Finding your consulate and its out-of-hours number

Key rules

• Danger: In any emergency involving danger in Spain, call 112 first, then your consulate.
• Competent office: Your country's own site lists which office covers your province; an embassy-only country covers all of Spain from Madrid.
• Out-of-hours line: Use the emergency number for urgent cases such as arrest, serious illness, death or crime, not routine matters.
• Honorary consul: An honorary consul can help in an emergency but cannot issue passports or visas.

Do this now, while nothing is wrong

Find your consulate and save its emergency number in your phone today. In a crisis you will not want to search for it. If anyone is in danger, call 112 first, then your consulate.

Step 1: Check the official list

Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps a directory of foreign embassies and consulates in Spain, on its website the official website. It gives addresses and contact details. Embassies are in Madrid. Consulates, including honorary consulates, are elsewhere.

Use the list to see which offices your country has. Then go to your country's own embassy or consulate website for the current details, because contact details change.

Step 2: Find the office that covers your province

Each office covers set provinces. Countries with several consulates in Spain split the territory between them. The UK, the US and Germany, for example, give provinces to offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante and elsewhere.

On your country's site, search for "consular district" or "jurisdiction". The page lists the provinces each office covers. If you cannot find it, call the embassy in Madrid and ask. Districts are redrawn occasionally, so use the current page.

If your country has only an embassy in Spain, the embassy in Madrid covers the whole country.

Step 3: Get the out-of-hours number

Most embassies and consulates publish an emergency number for citizens. Duty staff answer it outside office hours, or the call goes to the foreign ministry's 24-hour crisis centre. Look for it on the embassy website or in the embassy's voicemail message.

Use it for urgent cases such as arrest, serious illness, a death or a serious crime. Do not use it for routine matters like renewing a passport. For those, use the office's normal hours.

Step 4: Save it

Save in your phone:

• the emergency number
• the normal number and address of your competent office
• the number of the embassy in Madrid

Keep a copy on paper or with a family member too.

If your area has an honorary consul

An honorary consul is usually a local citizen or resident who acts part-time and unpaid. They can often give local information, help in an emergency (for example by contacting your family or the main consulate), and visit detainees. Some can certify documents or help with lost-passport paperwork.

They generally cannot issue passports or visas, do full consular or notary work, give legal advice, or pay your bills. Powers differ by country, so check what yours can do. Serious cases are passed to the main consulate or embassy.

When you call, have your details ready. The checklist below shows what to prepare.

What to have ready when you call your consulate

• Get your passport details ready: full name, date of birth, passport number, or a copy of the lost passport, national ID or birth certificate.

• Write down exactly where you are now, with the street, town and the name of any hospital or police station.

• Prepare a two-sentence summary of what happened and what help you need.

• Note the consulate's emergency number from its website or voicemail message, and a phone number where they can call you back.

• Keep any police report (denuncia) or hospital reference number to hand, and say whether you need an emergency travel document.

• Gather passport photos and proof of your travel plans, such as a flight ticket, in case you need an emergency travel document.

Frequently asked questions

What if my country has only an embassy in Spain?

If your country has only an embassy, it covers all of Spain from Madrid. Countries with several consulates split the provinces between them, so look for a page on the consular district or jurisdiction. You can also call the embassy in Madrid and ask which office covers your province.

Can an honorary consul replace my consulate?

No, an honorary consul is a part-time local representative and cannot replace a full consulate.

When should I use the consulate's out-of-hours emergency line?

Use the out-of-hours line for urgent cases such as arrest, serious illness, death or crime. It is not for routine matters, which can wait for office hours.

Where can I find a full list of foreign consulates in Spain?

The Spanish foreign ministry keeps an official directory of embassies and consulates in Spain, including honorary consulates, on its website. It lists addresses and contact details. Confirm the details on the mission's own website before you rely on them.

References

1. exteriores.gob.es