Guidance

Spain: Knowledge Base profile

Updated 20 April 2026

© Crown copyright 2026

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Version 13.0

About: Spain

This document contains useful information about Spain which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

  • version 13.0
  • published for Home Office staff on 16 February 2026

Changes from last version of this document

This guidance has been updated to:

  • Identity documents section to explain foreign nationals who are resident in Spain are issued with a biometric ID card called a ‘Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero’ (TIE)
  • Nationality section to confirm that Spain now recognises dual nationality with France

Spain: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Spain.

Names in Spain consist of:

  • up to 2 forenames (some Registry Offices may allow one of the forenames to be hyphenated)
  • surname, containing both the Father and Mother’s first surname

Spain has a naming convention known as a Hispanic naming convention. A child’s surname must contain both the father’s and mother’s first surname. This is usually the father’s surname first followed by the mother’s but the parents can choose to have the surnames in any order. The customer cannot drop a surname or add a hyphen to their surname.

When both parents are not Spanish the Registry Officer will normally follow the law of the parents’ country. This means the child could have a single surname.

If the father is not known or the father does not acknowledge the child, the child will take both of the (Spanish) mother’s surnames. If the mother is not Spanish, the law of the mother’s country will be followed.

Since 8 July 1994 parents are able to register children with foreign (non-Spanish names) versions of their forename. Before 8 July 1994 all forenames had to be translated into Spanish.

The name shown on the birth registration (the Certificado Literal) is the name used for all official purposes.

Change of name

Name changes are only allowed in Spain under strict conditions.

If a child is registered without a father’s surname and paternity is confirmed later, the child’s name can be changed to include the father’s name as their first or second surname.

Married women normally retain their own surnames. They may occasionally combine their first surname with their husband’s first surname for social use. For example, Carmen Pérez Rodriguez marrying Juan García López, could use ‘Carmen Pérez de García’ socially. However, this is not their legal name and should not show on a passport or national ID card.

Name alignment

Where the variation in name is due to the Spain naming convention HM Passport Office will not ask the customer to align their foreign documents.

Where the applicant has changed their name in a way which is completely different from that recorded in their Spain passport the customer must approach the foreign authorities to align their documents. For example, full name change, first name change, surname does not match any element noted in the Spain passport.

Where a person is no longer resident in Spain, a change of name may be completed at the Spain Consulate where the person is resident, but only under strict conditions. This may include when a name is detrimental to the person, or in cases of gender violence.

If the person is a minor (under the age of 18 in the law of Spain) both parents will need to sign the application to support the change of name.

Spain: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Spain.

Spain allows dual nationality with a small number of countries. These include:

  • countries in America where Spanish or Portuguese is the official language
  • the Philippines
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Puerto Rico
  • Portugal
  • Andorra
  • France

A person who previously renounced their Spanish nationality can regain it.

Spain: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Spain.

Legitimacy

Since 27 December 1978, Spain does not recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births. All children born on or after this date are considered legitimate from birth, whether a child’s parents are married or not.

Parental responsibility

Both parents share parental responsibility when they are married. If the child’s parents have never married and both are named on the birth certificate they will share parental responsibility.  If the parents’ divorce or separate parental responsibility is determined:

  • at the request of both parents, in a Regulating Agreement (convenio regulado), which must be approved by the courts
  • by a court decision if the parents cannot decide who will have parental responsibility

Spain: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Spain.

Adoption is legal in Spain.

Adoptive parents must be residents of Spain and remain in the country for the duration of the adoption proceedings.

International adoptions are prohibited from certain countries, decided by the Cross-regional Committee.

Spain: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Spain.

Surrogacy is illegal in Spain.

Judicial authorisation must be received for children born through surrogacy arrangements outside of Spain to be registered in the country.

Spain: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Spain.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Spain. They can state the gender of choice on their documents and can adapt their name on their birth certificate to match the gender.

Spain: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships in Spain.

Same sex marriages have been legal in Spain since 2005.

Recognised registered partnerships between same sex and opposite sex couples are also recognised in some regions. These are known as a Pareja de Hecho. A Pareja de Hecho does not alter the person’s marital status, therefore it does not need to be cancelled to marry.

There are both religious and civil marriages in Spain.

Spain: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from Spain.

HM Passport Office cannot accept Multilingual Standard Forms (MSFs) issued by EU member states. An MSF is a translation aid to help another EU member state to understand a public document in a different language.

Birth certificates

All births are registered in Spain. A birth in Spain is usually registered in the local registry where the parents of the child are residents, which may not be the same place where the child was born. The place of birth for the Spanish authorities is the place where the child was registered and not where the child was born.

