Using the Consulate

By Jason Moore FOR as long as I can remember the British community has been moaning about the lack of facilities at the British Consulate in Palma. The Consular offices were either too small, difficult to find, or without the necessary parking facilities. One of the first tasks of new British Consul, Paul Abrey, was to lobby the Foreign Office to improve the Consular Offices in Palma. This was no easy task especially as cutbacks rather than more investment is the by-word at the moment. But thankfully he was successful and Palma now has one of the most modern and well equipped Consular Offices in the world. What is more its location could not be more convenient in central Palma, with plenty of parking and the public transport terminus at the Plaza España, just walking distance away. However, while Paul Abrey is exceptionally pleased overall he told me yesterday that he was slightly disappointed that more people were not using the Consular services. I suggested that it was probably a good idea if he actually listed all the services they provide (which are many) so Paul Abrey will be giving full details in an article in Sunday´s newspaper. And my view...we have a first class Consulate, lets use it! OFFICIALLY, there are 198'000 Britons living in Spain. These are people who are actually registered. I suspect that the figure is probably more like 500'000 or even higher. So why is it that only a small number of residents bother to register and become legal. To get your paperwork in order in Spain these days couldn´t be easier and also there are so many services which are available for free provided you are registered. If you live in Spain you must have the proper paperwork.