Wednesday 7th August
The British Embassy in Spain is highlighting newly published guidance on the Entry-Exit System to British nationals in Spain: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en. The guidance issued by the European Union sets out more detail on the scheme, it’s implementation and how Withdrawal Agreement Beneficiaries can avoid registration. There is also an online tool for travellers to check the number of days they can spend in the Schengen zone, which will become available once the EES goes live later this year.
The EES will require all non-EU short stay travellers to register via an automated system at the border. They will need to provide their name, passport details, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) and the date and place of entry and exit upon entering Spain. This will replace the current passport stamping at the border. These details will be held on file for three years, meaning Britons making repeat visits to Spain within a three-year period will not have to go through the same registration process each time.
To be exempt from registering with the EES, British residents in the EU will need to show a valid uniform-format biometric card, which in Spain is the TIE. The non-biometric Green Certificate, though a valid residency document in Spain, was issued prior to EU Exit and therefore, does not feature in the Withdrawal Agreement or in Annex 22 of the Schengen Border Guard Handbook document. It is expected that Green Certificate holders may lose out on the chance to be exempt from registering. As a result, they may encounter difficulties and delays at the border, especially when entering other EU countries where the Green Certificate may not be recognised.
The British Embassy is therefore asking those still using a Green Certificate to get a TIE as soon as possible, ahead of the introduction of the EU’s new Entry Exit System (EES), expected in Autumn this year.
The process for securing a TIE appointment the card itself is run by the Spanish Government. More information on how to apply, including links to Spanish Government websites where the applications are made, can be found on the ‘Living in Spain’ guide on gov.uk.
Useful Links
LiG: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain#visas-and-residency
EU Guidance: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en
Spanish residency guidance: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/en/brexit_en/residence/in-spain-on-12-31-2020
Spanish TIE application: https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/es/servicios-al-ciudadano/tramites-y-gestiones/extranjeria/oficinas-para-tramites-de-extranjeria/
