Consular Guides to Living in Spain

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Consular Guides to Living in Spain

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.

• See The AngloFILE directory for the local Spain-based Consulates & Embassies

UK/British Citizens, US/American Citizens, Australian Citizens and Canadian Citizens living in Spain are particularly well catered to by the Consular sections of their Embassies and other organisations. A national of any one of these four will find a wealth of up-to-date and officially published information from the links below.

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 Consulate-General in Barcelona has jurisdiction over the Autonomous Regions of Catalonia, Aragon and the Principality of Andorra.

• British Consulate-General, Barcelona 
  At: Avenida Diagonal 477, 13º, 08036 Barcelona (access for disabled)
  Tel: 933 666 200
  Fax: 933 666 221
  Emergency after hours duty officer Tel: 606 987 626. 
  Public Office Hours: Winter, 09:30- 14:00, Summer 08:30-13:30
  e-mail
  Website

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

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.

US/American Citizens

The American Consulate's office offers 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. 

• The Consulate General provides a comprehensive guide for Americans living and working in Catalonia: Click here 
• For contact information on US Consular offices throughout Spain, see this page of the US Embassy website

The following services are provided by a Consular office

• Issuance of emergency passports
• Handling of passport applications
• Legal assistance
• Election and voting information
• Registration of a birth or death of a US citizen in Spain
• Medical care rights
• Legalisation of documents
• Issue of tax forms 
• Federal Post Card Applications to obtain voting ballots
• Issue of forms for some Social Security procedures
• 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 US Consulate General in Barcelona has jurisdiction over the Catalonia provinces as well as Aragon and the Balearic Islands. 

• US Consulate General, Barcelona 
  At: Pg Elisenda Montcada 23, 08034 Barcelona
  Tel: 932 802 227
  Website

The American Embassy is in Madrid

• American Embassy
  At: Calle Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid
  Open:  Embassy "walk-in" hours 08:00-13:00
  Tel: 915 872 240 (for help and advice call between 15:00-17:30)
  Emergencies Tel: 915 872 200 (a duty officer is available for out of hours emergencies)
  Website

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. 

The website has much information for Australians living and doing business in Spain under the Consular section heading: Services for Australians. Australians are requested by their government to register when planning to visit or live abroad for an extended period. 

• For information on registration: Click here

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. The Australian Consulate in Barcelona is headed by an Honorary Consul.

• Australian Consulate Barcelona
  At: Plaza Gala Placidia, 1-3, 1st floor, Barcelona 08006
  Tel: 934 909 013
  Fax: 934 110 904
  Website

The Australian Embassy is in Madrid

• Australian Embassy (Embajada de Australia en el Reino de España)
  At: Plaza Descubridor Diego de Ordás, 3, 28003 Madrid
  Tel: 913 536 600
  Open: Monday to Friday 08:30- 16:30
  Website

Australia's Southern Cross Group

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. Its 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 office of the Canadian Embassy in Spain provides information about Spain and assistance to Canadian citizens either visiting or living in Spain, see the section Information for Canadians Abroad. It includes includes guidance on the following:

• 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 and Consular Section are in the same building in Madrid:

• Canadian Embassy
  At: Núñez de Balboa 35, 28001 Madrid, Spain
  Tel: 914 233 250
  Fax: 914 233 251
  Open: July to September, Monday to Thursday 08:30-14:00 and 15:00-17:30. August, Monday to Friday 08:30-14:30 
  e-mail
  Website

Consular Section hours and contact details:

• Canadian Consular Section
  Emergencies: Monday to Thursday 08:30-13:00 and 14:00-17:30; Friday 08:30-14:30
  Calling collect - Tel: (613) 996-8885 / (613) 944-1310 (TTY)
  Fax: (613) 943-1054
  Open: Monday to Friday 09:00-12:30
  email
  Website

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