Renew Your UK Passport from Spain

What happens if you're a UK national living in Spain who has to renew their passport?

What’s the process and how much does it cost? How long does it take and it is worth doing it in the UK instead? Here’s a quick guide from us here at SGM.

For children it’s valid for five years.

As many countries require you to have at least six months left on your passport to be able to visit, it’s advisable to renew it at least six months before it’s due to expire.

How do I renew my UK passport from Spain?

The easiest way to renew it is online via the following UK government website HERE.

For this you will also need your old passport, a card to pay the fee and a digital passport photo.

The site will ask you if you live in the UK, simply click on “no” and scroll down to “Spain” in the box below. You then have to enter your date of birth and say whether you’ve had a UK passport before. If you’re just renewing it, then click on “yes”.

This will bring you to a checklist of everything you need to do, from getting your digital passport photo, to providing your application details to the documents you need to provide.

The first step is uploading your digital photo. If you do it online, you’ll need to submit a suitable one that meets all the requirements.

You may be able to send in a postal application, but usually this is usually available from UK post office’s so you will need to call the passport advice line to find out the best way of doing it from Spain.

If you’re sending a postal application, you’ll need to submit two identical photos that meet the requirements too.

How much will it cost?

All the current prices are on the Gov website and can be found HERE. You may not be able to travel during the renewal process. Once you have filled out your information and paid the fee, you will need to send off your old passport. The best idea is not to plan any travel abroad during this time because it will make it very difficult not having a passport.

But if you need to, you can apply for an emergency travel document which costs £100. Once granted you’ll pick it up from your local British consulate or embassy. Of course if you’re lucky enough to have dual nationality, you can always use your second passport to travel with.

How long does it take?

According to the UK government website, it takes approximately three weeks to renew your passport, but this will take slightly longer if applying from abroad.

MyBritishPassport.com website states that from aboard it will take approximately three to four weeks.

The processing time will depend on several factors such as time of year and if they need any extra information from you or they need someone to confirm your identity.

Is there any way to get it faster?

Yes, there are two different fast-track options, but unfortunately they are not available to you if you live outside the United Kingdom, unless you go to the UK in person or have a UK address. You can book these fast-track appointments up to three weeks in advance.

There are two options for this:

A one-day premium turnaround costs £207.50 and can only be done for adult passports. A one-week ‘fast track’ turnaround costs £166.50 for an adult passport, and £135.50 for a child. Both can be booked online, but you will need to go in person to a UK passport office or send someone in your place.

If you send someone in your place, you will need a signed and dated letter from you, naming them and giving them permission to collect the new passport.

But, if you do get your passport sent to a UK address or get a relative to get it in your place, it will still have to be sent to Spain for you to get it, so it won’t be any quicker as postal services between the UK and Spain are fairly slow, unless you pay separately for a private courier.

If you go yourself, you’re likely to fork out at least €100 for a return flight, plus the express fee, so it’s going to cost you quite a bit.

The best option would be to keep an eye on your expiry date and make sure you apply with plenty of time to spare.