Hi there everyone,

I have a bit of a problem and wondered if anyone else in this forum has had a similar situation and how they got out of it. Or if anyone can offer some advice it would be very much appreciated.

I moved to the Algarve around 10 months ago now and, stupidly, 3 or 4 months after I arrived, I allowed my passport to expire (yes, stupid I know!!!) Because my parents were here at that time, they needed to renew theirs and simply went to Portimão and got their passports renewed on the day, if only it was still so easy! I recently went to Portimão to the British Consul to apply for my new passport only to be told that they no longer deal with passport applications there and now it is dealt with through the main passport processing office in Madrid, Spain. Not admitting defeat, I took the relevant application forms home to read through at my own leisure, but (and this is a BIG but...) I have come across a couple of problems in getting my replacement:

1) Because they do not accept cash or cheque payments through the post, you have to pay by credit or debit card, however, they do not accept Portuguese debit cards due to they cannot be used for postal purchases and the such like.

2) Because I have only been here for 10 months and because they require the photographs to be countersigned by someone who has known me for AT LEAST 2 years who is a person in "high stature" (ie a Doctor, Lawyer etc) I am in a snag as I do not know anyone in Portugal who could sign my photographs.

This leaves me two options, either I travel to Madrid (by train I might add as I can't fly as I have no passport) to apply for my passport in person so I can pay cash and dont have to get the photographs countersigned, or at my own expense (which as you can imagine will be very costly) send my passport forms back home along with my photographs and the money (all by recorded delivery so I am insured if anything goes wrong) to someone who has an English credit card for them to write the card number details on the form, countersign the documents and return them to me for me to receive them, add my old expired passport to the package then forward to the central office in Madrid........ phew.....I am out of breath after that!!!

As you can imagine, this is all very much a big inconvenience for me and, although I can already hear the distant voices saying "You're the one to blame!!!" I cant help but be in this situation. To make matters worse, I only have limited money and without my passport, I cant work legally!!!

If anyone can give any advice it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks