AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES
U.S. Citizen Registration
Registration at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate makes presence and whereabouts known, in case it is
necessary for a Consular Officer to contact you in an emergency. Please, register with us using this
registration link.
The Consular Section maintains files of registered
Americans and uses these lists, among other things, to develop and maintain a
warden system. The information in these files is protected by the Privacy Act
and cannot be shared without your permission except under life or death
emergency situations. It provides basic contact information and information
about your citizenship. At times the registration forms are used to verify
citizenship when a passport is lost or stolen or as a means for transmitting
emergency information to you from family members.
Q. When will the Embassy contact me?
A. Consular Sections in Embassies have many mechanisms for maintaining contact
with American citizens under their areas of responsibility. Registering with
the Consular Section establishes your identity as an American citizen and
provides contact information in case of a personal emergency. For example, if
there has been a death in the family, and the Consular Section may be notified
because the family in the US has been unable to reach you. The information
provided when you register can be used to contact you let you know you need to
call home.
Q. Will I always be contacted directly by the Embassy?
A. Frequently there are thousands of Americans
registered at each consular section. The consular staff relies on a variety of
tools to provide information, which is not specific to one individual. The
warden system is one mechanism for remaining in touch with Americans registered
with the Consular Section.
Q. What is the Warden System?
The warden system utilizes contacts throughout
the expatriate community to keep in touch with Americans. They may be business representatives,
community leaders, hoteliers, presidents of local American or expatriate clubs,
school principals, directors of missionary groups, or administrators of non-governmental
organizations. Wardens volunteer to serve as links to the consular section.
Q. What if I am only temporarily traveling in Spain?
A. The warden system is not set up to accommodate
American citizens traveling through or visiting Spain for short periods (less
than 4 months). It is especially important that those traveling on short visits
remain up to date with current events through the mass media. We recommend that
you refer to the State Department website at
or to the website maintained by the US Embassy in Madrid
if you have access to the Internet.
Q. How do wardens keep in touch with the people in their areas?
A. The consular section generally contacts wardens by fax
or email to communicate information of importance to resident Americans. The
wardens are responsible for further communicating this information to American
citizens within their areas of responsibility. This could be by posting a
notice, emailing, calling people on the telephone, or making an announcement at
a staff meeting, for example.
Q. What other means are used to provide information to resident Americans?
A. The State Department website contains information of
interest to Americans outside the
US. The website is continuously updated and is the fastest means of obtaining
up to the minute information. Of special interest are the Consular Information
Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings. There is also valuable
information about emergency and non-emergency services from obtaining a passport
or visa, to voting, to registering the birth of a child born outside the US, to
preparing for an evacuation.
Q. What about information specific to Spain?
A. The Embassy in Madrid also
maintains a website, which carries information of
more specific interest to
people in Spain. This website will report if there are any changes in walk-in
hours for routine services in the consular section, for example. The website
also carries information about US-Spanish policy and bilateral issues.
Q. What if I need information about getting a visa for a friend or family member?
A. During business hours, visa inquiries and requests for
appointments should be directed to:
-
807 488 472 from inside Spain or
-
(011) 49 9131 772 2087 from the United States
-
International access code + 49 9131 772 2087 from
other countries
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