in Barcelona and Seville. The services provided by the Consular offices include the handling of visa enquiries, replacement of lost, stolen or damaged passports and providing general support for Australians in Spain.

• Australian Embassy
  At: Plaza Descubridor Diego de Ordás 3, 28003 Madrid
  Open: Monday to Friday 08:30-16:30
  Tel: 913 536 600
  Website
• Honorary Consulate Seville
  At: Federico Rubio 14, 41004 Seville
  Tel: 954 220 971
  Fax: 954 211 145
  Website

The Southern Cross Group is a global organisation that exists to "Promote mobility in the Global Community", and communicate with expatriated Australians throughout the world. Their work includes lobbying for changes in laws that improve or simplify the life of Australians abroad. The website has detailed information on the legal and practical aspects of citizenship, voting, visas, health insurance, taxation and more.

• The Southern Cross Group
• The Southern Cross Group in Spain

Canadian Citizens

The Consular offices of the Canadian Embassy in Spain offer information about Spain and assistance to Canadian citizens either visiting or living in Spain. Information available includes the following subjects:

• Lost or stolen credit cards or travellers' cheques
• Transfer of funds
• Marriage formalities
• Legalisation (endorsement) of Canadian documents and educational documents
• Information on entry, work and residence requirements
• Driving in Spain

The Canadian Embassy is located in Madrid, at:

• Canadian Embassy
  At: Núñez de Balboa 35, 28001 Madrid, Spain
  Tel: 914 233 250
  Open: Monday to Thursday 08:30-17:30, Friday (and August) 08:30-14:30
  Consular Section Open: Monday to Friday 09:00-12:30
  For after hours emergencies contact the Ottawa Duty Officer
  Tel: 00 1 613 996 8885
  Website
• Consulate of Canada in Málaga
  At: Plaza de la Malagueta 2, 1º, 29016 Málaga
  Open: Monday to Friday 10:00-13:00
  Tel: 952 223 346
  Fax: 952 229 533
  e-mail
  Website

New Zealand Citizens

The New Zealand Embassy in Madrid represents New Zealand in Spain and Morocco.

• New Zealand Embassy
  At: Plaza de la Lealtad 2, 28014 Madrid
  Open: Monday to Friday 09:00-14:00 and 15:00-17:30; July and August: Monday to Friday 08:30-13:30 and 14:00-16:30
  Tel: 915 230 226
  Fax: 915 230 171
  e-mail
  Website

The visa and tourism sections are open all year Monday to Friday from 10:00-13:00.