# Renewing British Passport from Spain



## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

How long does it take before applying and getting a new passport in Spain.
I believe now it has to be sent away to Uk, where could I get the renewal form?
I have seen in passing that some post rooms are offering passport services, are they safe to use, and has anybody perhaps used a courier service in Javea they could recommend.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

fergie said:


> How long does it take before applying and getting a new passport in Spain.
> I believe now it has to be sent away to Uk, where could I get the renewal form?
> I have seen in passing that some post rooms are offering passport services, are they safe to use, and has anybody perhaps used a courier service in Javea they could recommend.


We got ours in a couple of weeks. You can download the form from the ukinspain website
I dont know about anyone offering a check service in Spain I'm afraid, maybe others do.

I sent mine via the postal service, signed for. It came back by courier arranged by the UK embassy in Madrid


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

fergie said:


> How long does it take before applying and getting a new passport in Spain.
> I believe now it has to be sent away to Uk, where could I get the renewal form?
> I have seen in passing that some post rooms are offering passport services, are they safe to use, and has anybody perhaps used a courier service in Javea they could recommend.


yes, we used the courier service at Total Postal by the Arenal (Avda. del Arenal I think :confused2: - near the Indian restaurant & Conchita López optician) - very good & passports returned within 2 weeks

you can have them returned to there too, if you don't trust your deliveries to home

you can get your photos done a few doors down - make sure he knows they are for a UK passport - he knows the requirements & speaks English if you need him to

it was funny when I went to get mine done - I'd only ever spoken to him in Spanish (for some reason you are forever getting photos of the kids done for school - they want new ones every year - though the last couple a photographer has gone into school to do them) - & he thought I wanted photos for _German_ passport!!


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

It has always amazed me that the British government has brought this procedure in as I have also believed that if you are in a foreign country you must always carry your passport. British passport holders in Egypt who need a new passport have to renew it through Paris..because of the troubles here just now we can take a photo copy of our passport and send that to Paris ensuring we always have our passport at hand.

Maiden


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> It has always amazed me that the British government has brought this procedure in as I have also believed that if you are in a foreign country you must always carry your passport. British passport holders in Egypt who need a new passport have to renew it through Paris..because of the troubles here just now we can take a photo copy of our passport and send that to Paris ensuring we always have our passport at hand.
> 
> Maiden


The Spamish law allows either passport, original country residency card or Spanish driving licence to be used as legal identification. I don't know of anyone who carries their passport, I don't & never would even if there was no other means allowed. It's too inconvenient & hassle to replace if lost or stolen & if the corners start to turn up & the encapsulation lifts even slightly it will be retained by the border agency, if spotted ,when entering the UK.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> The Spamish law allows either passport, original country residency card or Spanish driving licence to be used as legal identification. I don't know of anyone who carries their passport, I don't & never would even if there was no other means allowed. It's too inconvenient & hassle to replace if lost or stolen & if the corners start to turn up & the encapsulation lifts even slightly it will be retained by the border agency, if spotted ,when entering the UK.




My daughter always carries her. I have been asked for my passport for i.d in Carrefour and Aldi. I don't have a Spanish driving licence.. and what is an original country residence card?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

gus-lopez said:


> The Spamish law allows either passport, original country residency card or Spanish driving licence to be used as legal identification. I don't know of anyone who carries their passport, I don't & never would even if there was no other means allowed. It's too inconvenient & hassle to replace if lost or stolen & if the corners start to turn up & the encapsulation lifts even slightly it will be retained by the border agency, if spotted ,when entering the UK.


I don't carry mine - unless I know I will need it for something official

the only time I did carry it for any length of time it was nicked!


as I don't drive it is my _only_ ID - so I don't want to be losing it again!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> My daughter always carries her. I have been asked for my passport for i.d in Carrefour and Aldi. I don't have a Spanish driving licence.. *and what is an original country residence card*?


one of those things we can't get cos we're British 


















as I dare say you know


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2012)

You can renew your passport 6 months early if it is convenient to do so and still keep the original dates for the passport, which would give you another 10 years and 6 months.

We used a local shop who are acting as an agent. The whole process was so easy and we had our new passports after 2 weeks. British residents living in Spain have to apply to Madrid, Portuguese expats have to apply through Madrid as well.

When you apply, you have to send your old passport you are renewing with your application.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

The main challenge is getting the photo right. The download form also has photo instructions, which I took in to a photography shop in Oliva, and they still got the photos wrong. I had to go to a professional photographer in Gandia to get it right after the first set were rejected by Madrid


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> The Spamish law allows either passport, original country residency card or Spanish driving licence to be used as legal identification. I don't know of anyone who carries their passport, I don't & never would even if there was no other means allowed. It's too inconvenient & hassle to replace if lost or stolen & if the corners start to turn up & the encapsulation lifts even slightly it will be retained by the border agency, if spotted ,when entering the UK.



If this truly is the case, when will somebody tell the police, tell the town hall officials etc. etc.

I recently tried to get some insurance for a new vehicle and they would NOT accept my Spanish driving licence as proof of ID. ALL officials continue to ask for passports!!!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> If this truly is the case, when will somebody tell the police, tell the town hall officials etc. etc.
> 
> I recently tried to get some insurance for a new vehicle and they would NOT accept my Spanish driving licence as proof of ID. ALL officials continue to ask for passports!!!


I've never been asked for my passport for anything, except when checking into hotels. 

There are lots of systems where people need to put an ID number into a database. They need either a passport number or an NIE, and the NIE is on my driving licence.


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## Guest (Jan 7, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> I've never been asked for my passport for anything, except when checking into hotels.
> 
> There are lots of systems where people need to put an ID number into a database. They need either a passport number or an NIE, and the NIE is on my driving licence.


I have just taken out an insurance policy, they only wanted my NIE number.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Quite simply Spain is a country of contradictions, it depends on where you are and what you want that will determine what you will be asked to produce for ID


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

I have been asked for my ID a couple of times by new cashiers in Iceland,the regular ones know me now, I had my photo page of my passport "shrunk" to a credit card size laminated copy which I keep in my purse, this is acceptable as ID in Iceland now. I had this done at one of the Post room shops.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> My daughter always carries her. I have been asked for my passport for i.d in Carrefour and Aldi. I don't have a Spanish driving licence.. and what is an original country residence card?


Xabiachica has answered this one. All other countries bar the UK have their own national identity cards & they are acceptable. The spanish d/L has everything that the old tarjeta de residencia had except the fingerprint , & there was no means of checking that outside of a police station anyway ! 

I use mine all the time to back up C/cards, deliveries, at the correos , etc. Never had anyone query it. Last time I was asked for my passport I was drawing cash against a credit card & that was in Teignmouth in Devon???? 

My brother , who lived & worked in Germany for over 40 years , when stopped by the police & asked for his papers always replied ," I was born in a democracy , we have no need to carry any " :rofl: It never went any farther than that. Mind you his wife wouldn't let him do anything official , even just picking up number plates for the cars , as she new it would always end up in a dispute. 

Tejeda, I was on the passport site recently & saw it was now 9 months but I'm sure that it said that this early renewal did not apply if you were applying from abroad ?

Actually on a couple of other site I go on their have been people on their complaining that they have used their passports for Id on official things & they have been refused , as they have been renewed & have a different number , & been asked to go away & have the new passport certified & notarised that it is them !! One women even had her old passport with the correct number & they still refused it. :rofl: You can't make it up .


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