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If you are moving to Lanzarote make sure you have 6 months or more left on your passport, if not we suggest that you renew it before you leave the UK.

Once you are living in Lanzarote it is easy to replace your passport by courier with the British Embassy in Madrid. The full information and application forms are available on their website www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk they will issue a 10 year passport for an adult (C1 form) and a five year one for under 16 year olds (C2 form). Your passport fee has to be paid by credit / debit card the current charge is €143 for a standard 32 page adult passport and €91 for a child's passport, additionally you will have to pay the courier fees to return your documents by DHL which is €21 to the Canary Islands, this fee is per address not passport.

You must take care with the passport photos, it is not advisable to try and print your own, the standards are now very high and homemade ones are liable to be returned causing delays with your application. The size must be 45mm by 35mm on plain white photo paper with no embossing – there are full details and examples on the website. The Kodak shop on the ground floor of the Deiland Shopping Centre or one of the professional photographers in the centre of Arrecife can provide the correct style, please make sure that you mention the photos are for British passports as they are larger photos than the local ones required for residencia, driving licences etc.

You need to find a counter signatory to verify that the photo is you, this can be more difficult, ideally they want a British citizen who has known you for 2 years and has a British passport and qualifications such as a lawyer, doctor, teacher etc. If you don’t know someone of this character in Lanzarote then a Spanish citizen of the same kind of standing would be accepted.

Once you have all the forms completed, your photos signed, your original documents and your credit card form completed then take your envelope to the Correos (post office) and send registered post to the British Consulate Office in Madrid (full address on their website listed above).

If you have had your passport stolen or lost it you must report it to the local police as you need the police report for your replacement. Once you have reported the loss then you need to complete the additional form LS01 as well as the normal application form (C1 or C2). If you need an emergency passport because you are on holiday or have an urgent flight to catch, then you will need to have the forms plus 2 passport photos and then you can arrange to meet with the honorary consul for Lanzarote by calling the British Consulate office in Las Palmas on 928 26 25 08.

The consular visits Lanzarote once a month and is available for the day in the Hotel Los Fariones in Puerto del Carmen, you need to make an appointment prior to the visit and the next couple of dates are listed on their website.

British Consulate in Madrid – Tel: 91 524 97 00 Email: madrid.consulate@fco.gov.uk

British Consulate in Las Palmas – Tel: 928 26 25 08 Email: laspalmas.consulate@fco.gov.uk