When we left Venezuela in the hope of building a better future, we leave behind much more than a territory. We leave behind our family, our friends, the customs of our home country and even the flavours that define us.
But there is one thing we should never give up: our identity and our rights as Venezuelan citizens. The certificate of consular registration and deregistration is precisely that, the invisible thread that keeps us connected to our home country while living in Europe. It is the document that protects our identity and opens the door to essential formalities so that we can move forward.
If you live in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Portugal or any other European country, this article aims to explain to you with complete clarity what these certificates are, why they are so important for your life as a migrant, how to get them step by step in each country, and how Curiara accompanies you in this process of keeping your ties with Venezuela alive while caring for your loved ones from afar.
What is consular registration and why should you do it as soon as possible?
Consular registration is much more than just a bureaucratic formality. It is a official census of venezuelans living abroad, It is the first mandatory step to access any service offered by the Venezuelan consulate in the European country where you live.
Without this registration, You simply can't do anything else: or renew passport, or apostille documents, or register the birth of your children, or obtain powers of attorney to manage affairs in your country.
Think about consular registration as a kind of membership card that links you to the Venezuelan consular system abroad. Once you register, the consulate knows you exist, where you live, how to contact you in case of emergency, and can offer you all the services you need as a Venezuelan citizen living abroad.
The registration is confidential and serves multiple purposes that go far beyond paperwork. It allows you to accessing official information, participating in electoral processes when they are enabled, receive consular assistance in emergency situations, and prove your residency with local or foreign authorities when you need it.
The document that opens all doors
Once you have completed your consular registration, you can apply for your certificate of registration consult, i.e. the physical or digital document officially certifying that you are registered with the consulate in your jurisdiction. This certificate is absolutely essential for many procedures both in Europe and in your home country.
What do you need this for?
The list is long and very practical. In Spain, for example, it is a prerequisite for:
- Initiate the Spanish nationality procedures.
- Applications for residence.
- Homologation of university degrees.
- Any management where the Spanish authorities need to verify your status as a Venezuelan citizen registered.
In other European countries such as Italy and France it is similar; local authorities often ask for this document to validate your identity.
How to do consular registration in each European country: a practical guide
Each Venezuelan consulate in Europe has its own specific procedures and requirements, but they all share some common elements. Here we explain how it works in the main countries where our community lives.
Spain: the detailed process
At Spain, the consular register is done by completing a online electronic form through the website of the consulate corresponding to your autonomous community. You must attach in PDF format:
- Legible copy of your identity card.
- Copy of the pages of the Venezuelan passport with your personal data.
- Copy of the Spanish visa if you have it.
- Copy of your DNI or residence card on both sides.
- Copy of the census registration form updated with less than three months of issue.
- For minors, In addition, the following is required copy of the birth certificate and identity card of both parents.
- For Venezuelans by naturalisation, is compulsory enclose a copy of the Official Gazette or proof of SAIME filiatory data.
Italy: similar procedure with nuances
In the Venezuelan consulate in Italythe consular registration is also a prerequisite for all other procedures. You need:
- Identity card Venezuelan law in force.
- Photo size carnet with a white background.
- Proof of the immigration stamp for entry into Italy.
- Residence permit Italian if you possess it.
France, Germany and Portugal
In France (including Monaco and Andorra), the registration is done at the Consular Section of the Embassy in Paris, It is confidential and serves to update the database of Venezuelan residents.
In Germany, the Consular Section in Berlin offers free registration for Venezuelan residents, where you can obtain the consular registration certificate once you are registered.
In Portugal, the process follows a similar procedure through the embassy in Lisbon.
The consular discharge certificate: when do you need it and how to obtain it?
The consular discharge certificate is a completely different document from the registration document, and is essential in some very specific situations. This certificate proof that you have deregistered from a country's consular register, usually because you are returning to your home country or moving to another country.
As a migrant in Europe, consular leave applies in two specific situations:
1. Permanent return to your home countryWhen you decide to return permanently, you apply to your European consulate to be discharged from the civil registry of your country.
