Spain Offers Free Passport to One Category of Applicants, Names Who Qualifies
- Spain's government charges €30.00 for the issuance of an ordinary passport, whether it is a first application or a renewal
- The Spanish Interior Ministry named one specific group of applicants who can obtain a passport without paying the standard fee
- Spain also outlined strict rules for passport holders who lose their documents or have them stolen, including validity restrictions on duplicates
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Spain's government has revealed that one category of applicants qualifies for a completely free passport, even as the standard fee for all other citizens stands at €30.00.
According to information published by Spain's Ministry of the Interior, the €30.00 charge applies uniformly to both first-time passport applicants and those renewing an existing one. The fee can be settled in cash, by credit or debit card at the Documentation Unit, or through an electronic payment system.
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Those who hold a valid electronic signature, whether from their national ID card or another recognised source, can also pay the fee online in advance through the official appointment portal at the time of booking.
Who qualifies for free Spanish passport?
The one group exempt from paying is applicants who can provide proof that they hold the status of member of a large family.
No payment is required at any stage of the process for those who meet this criterion and present the appropriate documentation.
Rules for lost or stolen Spanish passports
Spain's Interior Ministry also set out clear obligations for passport holders in the event that their document is lost or stolen. Holders are required to report the incident promptly to the National Police, the Civil Guard, or a diplomatic or consular mission abroad.
Once the report is filed, a duplicate passport will be issued. However, the validity of that duplicate is not guaranteed to match the original. If the lost or stolen passport was already in its final year of validity at the time of the report, the replacement will instead be issued with the standard full validity period. In all other cases, the duplicate's validity will be limited to the expiry date of the original document.
The rules become stricter for repeat incidents. Should a passport holder lose a second passport or have another stolen, the Spanish authorities reserve the right to limit the validity of any further duplicates to just six months.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
