British expats in Spain are warned to get a TIE card ahead of EU’s new entry/exit system

THE British embassy has warned expats in Spain to get the TIE card as the EU’s new entry/exit system comes into force. 

British expats in Spain have been warned to register for a TIE card in order to be exempt from the new Entry-Exit system. 

The EES will require non-EU short stay travellers to register via an automated system at the border. 

READ MORE: EU’s new Entry/Exit System that will scan passports instead of stamping them is pushed back yet again

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. 

READ MORE: British tourists report being refused entry into Spain for failing to show this document at the border – including a couple visiting their OWN home

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. 

They are also 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.

They also provided some 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/

READ MORE: British expats in Spain are warned to ‘get the TIE card NOW’ or they may face problems when travelling under the EU’s new Entry Exit System