Updated: Link added to the news article on changes to birth and death registration service.
Overview
British consulates in Spain issue a wide range of legal documents for British nationals. An appointment must be made for each service.
If there is no specific formal requirement for a notarial service or certificate to be provided by the British consulate, Spanish notaries or lawyers in Spain can sometimes provide these services more conveniently, quickly and cheaply.
It is essential to check with the relevant authority (town hall/registry office/tax authorities/foreigners office, etc) either in the UK, Spain or a third country, where the consular certificate or service will be accepted. Only the relevant authority can confirm which service you will require. This information cannot be verified by the British consulate.
Fees for consular certificates and documents are paid at the consulate on the day of the appointment and can be paid by credit card, debit card or in cash. Refunds will not be given for certificates or notarial services that are not accepted by the requesting authority.
If you cannot find what you are looking for in the list below please see the our services section at the British Embassy Madrid or see the list of services provided elsewhere.
The services we provide in Spain:
marital status certificate for marriage
certificate of no impediment (CNI)
explanation of the marriage banns
proof of address for marriage
marital status for pareja /union de hecho
recognition of a foreign marriage
recognition of a marriage celebrated in Spain
change of British passport number on renewal
change of name and/or surname under English law
adoption by British nationals resident in Spain
transfer of address/baja consular (for vehicles or personal belongings /household goods)
Fees
Each service has an individual fee which is reflected in the Consular Fee Table.
These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
Payment
By Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, or cash on the day of the appointment.
Services not provided
The British Embassy no longer handles applications for renunciation and naturalisation or registration as a British citizen. All applications are now handled by the UK Border Agency.
The services below may be provided by Spanish notaries or English speaking lawyers in Spain:
witnessing signatures or administering declarations on powers of attorney
witnessing signatures or administering declarations on wills
witnessing signatures or administering declarations on company documents
witnessing signatures or administering declarations on name change deed polls and similar documents
certificates or statements of law in the UK
certified photocopies of British passports, Home Office registration/naturalisation certificates, UK educational documents (including those issued in the UK by a recognised institution and listed in the Legalisation Office website), British driving licences, British divorce decrees, and foreign documents including passports, educational documents and ID documents
certifying your identity for British banks, building societies and other institutions
Book an appointment
You can only book an appointment once you have sent copies of all the documentation needed for the service you require. Before submitting your request and to ensure your application will not be refused, you must refer to the list of current services we provide in Spain as each individual service will require different documentation.
All documents must be scanned and submitted by email to your nearest consulate. You will receive an automated response to your email. Make sure your emailed attachments are no larger than 4MB in total or you will need to send multiple emails to cover all of the documents needed. You will only receive one automated response per day.
Your paperwork will be checked by the notarial services team at the consulate and you will receive a reply within four working days. Make sure your application is complete before submission as we do not keep incomplete applications.
Once your application has been approved you will receive an email with a link to book an appointment at your nearest consulate. You must bring all of your original documents with you to your appointment at the consulate or your appointment will be cancelled on the day.
Under the Perjury Act (1911) it is a criminal offence to knowingly make a false declaration. Offenders face the possibility of a fine and/or a jail sentence. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK government departments and public authorities.
Proof of address and identity
In addition to proof of identity which is usually a British passport, proof of current address is always required for the issue of all consular certificates, informative notes, letters and notarial acts. The Spanish Civil Registry may ask you to provide proof of your current and/or previous address in Spain (or elsewhere) for the last two years. If you are resident in Spain you should have a Spanish Residence Certificate and a Town Hall Registration Certificate which details your current address in Spain.
Spanish Residence Certificate (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión)
A Spanish Residence Certificate is a green-coloured document which includes your full name, date and place of birth, NIE number (Número de Identificación de Extranjero), nationality, and address. It also states the date you became a permanent resident (Residente Comunitario).
Town Hall Registration Certificate (Certificado de Empadronamiento or Padrón)
If you have not been registered at an address with the local Spanish town hall ‘empadronado’ and cannot provide this document, or if you have not been resident in Spain for some or all of the time they require you to prove, (normally the last two years) please look at the services Proof of address for marriage and Transfer of address.