Births registration must happen:

  • after the first 24 hours; and,
  • on or before the 8th day
  • before 30 days, if there are exceptional circumstances
  • through a process known as Fuera de Plazo if registration does not happen with 30 days

Spain issues 2 types of birth certificates:

  • Extract (Nacimiento), similar to a UK short birth certificate (not acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes)
  • Literal, (known as a ‘Certificacion Literal’) (acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes), the Certificacion Literal contains:
    • name
    • surnames
    • date of birth
    • name of the parents
    • name of the grandparents
    • the hospital where the child was born
    • the marital status of the parents
    • any other marginal notes that affect that person (for example, amendments)

A digital copy of the ‘Certificacion Literal’ is also available.

Verifying digital documents from Spain

The Spanish Ministry of Justice have an online portal to verify documents. This is done by entering the Secure Verification Code (SVC) and date of issue shown on the certificate where the boxes tell you to when you open the portal.

Copies of birth certificates can be obtained. There are some certificates exceptions, and there are some certificates that will require a special authorisation and will only be given to a person who has a legitimate interest. These cases are as follows:

  • adoption
  • change of name of “Exposito”, which were previously given to children who had not been recognised by the father
  • change of gender

Many areas and Spanish consulates outside Spain issue digital versions of birth certificates. Other regions of Spain are in the process of moving to digital documents. As of June 2025, regions and consulates issuing digital documents include:

