BRITISH residents in the Balearics aged over 75 are now entitled to free passports.
The Home Secretary David Blunkett recently announced that, in recognition of the sacrifices made by World War II veterans and civilians, every member of Britain's wartime generation will receive a free passport and the new scheme came into effect this week.
All British citizens born on or before September 2, 1929, no longer have to pay for their passports.
The British Consulate in Madrid is now accepting applications and the application forms are available from the British Consulate General in Madrid.
Once received in Madrid, the applications will be forwarded to the UK Passport Service office in Liverpool where they will be processed. Each application is, on average, expected to take six to eight weeks to process.
What is more, applicants over 75 who have been issued with and have paid for new passports between May 29, 2004 and October 18, will be eligible for a refund and they too should contact the British Consulate General for further information.
The new scheme has been warmly welcomed by the Royal British Legion. Blunkett, when announcing the scheme said I want to thank and honour every adult who helped us defeat the Nazis and their allies not just those in our brave armed forces, but those who played their part on the home front. Now the wartime generation - some 4.5 million people - will receive free passports for life in recognition of what they gave to secure our nation's liberty and democracy.
For further information:
Passport Section (75)
British Consulate General
Paseo de Recoletos 7-9
4th floor
2800 4
Madrid
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