In the absence of either of these documents, you will be expected to provide proof of your current and/or previous address(es), by submitting recent and original copies of one of the following documents or Spanish equivalent listed below:
utility bills (not ones printed off the Internet)
bank/building society/credit card statement (but not ones printed off the internet)
building society/savings bank passbook
electoral role confirmation letter
mortgage statement
council tax demand
credit reference agency search
recent evidence of entitlement to state or local authority-funded benefit, tax credit, pension, educational or other grant
Marriage in the UK
British consulates do not issue marriage documents for British nationals resident in Spain who wish to get married in the UK, please visit www.gov.uk.
The following information is for British nationals resident in Spain who are getting married in Spain.
Certificate of No Impediment
Certificado de No Impedimento
Fee 10 and Fee 11(ii). These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
Only the authority where you are going to present your final paperwork can confirm whether you require the Certificate of No Impediment CNI. This information cannot be verified by the British consulate.
To obtain a CNI you must first publish a Notice of Marriage (publish your banns or “Publicación de Edictos”) for 21 days. If no impediment is shown within those 21 days, a CNI will be issued.
On the appointment request form you are given the option to have the issued CNI sent by registered post to your current address or collected from your nearest British consulate. You can also authorise a person by written confirmation that they may collect the CNI on your behalf.
The CNI may also be required for same-sex marriage.
To obtain a CNI will depend on the individual’s circumstances, for example where you reside and where you are getting married. Please read the four scenarios below before submitting your application:
Scenario One
British national resident in Spain and getting married in Spain
If you are resident in one area of Spain but are getting married in another, you need to make your application at the British consulate closest to where you reside. Before you apply you must have been resident in the area of the consulate for at least 21 days. If no Impediment is shown from your Notice of Marriage (NOM), your CNI will be issued by the British consulate in the area where you are to marry.
Scenario Two
British national resident in Spain but getting married in a 3rd country, not the UK or Spain
If you are resident in Spain but getting married in another country (not the UK) you may also need to publish a NOM at the British consulate nearest to where you reside in Spain. If no impediment is shown the CNI will be issued by the British consulate in the country of where you intend to marry.
See the information on getting married abroad to confirm what documents are required in the country where you hope to get married.
Scenario Three
British national not resident in Spain or the UK but getting married in Spain
If you are not resident in Spain or the UK but you intend to get married in Spain, your future spouse (who will usually be resident in Spain or a Spanish national) must ask the Spanish civil registry which documents you need.
If you are asked by the Spanish civil registry to provide a CNI, please visit the notarial information for the British embassy or high commission in your country of residence for information on giving a Notice of Marriage (NOM) where you reside (for a marriage in Spain).
You will usually be expected to publish your NOM at your nearest British consulate in your country of residence. If no impediment is shown, the CNI will be issued in Spanish by the British consulate in Spain located in the same area as the civil registry. The British Consulate in your country of residence will forward all the paperwork to the British consulate where your CNI will be issued.
Scenario Four
British national resident in the UK but getting married in Spain
If you are resident in the UK but you intend to get married in Spain, your future spouse (who will usually be resident in Spain or a Spanish national) must make enquiries with the nearest Spanish civil registry as to which documents you will be required to provide. If you are asked by the Spanish civil registry to provide a CNI you will be required to publish your Notice of Marriage in the UK.
If no impediment is shown, you will be required to exchange your original Notice of Marriage issued in the UK for a CNI issued in Spanish by the British consulate in the same area where the civil registry is located.
British consulates do not issue marriage documents for British nationals resident in Spain who wish to get married in the UK, please see the information on getting married in the UK.
Application for a NOM and CNI
Documents required
a fully completed
appointment request form - CNI
[MS Word Document, 52.5KB]
your original valid British passport
your future spouse’s original valid passport or national identity document
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (Town Hall registration certificate) issued at least 21 natural days previously (or if not, the Spanish Police Residence Certificate (green document which bears your NIE number and your address). Please note the Civil Registry will usually ask you for the Certificado de Empadronamiento issued in the last three months
if you have been married before and are now divorced, your original decree absolute (sentencia firme)
if you have previously registered a civil partnership, your certificate of dissolution/annulment of your previous civil partnership or same-sex marriage
if you are widowed or the surviving partner of a civil partnership, the original death certificate of your late spouse or civil partner
if your future spouse has been married before and is now divorced, his/her original decree absolute (sentencia firme). In Spanish a decree nisi is called a ‘sentencia provisional’ and a decree absolute is called a ‘sentencia firme’
if your future spouse has previously registered a Civil Partnership, his/her Certificate of dissolution/annulment of the previous civil partnership or same-sex marriage
if your future spouse is widowed or the surviving partner of a Civil Partnership, the original death certificate of her/his late spouse or civil partner
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not written in English or Spanish will have to be translated. Spanish authorities may ask you to provide a Spanish translation of any document not in Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Marital status certificate for marriage
Certificado de Estado civil para casarse
Fee 4 and Fee 2(ii). These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
You may need this certificate (known in Spain as Certificado de Estado Civil) to get married in Spain. Please note that the documents required and the process is exactly the same for same-sex marriage and heterosexual marriage.
