Passports, consulates and home documents from Spain

Terms used

• AIRE — The AIRE is the register of Italians living abroad, which Italians must join after 12 months abroad.
• STEP — STEP is the US Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which sends alerts and helps in emergencies.
• Padrón — The padrón is the register of residents kept by your town hall.
• NIE — The NIE is the identification number given to foreigners in Spain.
• TIE — The TIE is the foreigner identity card issued to residents in Spain.

Key rules

• Services vary: What your consulate offers depends on your nationality and city, so check your own country's post before booking anything.
• Appointments: German, French and Italian passport renewals need an in-person consulate appointment for biometrics.
• Mail and online: Eligible US citizens can renew by mail and UK citizens can renew online, with the passport sent to Spain.
• Italian registration: Italians living abroad over 12 months must register with the AIRE.
• Spanish registration: Registering with your embassy does not replace the padrón or the NIE/TIE, which everyone needs.

What you can do from Spain

Most passport, registration and civil-registry needs can be handled through consulates in Spain, but services differ by nationality and city. You rarely need to travel home. Check your own country's post first, because each one sets its own rules.

Most countries have an embassy in Madrid. Many also have consulates in cities such as Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Seville, Bilbao, and the Canary and Balearic Islands. Many countries now process routine renewals by mail or in central hubs, not at each consulate. The resource below lists the main posts.

Renewing your passport

How you renew depends on your nationality.

• US: You can renew by mail using Form DS-82 if your last passport is in your hand, was issued when you were 16 or older, and was issued within the last 15 years. You send it to the US processing address. If you don't qualify, apply in person by appointment at the Embassy in Madrid or the Consulate in Barcelona.
• UK: Renew online and the new passport is posted to you in Spain. You need a biometric photo and must pay the fee.
• Germany, France and Italy: Apply in person at your consulate, by appointment, so your biometrics can be taken. The French can use consulates, or honorary consulates for some services.

Renew before you need the passport for travel or paperwork. Appointments can take time to get.

Emergency passports and home documents

UK and US posts issue emergency passports and offer limited notarial services. Civil registry work, such as registering a birth, is usually by appointment. For US citizens, this is the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Other countries have their own process, so ask your consulate which documents it needs and what it offers in your city.

Registering with your own country

Whether you must register depends on your nationality.

• Italy: Registering with the AIRE is mandatory if you live abroad for over 12 months.
• US: Enrolling in STEP is optional but advised. It gives you alerts and help in emergencies.
• France: Registering at the consulate is optional. It gives you access to consular services and voting registration.
• Germany: There is no obligation. Consulates offer a voluntary crisis list called Elefand.
• UK: Registration is not required.

This is separate from registering in Spain. Everyone must also handle the padrón and the NIE or TIE, whatever their nationality.

Other nationalities

If your country is not listed, contact its embassy in Madrid or the nearest consulate. Ask what it offers for passports, registration and civil records, and whether you need an appointment. The checklist below walks you through it.

Timeline and deadlines

• Italians register with the AIRE, the register of Italians abroad: once you live in Spain for over 12 months

• US citizens may enrol in STEP for alerts and emergency help: any time, ideally soon after arriving

Documents you need

• Your current passport, issued at 16 or older and within the last 15 years, for a US renewal by mail with Form DS-82.

• Form DS-82, the US mail renewal form, for US citizens who qualify to renew by mail.

• A biometric passport photo, needed for a UK online renewal, along with the fee.

• An appointment confirmation at your consulate for in-person renewals, such as German, French and Italian passports or US applications that cannot go by mail.

Checklist

• Find your embassy in Madrid or the consulate closest to your city and see which services it offers.

• Check whether your nationality renews passports by mail, online or only in person.

• Book a consulate appointment if you need biometrics taken in person.

• Check the passport expiry date and renew before you need it for travel or paperwork.

• Register with your embassy or consulate if it is mandatory for you, such as Italians over 12 months, or if you want alerts and voting access.

• Ask your consulate about birth registration and notarial services, which are usually by appointment.

Embassy and consulate services in Spain by nationality

Where to find your consulate in Spain

• US embassy and consulate: Go to the embassy in Madrid or the consulate in Barcelona for passport and civil registry matters. Consular agencies in places such as Sevilla, Málaga/Fuengirola and Palma handle more limited services.

• UK embassy and consulates: Use the embassy in Madrid or a consulate in Barcelona, Alicante, Málaga, Palma or Bilbao. The Canary Islands also have a consular presence.

• German embassy and consulates: Contact the embassy in Madrid or a consulate in Barcelona, Málaga, Palma, Alicante, Las Palmas or Tenerife.

• French embassy and consulates general: Contact the embassy in Madrid or a consulate general in Barcelona, Bilbao, Sevilla, Valencia or Zaragoza.

• Your own country's consulate: Book an appointment for birth registration or other civil registry work. Many countries now handle routine passport renewals by mail or in a central hub, so check before you travel.

Consulate networks and services change often, so confirm locations, opening hours and services on your government's official website before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Can I renew a UK passport without visiting a consulate?

Yes, UK nationals renew online and have the new passport posted to their address in Spain. You upload a biometric photo and pay a fee online.

Do German, French and Italian citizens need to go in person to renew a passport?

Yes, Germans, French and Italians apply in person at their consulate, by appointment, so that their biometrics can be taken. French citizens can use an honorary consulate for some services only.

Do I have to register with my embassy or consulate in Spain?

It depends on your nationality: Italians living abroad over 12 months must register with the AIRE, the Italian register of citizens abroad. For US, UK, French and German citizens registering is optional, though US and French registration gives alerts, consular services or voting access. Registering with Spanish authorities (padrón and NIE/TIE) is a separate duty for everyone.