Spanish Passport Application from UK

The Standard Passport (Passaporte Ordinario)

The Standard passport is the most common passport and is traditionally used for the purposes of travel. It is available to all Spanish citizens and allows you to travel visa-free or visa-on-arrival in most countries around the world. The standard biometric Spanish passport has 32 blank pages available.

The standard passport has biometric features which includes a chip that stores all of your personal information, such as your photograph, fingerprint, digital signature, as well as emergency contact details. This reduces the risk of passport fraud if your passport were to be lost or stolen.

The passport is available to minors and adults. It is valid for 5 years for any applicant under the age of 30, or for 10 years for those aged 30 and above.

Collective Passport (Passaporte Colectivo)

The collective passport is a Spanish passport available specifically for group travel purposes, and as a result has specific requirements and limitations.

Generally, the collective passport is used for large organised trips, such as school excursions, sporting events, or pilgrimages. The benefit of a Collective passport is that the group can travel together on a single document, rather than each person needing their own passport, allowing for a more efficient process during the immigration border control checks and to reduce the chances of any lost or stolen passports to disrupt the wider group.

The collective passport is usually only valid for 3-6 months and is most often used for groups with a large number of minors under 21 years of age.

To apply, there must be a designated group leader (usually an adult above 30 years old) who completes the passport application process and a written agreement with a reciprocal entity in the destination country (such as a school, sports institutions, religious institutions, etc.).

Diplomatic Passport (Pasaporte Diplomático)

The diplomatic passport is available to specific individuals who represent Spain in political capacities. Examples of those who are entitled to a diplomatic passport include:

• Government officials and government ministers
• Diplomats
• High-ranking public servants, such as attorney generals, admirals, former political leaders, governors
• High ranking religious figures.

The passport is intended for the specific use of political representation abroad and is used by officials when travelling on behalf of Spain. In some cases, family members are allowed to accompany the individual on their trip as part of the passport allowance.

Diplomatic passport holders often do not need to queue for customs inspections, and can often benefit by not having to pay tax on goods purchased whilst on official duty.

Official and Service Passports (Pasaportes Oficiales Y De Servicio)

Official and Service Passports are issued by the Spanish government to its employees or representatives who are travelling on state business or to represent state affairs. This passport is available to those officials who do not qualify for the diplomatic passport due to there being a different ranking system.

Examples of individuals who might be eligible for an Official and Service passport include:

• Government workers
• Military personnel
• Civil servants

Holders of the official or service passport will be facilitated by their passport during their travels whilst representing the Spanish government, for example they may be expedited from immigration procedures at border controls.

Overview

Before you apply for a Spanish passport, you need to ensure that:

• You meet the eligibility criteria (i.e. you are a registered Spanish citizen and do not have restrictions placed on you which would include not being legally allowed to obtain a passport)
• If you recently acquired Spanish nationality, you have received your Spanish Citizenship certificate.

Becoming A Spanish Citizen

If you are a foreign citizen who wishes to obtain a Spanish passport, but you first need to acquire Spanish nationality, then you will need to go through the citizenship application process first. Please note this can take 1-3 years, or even longer, depending on your circumstances.

Typically, an individual will be eligible for Spanish citizenship through the following routes:

• Spanish Citizenship by Option
• Spanish Citizenship by Descent
• Spanish Citizenship by Residency
• Spanish Citizenship by Marriage

Acquiring Spanish nationality is not as straightforward as applying for a visa; you will need to prove that you can integrate into Spanish society, and will need to take a Spanish language test, amongst other requirements.

To learn more about how to obtain Spanish citizenship, contact one of our advisors today by calling us on +44 (0) 333 305 9375, or by getting in touch online.

Overview

In order to submit a Spanish passport application, you must first ensure you know which one you are applying for, and then you must book an appointment at your nearest passport office. You can book the appointment online or in person.

Next, you will need to gather the documents listed below:

• A valid ID: for first time Spanish passport applications, the National Identity Document (DNI, Spanish ID card) is the official ID that should be used to confirm your identity, personal details, and Spanish nationality. it is issued by the General Directorate of the Police (Ministry of the Interior)
• Your former passport from your country of origin, or previous Spanish passport or expired passport. If it has been lost or stolen, you must submit a police report instead to prove this
• A recent, high-resolution, 36x22mm passport photo, clearly showing your face and meeting the passport photo requirements
• Payment of €30 in either cash or card. In some instances with larger families, you may be eligible for free passports.

Can I Apply for a Spanish Passport from the UK?

Yes. If you are a Spanish citizen living in the UK or are currently visiting, you can submit a Spanish passport application at your nearest Spanish consulate.

Please note that if you have been living abroad for a while and your Spanish passport or ID card has expired for longer than three years, then you will need to provide your birth certificate as your official ID document, which may be difficult to obtain if you do not have it with you in the UK or abroad.

To apply for a Spanish passport from abroad, you will need to book an appointment with your local Spanish consulate. The documents you will be required to submit that may differ from those outlined above include:

• Valid ID that has not been expired for longer than 3 years, such as:
  • Your current or expired Spanish passport
  • National Identity Document (DNI)
  • Birth certificate
• Proof of residency in the UK to show your region is covered by the Spanish embassy or consulate that you have booked an appointment with.

Below is a list of Spanish consulates and embassies in the UK:

BLS Spain Visa Application Centre London

Ground Floor,

20 St Andrew’s Street

London

EC4A 3AG

BLS Spain Visa Application Centre Manchester

55 Brown Street

Manchester

M2 1YB

Spain Visa Application Centre Edinburgh

1a

6 Dock Pl

Leith

Edinburgh

EH6 6LU