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 biometric TIE, which came into force in 2021, proves that the holder is a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary with the right to reside and work in Spain. Most British people living in Spain already have the TIE, having abandoned the formerly issued paper Green Certificate following Brexit. The British Embassy is asking those still using a Green Certificate to follow suit and 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.
His Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott said: “It’s really important that any British person who lives in Spain gets the TIE - not only because it is the most durable and dependable way to prove your rights in Spain, but also to avoid disruption at the border when the EU’s Entry Exit Scheme comes into force. We are working with the Spanish Government and the EU to prepare for the implementation of this new scheme and we have requested that more TIE appointments are made available. Please keep checking our Living In Guide and social media pages for more information.”
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/
Main picture: lifestylegroup.es
3 comments
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Typical EU/Brussels beaurocracy as it only applies to about a dozen 1st world countries like UK,USA Japan and Australia. It appears that between 7 and 12 countries have defied their Brussels masters and refused to implement this bonkers system. Thank goodness it has been delayed yet again until later in November thereby saving the half term UK business from vanishing to places like Turkey. Hopefully after 7 years of delays and many EU countries refusing to implement the scheme it will find its rightful place scrapped permanently and in the bin.
Don't know how I am supposed to get one when they don't even issue appointments for the TIE card in Palma. Useless
Do not know what the fuss is about, Palma Airport is a doddle compared with Luton Airport passport control.