Spain, Consular Records of Emigrants - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
España, Registros Consulares de Emigrantes Españoles.

Record Description
This collection includes digital images of consular records of Spaniards abroad. The record content covers: passport registers, nationality cards, register of citizens, military records, civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are currently housed at the Archivo General de la Administración in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. The text of the records was written in Spanish. This collection is being published as images become available.

Spain has an extensive network of Consulates and Embassies abroad that provide a series of services for Spaniard citizens and for foreigners that want to travel to Spain. Some of these services include the registration of births, marriages, and deaths of Spaniards living abroad, residence certificates, citizenships, passports, notary public documents, visas for foreigners, and others. The civil registration created at a consular office has the same validity and follows the same legal codes as the one in the mother country. One month after the civil event has been registered in a consulate abroad, a duplicate record is sent to the Central Civil Registry in Madrid, from where copies can be requested.

For a list of records by countries and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

This collection of Spaniard consular records includes the years of 1808 to 1960. Specific dates according to record types follows: 

Consular services are necessary for Spaniards living or traveling abroad for legal documentation, protection, and other related needs while abroad. All records created in a consular office are as valid and legal as if created in Spain.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in civil registration records may include:


 * Consular place and date
 * Names of principals
 * Dates of birth, marriage, death
 * Place of birth, marriage, death
 * Names of parents
 * Names of related individuals
 * Names of witnesses

Key genealogical facts found in passport records may include:


 * Consular place and date of issue
 * Name of principal Birth date and place of principal
 * Names of minor children if traveling with a parent

Key genealogical facts found in citizenship records may include:


 * Place and date of issue
 * Name of person
 * Birth date and place or age
 * Residence place

How to Use the Records
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the País ⇒ Select the Oficina consular ⇒ Select the Tipo de registro y años which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

When browsing this collection it is helpful to know the following:


 * The place where the event occurred
 * The name and surname of the person
 * The approximate date of the event
 * The name of the parents or spouse

To search this collection select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the País from which your ancestors might have immigrated ⇒Select the appropriate oficina consular ⇒Select the appropriate Tipo de registro y años and you should see images of those records.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church or civil records.

Related Websites

 * Gobierno de España - Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación – Servicios Consulares

Related Wiki Articles

 * Spain
 * Spanish Geneaolgical Word List
 * Surname Distribution Maps

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection

 * "Spain, Consular Records of Emigrants,1808-1960," digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org): accessed 14 March 2012, Mexico &gt; Consulado de Pueblo &gt; Matriculas de Espanoles, 1928-1936 &gt; image 10 of 131, no. 55, Manuel Fernandez Michaville, 1928. Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.