They didn't ask me. I guess it depends how different the photos are.

Thanks. If they were to ask it's usually before you send in any photos. Though I wouldn't be surprised if in some cases they weren't happy and asked for counter-signed ones to be re-sent.

If you use the online application and take the photos via that system the photo needs no certification.

Self-taken pictures?

What about if I use a photo shop in a shopping centre in the UK to get the online code? That's what I've done in recent times for the kids and everything seemed to be fine, but then my passport is almost 10 years old...

I think if they are self taken outside of the online application they need certifying? The hardest part of the totally online system that I found was getting it to accept the photo. Other than that the procedure was super easy. We ended up taking the photo outside against our house which is a white pueblo house in a white village that was only way we could get acceptable photo.

Same for us, Bob. We had to have a few attempts at taking each other's photo before the system gave us a "good" result, the corridors and landings of our building have all white walls so we stood outside our front door to take them! The biggest problem was getting a photo which didn't have our shadow behind us which the online system doesn't accept.

I've heard it's quite a hassle to get the pictures quite right on your own, especially the lighting/background and of course the problem with shadows creeping in.

Do you guys think it's ok to get the photos taken digitally in a photo small inside some mall in the UK but then actually send in the passport once I get back to Spain?

It is fiddly to get an acceptable photo yes but certainly doable and the online system is so easy in my view it is worth persevering and doing it that way. If you search online there are also businesses that you can submit a self taken photo and they send you back digital copies which are guaranteed acceptable (at cost of course). If i were you and you have someone that can take your photo try the online system and photo submission, you may be lucky and get an acceptable straight away or very quickly, each one you try if not acceptable it tells you why to help and correct .

You can go a photo booth or one of those places which takes your photo in Spain, they can save the jpg or png to memory stick/Bluetooth/send to your email and you upload the file when applying online. No need for an online photo code.

Thanks guys, I was planning on just getting the photos done in the UK before leaving but if you can indeed get acceptable photos made yourself, or just get a local photo place in Spain to get digital photos emailed to you, then that would be even easier and faster.

How do they deal with countersignatories though if you're not getting physical photos? Have they replaced this with another system?

I struggled with their website to take a selfie etc and get it accepted. I'd had a photo taken a few weeks previously that was just on my computer for a different document, tried that and it was accepted.
No signatures needed or anything. I think, though could be wrong, that only applies in certain circumstances like a first passport.

Neither my daughter (in Oz) nor the wife (here in Spain) needed countersigns on the pictures.
Once you have been through the digital part before (driving licence and passport), it is rare to be asked to get a countersign.
On a first application or loss, then you probably will, as its another layer of security.
They don't start processing the application until they receive the old passport anyway. We sent ours by Correos' version of international signed for when the wife did hers (after the online application, of course)
Photos were taken in the hall against the wall; in the wife's case, my daughter did hers outside against the barn on their farm.
Oh also just remembered my niece applied for her first passport, and because she has a driving licence, there was no need for a countersignature on the application. Once you are in the system, I think its easier these days.

Did both ours just recently and TBH didn't find taking the selfie type photos a problem at all!

Does anyone know whether the 3+ months passport validity to enter applies solely to short-term travellers or also to residency pass holders?

My understanding that if resident with a valid TIE or residency card then the 3 month rule does not apply for entry to Spain as it is your country of residence. However if visiting another Schengen zone country other than Spain the 3 month rule does apply as it is not your country of residence..