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - marital status for marriage
[MS Word Document, 51KB]
your original valid British passport
your fiancé(e)’s or future spouse’s original passport or national identity document
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (town hall registration certificate) or original, valid Spanish Police Registration Certificate (green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
your birth certificate which shows your parents’ details which we need to include in our consular certificate (long form birth certificate)
an unsigned declaration in either English or Spanish drawn up by a Spanish abogado or a solicitor. The unsigned declaration will confirm your current marital status and will be affirmed /sworn and signed by you at the consulate on the day of your appointment. The text of the declaration should be printed out on the lawyer’s headed notepaper or be accompanied by a letter from the lawyer. Instructions on the content required in the declaration are provided in English or Spanish
if you have been married before, your original Decree Absolute (Sentencia firme)
if you have previously registered a Civil Partnership, your Certificate of dissolution or annulment of your previous Civil Partnership or same-sex marriage
if you are widowed or the surviving partner of a Civil Partnership, the original death certificate of your late spouse or partner.
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not written in English or Spanish will have to be translated. Spanish authorities may ask you to provide a Spanish translation of any document not in Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Explanation of the Marriage Banns
Nota Informativa: Explicación de la publicación de los edictos
Fee 2(ii).
These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
This is an informative note which explains the Notice of Marriage (NOM) process. You may need to submit this Informative Note to the Spanish Civil Registry along with your certificate of marital status and/or your Certificate of No Impediment (CNI). The Spanish civil registry may also request this if you have published your banns (NOM) in the UK or elsewhere out of Spain.
The documents required for this service and the process is exactly the same for same-sex marriage and heterosexual marriage.
There are two versions of the Informative Note:
for those who have published their banns (NOM) at a British consulate in Spain or in at a British consulate in another country
for those who have published their banns (NOM)
You may like to print out the
Informative note: Explanation of marriage banns in Spanish
[PDF, 242KB, 4 pages]
and ask the Civil Registry whether the website copy is acceptable. Otherwise please apply and provide the documents required below:
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - informative note explanation marriage banns
[MS Word Document, 53.5KB]
your original valid British passport
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (town hall registration certificate) or your original, valid Spanish Police Residence Certificate (the green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
If not resident, proof of current address
future spouse/partner’s original foreign passport/ID.
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not written in English or Spanish will have to be translated. Spanish authorities may ask you to provide a Spanish translation of any document not in Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Proof of address for Marriage
Confirmación de domicilio para casarse en España
Fee 4 and Fee 2(ii). These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
You may need to submit this letter to the Spanish civil registry, if you are required to prove where you have been residing during the last two years.
You will need this letter:
if you are getting married and have not been registered two full years at the local Spanish town hall (on the padrón) prior to making your application to get married
if you are not resident in Spain but are getting married to someone who is resident in Spain or a Spanish national.
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - proof of address for marriage
[MS Word Document, 47KB]
original valid British passport
if resident, your original Certificado de Empadronamiento (Spanish town hall registration certificate) or your original Spanish Police Registration Certificate (green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
proof of address(es) covering the last two years in the UK or a third country, (or both) counting back from the date you intend to make your application to the Spanish Civil Registry
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not written in English or Spanish will have to be translated. Spanish authorities may ask you to provide a Spanish translation of any document not in Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Marital status certificate for pareja de hecho /other
Certificado de Estado civil para pareja/unión de hecho
Please note at present this certificate is not being accepted in the Andalucía region.
Fee 4 and Fee 2(ii). These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
This certificate is also known as a Certificado de estado civil but is used to register a Pareja/Unión de Hecho (cohabitation registration) and sometimes to claim Spanish benefits.
If your partner is a non-EU national, he/she may need to submit a second copy of your marital status certificate to the Spanish Foreigners Office in order to obtain a Spanish residence card. It is recommended that you seek advice from the Foreigners Office (Extranjería) before making your application at the consulate, so if necessary, you can be issued with two copies of the consular certificate on the day of your appointment.