Madrid region

  • Madrid

  • Alcalá de Henares

  • Alcobendas

  • Alcorcón

  • Aranjuez

  • Arganda del Rey

  • Collado Villalba

  • Colmenar Viejo

  • Coslada

  • Fuenlabrada

  • Getafe

  • Leganés

  • Majadahonda

  • Móstoles

  • Navalcarnero

  • Parla

  • Pozuelo de Alarcón

  • San Lorenzo de El Escorial

  • Torrejón de Ardoz

  • Torrelaguna

  • Valdemoro

Catalonia

Barcelona province

  • Barcelona

  • Arenys de Mar

  • Badalona

  • Berga

  • Cerdanyola del Vallès

  • Cornellà de Llobregat

  • Esplugues de Llobregat

  • Gavà

  • Granollers

  • Hospitalet de Llobregat

  • Manresa

  • Martorell

  • Mataró

  • Mollet del Vallès

  • El Prat de Llobregat

  • Rubí

  • Sabadell

  • Sant Feliu de Llobregat

  • Sant Boi de Llobregat

  • Santa Coloma de Gramenet

  • Terrassa

  • Vic

  • Vilafranca del Pendès

  • Vilanova i la Geltrú

Tarragona province

  • Tarragona

  • Amposta

  • Falset

  • Gandesa

  • Reus

  • Tortosa

  • El Vendrell

Girona province

  • Girona

  • Blanes

  • Figueres

  • Olot

  • Puigcerdàm

  • Ripoll

  • Santa Coloma de Farners

Lledia province

  • Lleida

  • Cervera

  • Solsona 

  • Tremp

  • La Seu d’Urgell

  • Vielha e Mijaran

Murcia

Murcia región

  • Murcia

  • Caravaca de la Cruz

  • Cartagena

  • Cieza

  • Jumilla

  • Lorca

  • Molina de Segura

  • Mula

  • San Javier

  • Totana

  • Yecla

Basque Country

Bizkaia province

  • Bilbao

  • Barakaldo

  • Balmaseda

  • Durango

  • Gernika-Lumo

  • Getxo

Gipuzkoa province

  • Donostia/San Sebastián

  • Azpeitia

  • Bergara

  • Eibar

  • Irun

  • Tolosa

Alaba/Alava province

  • Vitoria-Gasteiz

  • Amurrio

  • Aoiz/Agoitz

  • Estella/Lizarra

  • Pamplona

  • Tafalla

  • Tudela

Canary Islands

Gran Canaria province

  • Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

  • Arrecife

  • Arucas

  • Puerto del Rosario

  • San Bartolomé de Tirajana 

  • Santa María de Guía

  • Telde

Tenerife province

  • Santa Cruz de Tenerife

  • Arona

  • Granadilla de Abona

  • Güímar

  • Icod de los Vinos 

  • Los Llanos de Aridane

  • La Orotava

  • Santa Cruz de la Palma

  • San Sebastían de la Gomera 

  • San Cristóbal de la Laguna

  • Puerto de la Cruz 

  • Valverde

Galicia

Pontevedra province

  • Pontevedra

  • Caldas de Reis

  • Cambados

  • Cangas

  • A Estrada

  • Lalín

  • Marín

  • O Porriño

  • Ponteareas

  • Redondela

  • Tui

  • Vilagarcía de Arousa

  • Vigo

A Coruña province

  • A Coruña

  • Arzúa Betanzos

  • Carballo

  • Corcubión 

  • Ferrol

  • Muros

  • Noia

  • Ordes

  • Padrón 

  • Ribeira

  • Santiago de Compostela

Lugo province

  • Lugo

  • Becerreá

  • Chantada 

  • A Fonsagrada  

  • Mondoñedo

  • Monforte de Lemos 

  • Vilalba  

  • Viveiro

Ourense province

  • Ourense

  • Bande

  • O Barco de Valdeorras  

  • Celanova  

  • O Carballiño  

  • A Pobra de Trives

  • Ribadavia 

  • Verin

  • Xinzo de Limia

Valencia

Valencia province

  • Valencia

  • Alzira 

  • Catarroja 

  • Gandia 

  • Moncada 

  • Paterna

  • Sagunt 

  • Sueca 

  • Torrent

Alicante province

  • Alicante/Alacant

  • Benidorm 

  • Dénia

  • Elche/Elx

  • Elda

  • Novelda

  • Orihuela

  • San Vicente del Raspeig

Castellon province

Baleares

Mallorca (Majorca)

Menorca (Minorca)

