Last year’s documentary, Our Man In…, gave British TV viewers a glimpse into some of the services provided by the British Embassy and its consulates in Spain, but many residents and tourists here on the Costa del Sol are unaware of the important role played by these offices and their staff. The British consulates in Spain (Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Ibiza, Las Palmas, Madrid, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife and their twelve honorary consulates) are some of the busiest in the world thanks to the 13 million Brits who visit Spain each year, and the 800,000 to 1,000,000 who spend most of the year living and/or working here. While the television programme could be accused of having sensationalised the issues of drunken young tourists falling out of nightclubs, ending up in hospital, losing their belongings and so on, the reality is that in 2012 alone the British Consulates in Spain issued a staggering 5,709 emergency travel documents to those who had lost their passports. British nationals who have become resident in Spain may also find themselves in need of the consulates’ services when they need to renew their passport, register births, deaths and marriages, or obtain important documents confirming a change of name, consular registration or marital status. On a larger scale, the British Embassy works with the Spanish government on issues such as Spanish investment in UK business, foreign policy and national security, and cooperates with the authorities to ensure that British residents in Spain are able to get access to healthcare and any other benefits to which they are entitled. The staff is also fully trained to help Britons in the unlikely event that they are caught up in natural disasters, major incidents, terrorist activities or civil disturbances. One of the most important roles fulfilled by the British Embassy and its consulates is to communicate advice and information to Britons on holiday or living in Spain. The ukinspain website provides regularly updated travel advice as well as generic information on transferring funds between the UK and Spain, buying property and meeting your obligations to register with the various offices in Spain. The consulates also conduct campaigns on English language radio stations and in the newspapers written in English, advising Brits on any changes to Spanish law that affects them. For example, they recently issued press releases and a series of advertorials advising British nationals of a new Royal Decree published in November 2012 requiring foreign residents in Spain to declare assets held abroad. There has been much confusion surrounding the new law and although the consulates cannot provide individually tailored advice, they have issued generic information that should assist most of those affected. Look out for the regular road shows organised by the consulates up and down the Costa del Sol, as these provide a great opportunity to talk to the staff and find out more about your rights and your obligations as a resident or visitor to Spain.