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - marital status pareja de hecho
[MS Word Document, 51KB]
your original valid British passport
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (town hall registration certificate) or original, valid Spanish Residence Certificate (the green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
your birth certificate which shows your parents’ details which must be included in the consular certificate (long form birth certificate)
an unsigned declaration in either English or Spanish drawn up by a Spanish abogado or a solicitor. The unsigned declaration will confirm your current marital status and will be affirmed /sworn and signed by you at the consulate on the day of your appointment. The text of the declaration should be printed out on the lawyer’s headed notepaper or be accompanied by a letter from the lawyer. Instructions on the content required in the declaration are provided in English and Spanish
if you have been married before, your original decree absolute (Sentencia firme)
if you have previously registered a civil partnership, your certificate of dissolution/annulment of your previous civil partnership or same-sex marriage
if you are widowed or the surviving partner of a civil partnership, the original death certificate of your late spouse or partner
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not provided in English or Spanish will have to be translated into Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Recognition of a foreign marriage
For marriages celebrated outside of Spain or the UK
Fee 2(ii), Fee 4 x 2 and Fee 7. These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
If your marriage took place in a country other than Spain or the United Kingdom and your spouse is a non EU national, you may need to apply for this certificate and submit it to The Spanish Foreigners’ Office (Extranjería) in order to obtain a Spanish Residence Certificate.
It is not possible to register foreign marriages in the United Kingdom or in British consulates/Embassies abroad. Therefore, the Spanish authorities require your foreign marriage to be recognised with the British authorities as part of your spouse’s application for Spanish residency. As a result British consulates issue this certificate, which covers this requirement.
The Spanish Foreigners’ Office (Extranjería) will usually require your marriage certificate to have been both issued and legalised in the last three months. You need to check with your local Spanish Foreigners Office as to whether a certificate older than three months, but legalised in the last three months, would be acceptable. You must do this before applying for your consular certificate. To obtain the certificate both you and your spouse will have to attend the appointment at the consulate and make separate declarations.
Documents required:
a fully completed appointment request form - recognition of foreign marriage
your original valid British passport
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (town hall registration certificate) or your original, valid Spanish Police Residence Certificate (green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
your spouse’s original valid passport
your original marriage certificate issued and legalised in the last three months (see Legalisation, Hague/Non Hague Convention countries below)
official translation into Spanish of your marriage certificate (see information below)
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not provided in English or Spanish will have to be translated into Spanish.
Legalisation
For information on how to legalise your marriage certificate, you should contact the consulate/embassy in Spain of the country where the marriage took place.
Hague Convention countries
The Hague Convention refers to an agreement between certain countries who have decided to recognise each other’s documents. If the country where you married is part of the Hague Convention, the Legalisation office in that country will place a stamp or vignette called “The Hague Apostille” (Apostilla de la Haya) on the back of the document.
Non Hague Convention countries
If the country where you married has not signed the Hague Convention, there are three steps you will need to take to legalise your marriage certificate. The marriage certificate will have to be signed by various authorities in both the country of marriage and in Spain.
contact the authority where your marriage was registered and obtain the relevant stamp or signature that will validate your marriage certificate
take your marriage certificate to the Spanish Embassy in the same country so they can recognise the stamp/signature of the issuing authority
submit your marriage certificate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legalisation department Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperacion, (departamento de legalizaciones) in order to recognise the stamp/signature of the Spanish Embassy from the country of marriage
Translations
We understand the following types of translations in Spanish are usually accepted by Spanish Foreigners’ Office (Extranjería):
by sworn translator - see the list of Interpretes Jurados
by the consulate or embassy in Spain of the country where the marriage took place
by a translator in the country where the marriage took place, as long as the translation has been certified by the consulate/embassy in Spain of that same country
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Recognition of a marriage celebrated in Spain
Carta consular acerca del reconocimiento de un matrimonio celebrado en España
Fee 2(ii). These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
If your marriage took place in Spain and your spouse is a non-EU national you may be required to submit this letter to the Spanish Foreigners’ Office (Extranjería) in order to obtain or renew a Spanish residence card.
It is not possible to register foreign marriages in the United Kingdom or in British consulates abroad therefore in some cases this letter is necessary to cover this requirement.