Ibiza

  • Eivissa

Andalucia

Cordoba province

  • Aguilar de la Frontera

  • Baena

  • Cabra

  • Lucena

  • Posadas

  • Priego de Córdoba

  • Puente Genil

Jaen province

  • Alcalá La Real  

  • Baeza

  • Linares

  • Úbeda

Sevilla province

  • Alcalá de Guadaíra

  • Carmona

  • Dos Hermanas

  • Écija 

  • Lebrija

  • Marchena

  • Sevilla/Seville

Cadiz province

  • Cádiz

  • Algeciras

  • Arcos de la Frontera  

  • Barbate  

  • El Puerto de Santa María

  • Jerez de la Frontera

  • La Línea de la Concepción

  • Puerto Real

  • Rota

  • San Fernando

  • Ubrique

Malaga province

  • Málaga

  • Antequera

  • Estepona

  • Fuengirola

  • Marbella

  • Torremolinos

Huelva province

  • Ayamonte  

  • Moguer

  •   La Palma del Condado  

  • Valverde del Camino

Granada province

  • Almuñécar 

  • Baza  

  • Huéscar  

  • Loja  

  • Santa Fe

Almeria province

  • Berja

  • El Ejido

  • Huércal-Overa  

  • Roquetas de Mar

  • Vélez-Rubio

Castilla La Mancha

Guadalajara province

  • Guadalajara  

  • Molina de Aragón  

  • Sigüenza

Toledo province

  • Toledo 

  • Illescas

  • Ocaña  

  • Orgaz 

  • Quintanar de la Orden  

  • Talavera de la Reina   

  • Torrijos

Ciudad Real province

  • Ciudad Real

  • Alcázar de San Juan  

  • Almadén

  • Almagro

  • Daimiel

  • Manzanares

  • Puertollano

  • Tomelloso

  • Valdepeñas

  • Villanueva de los Infantes

Cuenca province

  • Motilla del Palancar  

  • San Clemente  

  • Tarancón

Albacete province

  • Albacete

  • Alcaraz

  • Almansa

  • Casas-Ibáñez

  • Hellín

  • La Roda

  • Villarrobledo

La Rioja region

La Rioja region

  • Logroño

  • Calahorra

  • Haro

Castilla Leon

Burgos province

  • Aranda de Duero

  • Briviesca

  • Lerma

  • Miranda de Ebro

  • Salas de los Infantes

  • Villarcayo

Salamanca province

  • Salamanca

  • Béjar  

  • Ciudad Rodrigo  

  • Peñaranda de Bracamonte

  • Vitigudino

Avila province

  • Arenas de San Pedro  

  • Arévalo  

  • Piedrahíta

Soria province

  • Burgo de Osma

Palencia province

  • Carrión de los Condes

Segovia province

  • Segovia

  • Cuéllar

  • Santa María la Real de Nieva 

  • Sepúlveda

Valladolid province

  • Valladolid

  • Medina de Rioseco

Zamora province

  • Benavente

  • Puebla de Sanabria

  • Toro

León province

  • Astorga

  • Cistiema

  • La Bañeza

  • Ponferrada

  • Sahagún  

  • Villablino

Asturias

Asturias region

  • Avilés

  • Cangas de Onís

  • Cangas del Narcea 

  • Castropol

  • Gijón

  • Grado

  • Langreo

  • Laviana

  • Lena

  • Llanes

  • Mieres

  • Oviedo

  • Piloña

  • Pravia

  • Siero

  • Valdés

  • Villaviciosa

Cantabria

Cantabria region

  • Castro-Urdiales

  • Laredo

  • Medio Cudeyo

  • Reinosa

  • San Vicente de la Barquera

  • Satander

  • Santoña

  • Torrelavega

Extremadura

Caceres province

  • Cáceres

  • Coria

  • Logrosán

  • Navalmoral de la Mata

  • Plasencia

  • Trujillo

  • Valencia de Alcántara

Badajoz province

  • Almendralejo

  • Badajoz

  • Castuera

  • Don Benito

  • Fregenal de la Sierra

  • Herrera del Duque

  • Jerez de los Caballeros

  • Llerena

  • Montijo

  • Mérida 

  • Olivenza

  • Villafranca de los Barros

  • Villanueva de la Serena  

  • Zafra

Aragon

Zaragoza province

  • Zaragoza

  • Calatayud

  • Caspe

  • Daroca

  • Ejea de los Caballeros

  • La Almunia de Doña Godina

  • Tarazona

Teruel province

  • Teruel

  • Alcañiz

  • Calamocha

Huesca province

  • Huesca  

  • Barbastro

  • Boltaña  

  • Fraga  

  • Jaca  

  • Monzón

Ceuta

  • Ceuta

Melilla

  • Melilla

Andorra

  • Andorra

France

  • Bayona

  • Burdeos

  • Montpellier

  • Pau

  • Perpiñán

  • Toulouse

  • Lyon

  • Marseille

  • Paris

  • Strasbourg

Germany

  • Stuttgart

  • Berlin

  • Düsseldorf

  • Hamburg

  • Frankfurt

  • Munich

Austria

  • Vienna

Denmark

  • Copenhague

Sweden

  • Stockholm

Israel

  • Jerusalem

Norway

  • Oslo

India

  • Mumbai

  • New Delhi

Iran

  • Tehran

Switzerland

  • Geneva

Iceland

  • Helsinki

Italy

  • Milán

  • Rome

Jordan

  • Amman

Morocco

  • Agadir

  • Casablanca

  • Larache

  • Nador

  • Rabat

  • Tánger – Tangiers

  • Tetuán

Portugal

  • Lisbon

  • Oporto

Paraguay

  • Asunción

Cuba

  • Havana

Bolivia

  • Santa Cruz de la Sierra

  • La Paz

UAE

  • Abu Dhabi

Oman

  • Muscat

Senegal

  • Dakar

Pakistan

  • Islamabad

Kazakhstan

  • Astana

Haiti

  • Port-au-Prince

Canada

  • Montreal

  • Toronto

  • Ottawa

Trinidad and Tobago

  • Port of Spain

Puerto Rico

  • San Juan de Puerto Rico

USA

  • Miami

  • Washington

UK

  • London

  • Edinburgh

  • Manchester

Marriage certificates

All marriages in Spain must be registered with the Civil Registry to be legal.

Marriages in Spain:

  • are automatically recorded if they take place in:
    • the Registry Office or Town Hall
    • a Roman Catholic church
  • that are celebrated in any other religion must be registered by the person who conducted the marriage at the Civil Registry where the marriage took place

Legal Spanish marriage documents are:

  • a “Libro de Familia” (Family Book) issued by the Registry Office or Town Hall following a civil marriage. These show:
    • names of the husband and wife
    • date of marriage
    • details of the Registration (Book, entry No and date of registration)
  • an ecclesiastical marriage certificate issued by the Roman Catholic church
  • a civil marriage certificate known as an ‘Extract’ that includes the name and surnames of the couple, date of marriage and place of marriage. There are three types of extracts:
    • Ordinary: issued in Spanish only
    • International: for those countries signatories of the Vienna Convention 08/09/1976 (this is not acceptable for passport purposes)
    • Bilingual: issued in those regions that have another official language such as Catalonia
  • a civil marriage certificate known as a ‘Literal’ that includes the names and surnames of the couple, the date of marriage, marital status of the couple, and in marginal notes any other information that affects that marriage such as legal separation, divorce, nullity of the marriage

Death certificates

Spain issues 2 types of death certificates:

  • Extract, showing name and surnames, date of death
  • Literal, showing all the details of the death:  name and surnames, date of death, place of death

Identity documents

A citizen of Spain is issued with a Documento nacional de identidad (DNI) or carné de identidad. It is a laminated card or polycarbonate, and it shows:

  • the forename of the person
  • surnames of the person
  • date of birth
  • parents
  • sex
  • residential address
  • city and province of birth
  • photo
  • identification number consisting of 8 digits plus a control letter

Since 2007, all new DNI issued or renewed are electronic identity cards and are called “electronic DNI” or DNIe.

Foreign nationals in Spain are issued with a Número de identificación de extranjero (NIE) or Foreign Identification Number within 3 months of entry into Spain at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence at designated Police stations.

Foreign nationals resident in Spain are issued a biometric ID card called a ‘Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero’ (TIE).

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