Consular Guides to Living in Spain

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Consular Guides to Living in Spain

Consular offices are specifically designated to dealing with matters affecting their nationals living in or visiting the country. 

• For contact information on Consulates and Embassies from Asia, Mainland Europe, the North American countries, anglophone countries of the Southern Hemisphere, the United Kingdom and Ireland see The AngloFILE Consulates & Embassies

Citizens of the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia living in Spain are particularly well catered to by the Consular sections of their Embassies and other organisations. If you are from one of those four, you will find a wealth of up-to-date and officially published information from the links below.

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. 

Included in the services offered are:

• Issue 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 American Consular office for Madrid is housed at the Embassy:

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

• For contact information on US Consular offices throughout Spain, see this page of the US Embassy website

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 Consulate General with jurisdiction over the Madrid area is at:

• British Consulate General 
  At: Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid
  Tel: 917 146 400
  Fax: 917 146 401
  Open: Monday to Friday 08:30-13:30 for passport and consular services. Visas by appointment only.
  Duty office emergency Tel: 917 146 400 

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

• For contact information on US Consular offices throughout Spain: Click here

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. 

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.

• For further consular information: Click here

The Consular office is based at the Embassy 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 to 16:30
  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 Web site 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 offers 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

For further details see this page of the Canadian Embassy in Spain website.

The Canadian Embassy and Consular office are located in Madrid, at:

• Canadian Embassy
  At: Núñez de Balboa 35, 28001 Madrid, Spain
  Tel: 914 233 250
  Fax: 914 233 251
  Open: Monday to Friday from 09:00-12:30
  For after hours emergencies contact the Ottawa office. Tel: 810 800 201 41012
  e-mail
  Website