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - recognition of marriage in Spain
[MS Word Document, 49.5KB]
your original valid British passport
your Spanish Police Residence Certificate (green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
your Certificado de empadronamiento (town hall registration certificate) if the address in your original, valid Spanish Police Residence Certificate is not up to date
your spouse’s original valid passport
your original Spanish marriage certificate
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not provided in English or Spanish will have to be translated into Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Change of name and/or surname
Nota informativa sobre cambio de nombre y/o apellido según la ley británica
Fee 2(ii). These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
This informative note is required for a variety of notary and bureaucratic procedures in Spain. These include the sale of a property when the property was bought and registered in a previous surname, or for remarriage when a divorcee has taken on her first husband’s surname and has not reverted back to her maiden name which appears on her birth certificate.
It is not possible to change your name and/or surname by deed poll or declaration in Spain, and a married woman will usually retain their own surname. If you submit a legalised and translated version of your British name change document, or other documentary evidence to prove the change, the Spanish authorities may require confirmation from the consulate that this is a legal process in the UK.
You may like to print out the free version of the informative note and ask the Spanish authorities whether the website copy is acceptable:
Informative note: Explanation of change of name in English
[PDF, 309KB, 3 pages]
Informative note: Explanation of change of name in Spanish
[PDF, 261KB, 3 pages]
Otherwise please apply and provide the documents required below.
Documents required:
a completed
appointment request form - informative note change of name
[MS Word Document, 53.5KB]
your current original valid British passport
sufficient documentary evidence of circumstances regarding the name and/or surname change, for example, birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, divorce certificates, previous passports issued in previous names, deed poll, declaration, etc
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (Spanish Town Hall registration certificate) or your original, valid Spanish Residence Certificate (green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not provided in English or Spanish will have to be translated into Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Change of British passport number
Certificado consular con confirmación de cambio de numero de pasaporte británico al renovarse
Fee 2(ii)
These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
The number of your current British passport will usually be recorded in any official paperwork presented here in Spain. Unlike a Spanish Identity Card, on renewal, your British passport number changes. Spanish public administrative offices and sometimes Spanish banks and notaries require confirmation that you do not retain the same passport number on renewal, and that the passport number corresponds to the document and is not your personal national identity number. Therefore the British Consulate can issue you with a Consulate Certificate which confirms your previous passport number.
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - change of passport number
[MS Word Document, 47KB]
your current original valid British passport
your previous original British passport or photocopy
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (Spanish town hall registration certificate) or your original, valid Spanish Residence Certificate (the green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
a photocopy of the page in which your name and previous passport number(s) appear (property deeds, financial documents etc)
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not provided in English or Spanish will have to be translated into Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Adoption by British nationals resident in Spain
Certificados consulares sobre la adopción para nacionales británicos residentes en España
Fee 2(ii)
These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
British nationals resident in Spain, who wish to adopt a child from another country, may be required to obtain a certificate from the UK authorities recognising the adoption in the UK and confirming whether the adopted child will be granted British nationality.
There are two versions of this letter depending on whether the adoption is being processed:
under Spanish law (Spain as a “designated country”)
under the law of the country where the child is being adopted and whether that country is a “designated country”
Before applying for one of the two certificates, it is important that you visit these websites:
information on adoption and “designated countries”
information on applications for British nationality for adopted children
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - adoption
[MS Word Document, 50KB]
your original valid British passport
your original, valid Spanish Police Residence Certificate (green document which bears your NIE number and your address) or your Certificado de empadronamiento (town hall registration certificate)
an original declaration, sworn before a Spanish notary or a lawyer empowered to administer oaths, that you have sought independent legal advice on your status under UK law and which confirms that you are no longer habitually resident in the UK. The declaration needs to include the following text:
“I confirm that I have received independent legal advice and, with reference to all the circumstances of my particular case and in the light of existing United Kingdom law, I can confirm that I am no longer habitually resident in the British Isles/United Kingdom.”
Please refer to the list of English-speaking lawyers in your consular area for advice.
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not provided in English or Spanish will have to be translated into Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Transfer of address
For importation of vehicles /change of registration plates/household goods (Baja/Alta Consular)
Fee 4 & Fee 2(ii). These fees are charged per person so if you and your partner are both British, you will have to make two separate applications.
This is a consular letter you may need to submit to Spanish Customs or other Spanish authorities if you wish to bring in a vehicle, household goods or change your vehicle registration plates once you have become resident in Spain.
