Spanish consular registration in the UK: joining and leaving the register
The consular register (Registro de MatrÃcula Consular) is the list of Spaniards living in each consulate's district.
Registering as a resident is compulsory for a Spaniard who has settled in the UK, and in practice it is the key to everything else: without the registration number there is no passport appointment.
Resident or non-resident
As a resident, you are also entered on the register of Spaniards abroad and, from 18, on the electoral roll of absent residents (CERA), and you are removed from your Spanish town hall's register.
As a non-resident, for a temporary stay, registration is optional, lasts up to a year and does not touch your town hall registration.
How each consulate takes it
London: by post only, to the Nationals Department at 20 Draycott Place; the registration number arrives by email in about two weeks. Manchester: online through the Ministry's e-office with a digital certificate, in person by appointment ([email protected]) or by post to 1F The Chancery.
Edinburgh: in person, booking by email with a PDF of your passport and proof of address (NHS, council tax or a bill under three months old), or by post with a certified copy.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Resident | compulsory |
| Non-resident | optional, up to 1 year |
| London | by post only |
| Manchester | e-office, appointment or post |
| Edinburgh | appointment by email, or post |
- Registration form, signed
- Electoral municipality form
- Proof of your link with that town (since 28 Sep 2026)
- Copy of your DNI or passport
- Proof of address in the district (Edinburgh)
What to send
The registration form, signed; the form choosing your municipality for electoral purposes; a copy of your DNI or passport, or a full birth certificate if you have neither.
Since 28 September 2026, the electoral municipality form has to come with documentary proof of your link to that town, such as a birth certificate, property deeds or a lease.
Leaving the register
When you leave the district, ask to be removed. London prefers the request by email, with «Baja consular» in the subject; Edinburgh takes it by email and Manchester through the e-office. The deregistration certificate is what Spain asks for when you move back, for example to import a car.
In London registration is by post only: there is no appointment for it.Related guides
Checked against the official pages on 10 November 2026.
This directory is run privately. spanishconsulates.co.uk does not belong to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or to any consular office.
We publish what the official sources say and point out where they disagree. Before travelling, check the detail with the office.