2. Change of European countryIf you move, for example, from Spain to another country within the European Union, you must deregister at the Spanish consulate and then register in the new country. This process maintains continuity in the registers.
General process
- Present passport/ID card
- Certificate of registration of current registration
- Letter explaining the reason for leaving
- New address (Your country/other consulate)
Important: Withdrawal does not remove your Venezuelan nationality or the rights that this entails. It only updates your current consular location.
Why do these certificates protect your identity and your rights?
Consular registration is not just a piece of paper, it is your shield of protection while living away from your loved ones. When you are officially registered, the consulate can intervene on your behalf if you find yourself in emergency situations, They can help you with any of the following: accidents, legal problems, hospitalisations, arrests or even deaths. If any of these misfortunes occur (hopefully not) they can contact your family members, offer legal guidance, and provide direct accompaniment when you need it most.
In case of natural disasters, political instability or health crises (as we experienced during the pandemic), registered citizens receive priority information, evacuation instructions if necessary, and access to special protective measures. Without registration, you simply do not exist in the consular system and will be unprotected in these situations.
In addition, consular registration allows you to participate in electoral processes Venezuelans when they are enabled abroad, exercising your right to vote from Europe. It is a way to keep your citizenship alive, to continue having a voice in the decisions of your country, even if you are thousands of kilometres away.
Procedures that can only be carried out if you are registered in the consular register
Once registered, a whole range of consular services essential to your life as a migrant opens up. These are the most important ones:
- Renewal and extension of passportsWithout an updated consular record, you cannot renew your expired Venezuelan passport or apply for an extension. It is the most demanded procedure and the one that generates the most urgency when the expiry date approaches.
- Apostille of documents: To legalise university degrees, birth certificates, transcripts or any Venezuelan document you need to use in Europe, you must be registered. Since 2019, Venezuela has implemented the Electronic Legalisation and Apostille System (SLAE), but consular registration is still a prerequisite.
- Powers of attorney: If you need someone in Venezuela to handle procedures on your behalf (selling a property, collecting pensions, banking), you must grant a special power of attorney at the consulate. This procedure is only available to registered citizens.
- Birth registration: If you have a child born in Europe, you can register his or her birth in the Venezuelan civil registry through the consulate, guaranteeing him or her Venezuelan nationality.
- Proof of life and other evidence: Documents certifying that you are alive and that you reside at a certain address, which are necessary to collect Venezuelan pensions or to carry out inheritance procedures.
Documents you need to keep up to date at all times
In order to keep your consular status active and to be able to access all services smoothly, we recommend that you keep these documents up to date at all times:
- Valid Venezuelan passportIt is your main identity document abroad. Even if it has expired, keep it because it contains valuable historical information.
- Venezuelan identity cardAlthough it is not compulsory for all procedures, it greatly facilitates any procedure.
- Up-to-date registration formIn Spain it is a requirement for almost everything. It must have been issued less than three months ago. Apply for it at your local town hall.
- Residence permit or European ID card: Prove your legal status in the host country.
- Copy of the registration confirmation email: When you complete the online form, you will receive a confirmation email. Keep it, because you will need it to apply for the certificate.
Common mistakes to avoid
- The most common mistake is let time pass without registering. Many Venezuelans arrive in Europe and postpone consular registration. «for later», until they need to renew their passport urgently and discover that they have to register first, which adds weeks or even months to the process.
- Another common mistake is not updating the registry when you change your address within the same country, or when you move to another autonomous community in Spain (each has its own consulate or jurisdiction).
- It is also common to failure to keep proof of registration, This will force you to repeat unnecessary formalities.
From Curiara we help you to keep your documentation up to date. Every time you send a consignment to Venezuela, you generate a series of official proof that your economic activity is legitimate. So the connection with your family remains active, and your responsibility as a migrant in order.
Remember that these documents can be useful for multiple procedures, including the residency application where you must prove your family ties and the economic support you provide to the people around you in Venezuela.