The British consulate is not able to provide advice on tax issues related to the importation of vehicles or goods. You should consult either the Spanish tax authorities directly or seek legal advice. Please see our list of English-speaking lawyers
Documents required:
a fully completed
appointment request form - proof of address for goods/vehicle
[MS Word Document, 58.5KB]
your original valid British passport
your Certificado de Empadronamiento (Spanish town hall registration certificate)
your original Spanish Residence Certificate (the green document which bears your NIE number and your address)
all pages containing information of your original V5C Vehicle registration certificate or foreign equivalent or your original certificate of permanent export
proof of address in the UK (or the country where you were living before taking up residence in Spain) dated at least 12 months prior to the date shown on your Spanish Police Registration NIE certificate confirming when you became a resident of Spain
if you have lived at more than one address in the 12 months before you were issued a Spanish Police Registration NIE Certificate as a resident of Spain, you must also provide proof of each and every additional address where you lived during the 12 month period. See our separate list of documents which are acceptable forms of proof of address
If any of your documents are not issued in the UK or Spain, consular staff may need to make further enquiries. Documents that are not provided in English or Spanish will have to be translated into Spanish.
How to apply
Follow the instructions on how to book an appointment for a notarial act or certificate.
Birth registration
The “Register a birth abroad” page is currently being amended.
The information should read as follows:
“Declarations of Paternity - In some cases when the parents are not married you may be required to carry out declarations of paternity. Follow the instructions on the birth registration page on how to make an application but please note we do not provide an appointment system. You should therefore send your application by registered post to the British Consulate General, Torre Espacio, Paseo de la Castellana 259D, 28046 Madrid. If you are required to make paternity declarations we will contact you and provide you with necessary information and instructions.”
Changes to birth and death registration service
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is carrying out a 12-week consultation to amend part of the British Nationality Act (BNA) 1981. We are seeking your views.
Confirmation that a British birth certificate is not available
Certificado consular que confirma al obtener la nacionalidad británica por naturalización o registro, no se obtiene una partida de nacimiento británico
Please note that from 1st July 2013, we will no longer be issuing this certificate. The relevant Spanish authorities have been informed.
Registration at the consulate
Please note that from 14 May 2013, it will no longer be possible to register with the British Consulate. The relevant Spanish authorities have been informed.
Services provided by other authorities
legalising UK documents/certificates: Legalisation Office
sworn translations: MAEC
provide copies of British birth, death & marriage certificates: General Register Office
information on marriage in the UK
information on Marriage in Gibraltar
yachting and sailing certificates: RYA
certify your fingerprints: Metropolitan Police UK
pension certificates: DWP
taxation & UK National Insurance contributions certificates: HMRC
renew British driving licences or provide certificates regarding British driving licences: DVLA
issue non residence certificates: Extranjería
provide good conduct certificates (except for Hong Kong), CRB or AntecedentesPenales
certificates confirming British nationality: UK Border Agency
certificates proving you are not British
The British Embassy no longer handles applications for renunciation and naturalisation or registration as a British citizen. All applications are now handled by the UK Border Agency.
Where to send your request
Please find below details of where you should send your supporting documents and application forms for notarial and documentary services. An appointment can only be made once you have sent copies of all the supporting documents needed for that service or document. When your papers are received they will be checked by the team at the consulate. If you have not sent everything needed, you will be contacted to tell you what is missing. Remember, incomplete applications are not kept at the consulate, so if anything is missing you will need to resend everything.
If you have sent all of the papers required, the consulate team will contact you to book an appointment. You must bring all of your original documents with you to your appointment at the consulate or you will not be served.
British Consulate Alicante
email: notarialservicesalicante@fco.gov.uk
fax: 91 7146403
British Consulate-General Barcelona
email: notarialservicesbarcelona@fco.gov.uk
fax: 91 7146403
British Consulate Bilbao
email: notarialservicesbilbao@fco.gov.uk
fax: 94 4167632
British Consulate Palma de Mallorca and British Consulate Ibiza
email: notarialservicesbalearics@fco.gov.uk
fax: 91 7146403
British Consulate Las Palmas, British Consulate Tenerife
email: notarialservicescanaries@fco.gov.uk
fax: 91 7146403
British Consulate-General Madrid
email: notarialservicesmadrid@fco.gov.uk
fax: 91 7146403
British Consulate Málaga
email: notarialservicesmalaga@fco.gov.uk
fax: 91 714 6403
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK government departments and public authorities.