British nationals travelling to the Schengen area will soon face new entry requirements as the EU plans to introduce its Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025.
The new digital border system will require UK passport holders to register their biometric details, including fingerprints and facial images, when entering EU countries.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) explained that this automated IT system will replace the current manual passport stamping process.
Its exact launch date has not yet been confirmed, but the EU will announce specific details before implementation.
British residents in Spain will be required to show their TIE card
GETTY IMAGESIn light of this, the FCDO has warned that British residents in Spain must obtain a specific document to avoid issues with the new system.
"To be exempt from registering with the EU's Entry Exit System (EES), British residents in the EU will be required to show a uniform-format biometric card which is listed as a residency document under the Withdrawal Agreement," officials stated.
For residents of Spain, this document is the TIE card. The TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) is the biometric residency card required for British nationals living in Spain post-Brexit.
The FCDO cautioned that while Green Certificates remain a valid document, they "will not be recognised" under the new system.
Green Certificates were issued to those who registered as residents before July 6, 2020.
Green Certificate holders may be wrongly identified as overstaying and denied entry to Spain or other Schengen countries.
For existing residents looking to switch from Green Certificates to TIE, applications can be made through the Spanish Government's 'Extranjeria' offices.
Britons planning on moving to Spain must first apply for the appropriate visa from Spanish consulates in London, Edinburgh or Manchester.
The FCDO advised: "You must apply for your residence document as soon as you arrive in Spain."
This requirement extends to children, who "must also be registered with their own residency documents".
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Britons thinking of moving to Spain must stay up-to-date with the FCDO's latest guidance
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For up-to-date, comprehensive information on living in Spain, including visas and residency, healthcare, working, tax, voting and more, see the FCDO's detailed guide entitled 'Living in Spain'.
This comes as Britons in Spain were issued a safety update, with the FCDO issuing guidance on what to do in an emergency.
As the ALLERTCOPS app is rolled out across the popular expat destination - apart from the Basque country and Catalonia - there is a new approach to "dangerous situations".
