Lionda

We renewed ours last year, our daughter brought the forms over and we filled them in, she sent them off in England (£66 or something like that, I can't remember exactly) and posted them on to us. We sent photos but didn't need them countersigned as it was just a renewal.

helenba

any thing for a easy life .

billgates

Can anyone explain how it can possibly be easier to travel back to the UK just to get passports renewed?
Accepted, it costs more to get them through the Consulate in Madrid. But all you have to do is stick the application in the post. Job done.
But to go all the way to Peterborough?

For a start there is the flight cost - ok so maybe return flight for £50. Then there is the time to actually get to the airport, plus carparking for the duration. Then all the hanging around at the airport waiting for your flight and having to purchase their expensive refreshments. Then after a 2-3 hour flight you have to either get someone to collect you (hassle for them) or hire a car. Then there's the drive to Peterborough from whatever airport you land at (Stanstead? Luton?) not to mention the cost of UK petrol. Then there's the 2 hour wait at Peterborough passport office. Then you have to repeat the whole thing to get back to Spain.

Utter madness.

helenba

apply for a passport in madrid night mare we did it last year had to wait nearly 3 mnths for new on to come through its ok if you have nothing to do we travel around alot. will not do it again .like i said my farther went to peterbough rang them up make appointment his flyts cost 40euros car cost 35 pounds for the day . passport 90.00 pounds on line booking get to the air port 45mins before flight . job done

Sharon B

Your bad experience with Madrid seems to be a one off. We have also renewed passports and had then returned within 3 weeks.

digdug

i hope the madrid experience does appear pain-free as most seems to have been on this thread, as mine is due to expire in 4 weeks
just gotta get my photos done and off she goes!!
DD

Fred James

My renewal is due in November so I can't comment personally. However two friends have both renewed via Madrid in the last two weeks and the process went like clockwork.

maisymay

Where do you live in spain?

digdug

me? valencia for my sins

SueG

I also never have any problems with the ones that I apply for, for clients

digdug

hi mitzy, is there a spanish version of the photo stipulations? i cannae find it, but it may well be an idea for me to take it along to the photo shop if there is one.
DD

Lorna at Vicenza

I've just found out that the Embassy in Rome has just stopped doing passport applications and everything for us Brits here in Italy will now be processed at a Paris office.

We also have to use a courier service so that puts the price up by 21 euro each way. Bloody annoying.

I think I read that it is the same for folks in Malta as well now so if anybody is there, you'd better check.

billgates

We've just renewed two passports through Madrid and everything went very smoothly. Had them returned in about two weeks.

Getting the photos was the most complicated bit but we just printed off the requirements from the embassy website and took it to a photographers.

A good deal easier than wasting an entire day travelling back to the UK. Popping over to Peterborough might be ok if you have nothing better to do but we're pretty busy in Spain.

digdug

hi all,
well, just over 3 weeks and my spanky new passport is with me
even delivered to my door by dhl - and thats something neither tnt or ups have been been able to achieve, even though our urb is right beside town, with a map!
so anyone worrying about posting to madrid for your passport renewal, heres another satisfied punter.

DD

jdr

No trouble with ours either, apart from the rip off price. ,-(

Just a question for those that know.
If you send it to Madrid and they send it on to be renewed, they allow photos to have a white background (as in all Spanish ID photos) but if you read the booklet when applying in the UK you have to have light cream or light grey ?