The Spanish Consulate in San Francisco faces an overwhelming backlog of urgent and necessary requests, leaving many Spaniards in the region in distress. Residents in the technology hub of Silicon Valley report waiting periods of up to two years for procedures such as passport renewals, registration of marriages, and the birth of newborns.
One resident, Miguel Alejandro Williams, recently went through a grueling two-year process to register his marriage and the birth of his two children at the consulate. Despite multiple attempts to reach out and gather information on the status of his requests, he was met with silence and lack of response from the consulate.
Similarly, another resident, Alex, faced a similar situation when trying to register his daughter’s birth, causing him to lose a job offer in Spain. The lack of responsiveness from the consulate has left many families in distress, with some still waiting to register their children’s births after over a year.
The issues at the consulate extend beyond delays in administrative processes. Alberto, who has lived in the United States for 20 years, faced potential tax problems due to the consulate’s failure to address his requests for power of attorney in a timely manner.
The consulate’s understaffing and lack of technological resources have been cited as the primary causes of the administrative backlog. With only one person in charge of the Civil Registry, the workload has become unsustainable, leading to extensive delays and unresponsive communication.
The Association of Spanish Diplomats has recently denounced the consulate’s operational deterioration, highlighting the need for urgent measures to address the overwhelming backlog and improve service for Spaniards in the San Francisco area.
The plight of Spaniards in the region highlights the urgent need for the Spanish government to address the administrative challenges faced by its consulate in San Francisco and provide the necessary resources to alleviate the severe backlog and ensure timely and efficient service for its citizens abroad.