Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
SPAIN’s Interior Ministry confirmed finally that British residents with a TIE-card must not use new queues and automatic gates for entering or exiting the country.
The official clarification is in line with a recent internal directive from the Policia Nacional de Malaga which stated that Brits living in Spain should not be registered under the EU’s EES.
The Ministry has now stated that UK citizens are exempt if they have a valid residency document such as the TIE.
READ MORE Malaga police now tell Brits who are resident in Spain they should NOT join the EES queue at the airport – and doing so by mistake could have nasty consequences
Instead, they can go to an staffed passport counter and present both their passports and TIE cards.
The EES will apply to those who don’t have the card. They are treated as if they were a regular national from a third-country and will need to go through it.
After weeks of conflicting guidance from various authorities, the confirmation provides clarity to tens and thousands of British citizens.
The Policia Nacional Malaga had already informed its officers that those residents with TIEs should completely avoid EES kiosks, and automated lanes.
READ MORE As the EES continues to cause gridlock at Spain’s airports, scenes of chaos are seen at Tenerife South Airport
The Interior Ministry originally gave contradictory directions, but has now aligned with the Police on this matter.
It’s not too late to get the message, because the Ministry warned that Brits mistakenly passing through EES kiosks would be registered as tourists.
It means that their stay will be recorded under the 90-day rule and not as a resident.
It could result in future flags for excessive stay, delays at border crossings or the need to formally ask to delete or correct their EES record.
READ MORE Exclusive: Brits confused by EES roll-out at Malaga airport. Residents and tourists in Spain are both bamboozled.
This clarification follows weeks of travel disruptions and delays, as well as long queues in several Spanish airports due to the new system’s struggle to handle the volume of passengers from outside the EU.
Some residents have reported waiting in line for as long as two hours, only to find out they are on the wrong queue and must start over.
At boarding gates, airlines also made contradictory announcements. Some directed residents to EES kiosks while others insisted they avoid them.
A shortage of staff led to the shutdown or unused operation of several EES systems at peak times.
READ MORE EXPLAINER – Which queue should British citizens with a TIE Card join now that EES has arrived in Spain?
Some airports have stopped using kiosks when long queues started forming in the terminal.
Note that confirmation from the Interior Ministry is not a guarantee that all staff on the frontline will receive the new instruction.
When airports will update signage remains unclear, as does whether or not airlines will receive uniform guidance.
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