View Vacancy – Consular Officer, Emergency Travel Document (ETD) Centre (ESP26.066)
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Consular Roles)
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Consular
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Support people. Apply judgement. Make an impact.
The Emergency Travel Document Centre (ETD Centre) in Madrid plays a crucial role in helping British nationals travel when they urgently need to. As part of a global consular network, we handle complex cases every day, working at pace and with purpose.
We are looking for a Consular Officer to join our busy and collaborative team. This temporary substitution role suits someone who enjoys responsibility, thrives in a dynamic environment and wants their work to have a direct, positive impact.
Who are we?
The British Embassy in Madrid is part of the UK’s global diplomatic network. Within it, the Emergency Travel Document Centre (ETDC) plays a critical role in consular assistance worldwide.
The ETDC operates as a centralised global hub, processing Emergency Travel Documents for British nationals who have lost or had their passport stolen overseas. Alongside our partner centres in Singapore and Mexico, we deliver a near 24‑hour service, six days a week, supporting people across every continent.
You’ll be joining a diverse, collaborative team that works closely with consular colleagues and policy teams across the globe.
Main purpose of the role
As a Consular Officer, you will manage and decide on complex Emergency Travel Document applications from start to finish. You’ll assess sensitive cases, interview applicants, apply policy correctly and ensure decisions are accurate, fair and timely.
Many of the people you’ll support are distressed or vulnerable. This role requires resilience, sound judgement and strong communication skills – but it is also deeply rewarding.
In this role, you will:
- Assess and process complex ETD applications, verifying identity and documentation using government systems.
- Interview applicants by video link, including adults, children and families, often in challenging circumstances.
- Make informed decisions on issuing Emergency Travel Documents, ensuring compliance with policy and process.
- Liaise regularly with consular teams worldwide and internal stakeholders.
- Provide line management support to up to two colleagues, including one‑to‑ones and performance conversations.
- Handle administrative tasks such as data entry, payments, document checks, printing ETDs and arranging courier delivery.
- Work on a rotational shift pattern, including weekends, public holidays and unsociable hours, to support global service delivery.
What you’ll love about this role
- Real impact – your work directly helps people in difficult, sometimes urgent situations.
- Global reach – you’ll support applicants from all over the world and work with international teams daily.
- Variety and pace – no two cases are the same, and the work is dynamic and engaging.
- Development opportunities – access to learning, training and professional development within the FCDO.
- Supportive team culture – collaborative, inclusive and focused on delivering high‑quality outcomes together.
- Meaningful responsibility – trusted to make decisions that genuinely matter.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!
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Our Ideal Candidate shows:
- Full professional proficiency in English (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework*);
- A minimum of three years’ experience delivering high‑quality customer service in a fast‑paced, customer‑focused environment, such as a consular, processing, hub or other centralised administrative operation;
- Consular experience and knowledge;
- Excellent IT skills with sound working knowledge of Outlook, Word, Excel;
- Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in decision‑making;
- Previous experience of working effectively within a team;
- The ability to work flexibly in a changing environment;
- Good organisational skills to deliver within required timescales;
- Previous experience of data entry and checking documents.
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Nice to have:
- Line management experience;
- Previous experience interviewing customers or stakeholders.
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Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together
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8 March 2026
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Administrative Officer (AO)
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Full-time, Temporary
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37.5
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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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1
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EUR
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35,484.83
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yearly
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20 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 for 6 months, at AO 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.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. 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.
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.
Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Spanish employment law.
Only short-listed applications will be called for personal interviews.
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:
Working hours are 37.5 per week. Emergency Travel Document (ETD) Centre staff are required to work on a rotational shift pattern. As Workflow Manager, while standard working hours would initially 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.
The FCDO is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on grounds of ethnic origin, race, religious beliefs, age, disability, gender or sexual orientation.
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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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