View Vacancy – Consular Assistant, Emergency Travel Document (ETD) Centre (ESP26.061)
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Consular Roles)
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Consular
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Who are we?
The British Embassy in Madrid is part of a global network representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now recruiting for a Consular Assistant position in the Emergency Travel Document (ETD) Centre, Madrid.
Main purpose of job:
Consular assistance is a FCDO priority and issuing Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) is a large part of the assistance offered to British nationals working or travelling overseas. The ETD Centre (ETDC) operates as a hub, managing all ETD applications globally from three centralised locations (Singapore, Madrid and Mexico). Between the ETDC we operate a near 24-hour service, 6 days a week. This is an exciting opportunity to join a busy, fast paced team providing direct assistance to individuals around the world every day.
Working in a busy team in Madrid, you will primarily work on standard or straightforward applications for which we have a 2 working day turnaround time. Your role will include checking document information and assessing applicant’s eligibility; taking payments for applications; data inputting and processing applications, printing Emergency Travel Documents and organising courier delivery, liaising with customers, usually by email or by phone.
Please note that ETD applicants are often distressed and occasionally vulnerable, requiring staff undertaking this role to be resilient and able to work under pressure. You will provide support on a daily basis to people across every continent making important journeys, often out of situations that are challenging or stressful. You will work closely with British Consular teams, particularly within Europe, Africa and Americas.
This is a rewarding role particularly for someone who is looking for a role that provides a direct, positive outcome for individuals. The successful candidate is able to prioritise effectively, work pro-actively with well-rounded verbal and written communication skills. The successful candidate must also be a strong team player able to consider other people’s points of view and understand the big picture when working with others.
Roles and responsibilities:
- Checking, completing and printing standard Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs)
- Request additional supporting documentation and information
- Check applicant eligibility
- Process payments
- Meeting daily productivity benchmarks and quality targets
- Spotting and flagging potentially vulnerable applicants who require further support to in-country consular teams
- Attending regular team meetings
- Liaison with customers throughout the ETD process where required
- Liaising with Consular colleagues across the globe
- Communicating with couriers for the delivery of ETDs
- General office duties including ETD stock management
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!
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Our Ideal Candidate shows:
- fluency in English both verbal and written, with excellent communications skills (C1 level of CEFR*);
- Customer service skills with 2 years’ experience minimum;
- Previous experience of data entry and checking documents
- Strong IT literacy;
- Attention to detail;
- Previous experience of working effectively within a team;
- The ability to work flexibly in a fast paced, changing environment;
- Good organisational skills to deliver within required timescales.
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Nice to have:
- Consular experience and knowledge.
- Experience working in an administrative hub or centralised operation, in an international environment.
- Experience working in a diplomatic mission.
- Experience working in a public administration role.
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Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
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8 March 2026
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Administrative Assistant (AA)
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Full-time, Fixed Term
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37.5
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5 months
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Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
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Spain
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Madrid
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British Embassy
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3
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EUR
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29,024.64
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yearly
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1 April 2026
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Please be advised that Consular positions at the FCDO entail dealing with crisis and casework in situations that may involve death, detention, rape, assault, post-mortems, prison visits and highly distressed customers. Candidates should therefore have a high level of resilience to trauma.
This is a full-time, temporary contract at AA grade level, based in Madrid.
The successful candidate is subject to a confirmation of a background check, security clearance and the successful completion of a probationary period.
The successful candidate will be enrolled in the Spanish Social Security Scheme and will therefore not be entitled to any gratuity from the Embassy based on gross annual salary.
The Embassy is a Diplomatic Mission with tax exempt status and does not collect taxes for other States. Employees are fully responsible for payment of income tax at the legally required rate. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Spain are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Spanish employment law.
Visa/work permit requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Spain and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.
Working patterns: Normal working hours are 37.5 per week. Emergency Travel Document (ETD) Centre staff are required to work on a rotational shift pattern. While standard working hours would usually be between 0800 to 1600 Monday to Friday, your working hours will adjust regularly to meet the needs of the team and service delivery. Working hours will involve weekends, unsociable hours and public holidays. The British Embassy Madrid supports and promotes flexible working where possible as a crucial part of our inclusive offering.
Learning & Development: We offer time and financial support for the successful candidate to take advantage of professional learning and development opportunities inside and outside of the organisation. All new hires undertake a workplace induction and there are a number of mandatory e-learning courses that must be completed in order to pass probation.
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The British Embassy in Madrid occupies floors of a high-rise building. In an emergency, lifts may be inoperable, requiring evacuation via stairs or to a fire safety refuge. Applicants with mobility needs are encouraged to discuss this with the job sponsor to ensure appropriate arrangements, including a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
FCDO does not pay for travel-related expense incurred in interviews (including Security Check) or accept any financial risk, including cancelation or reschedule costs. The FCDO will not meet the costs connected with relocation if offered a position.
*Please note for more information on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment levels please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skill is going to be assessed.
The Embassy is committed to employee development and wellbeing and has several initiatives in both areas that benefit staff.
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To apply please copy and paste this link: https://fco.tal.net/vx/appcentre-ext/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/1/adv/
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