As the EU’s new EES is due to come into force on October 12th, the British Embassy in Madrid has clearly explained what this will mean for Brits travelling to Spain depending on whether they’re TIE residents, tourists or green certificate holders.
From October 12th 2025, the EU will introduce its new Entry/Exit System or EES, which are new border checks for non-EU residents who enter the Schengen Area.
As a result, the UK Embassy in Spain has shared several posts over the past two weeks on their Facebook group Brits in Spain which explain what to expect if you’re British and you’re travelling to Spain from that date onwards.
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In practice, many UK nationals entering Spain will have their photo and fingerprints taken when they land and pass through passport control.
The system will be implemented over the next six months until April 2026, so not all airports in Spain will have rolled it out immediately. Therefore, the situation could be slightly different depending on the Spanish airport you travel to.
READ ALSO: Spain to launch EES on October 12th at Madrid-Barajas airport
Visitors to Spain
If you’re a tourist just visiting Spain, you will go to the non-EU passport control area and will have to show your passport.
According to the British Embassy in Madrid, “your fingerprints and photo may be taken”.
If so, you will be directed to an EES kiosk to answer any questions about your visit and have four of your fingerprints taken, as well as your photo. This may mean extra waiting times, so take this into consideration and factor this into your schedule.
Finally, you will be sent to a border guard or e-gate to either scan or possibly stamp your passport.
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UK nationals residing in Spain with TIE cards
If you are living in Spain and have your foreign residents’ card or TIE , you will also need to go to the non-EU passport control section. Spain’s airport operator Aena has confirmed that some airports will have special queues for residents.
You will need to bring both your passport and your TIE card to the airport and present them both to the border guards.
You will not need to register in the EES and therefore will not have your fingerprints taken or your photo taken.
Your passport may still be stamped, the UK Embassy explains.
Having a TIE also means you will be exempt from EES registration at other Schengen borders across the EU. This means if you’re travelling to France or Italy for example, then you won’t have to register there either.
You will still, however, be subject to the 90-day rule in other EU countries, meaning you can still only spend 90 days in 180 days there.
If you have lost your TIE or forget to bring it, you may face difficulties. Remember to bring it with you and if you’ve lost it, you will need to apply for a new one. If it’s in the process of renewal or you have already applied to replace it, bring as much proof of this as possible with you.
Travel to Spain: Your questions answered about EES and ETIAS
A breakdown by the UK Embassy in Spain for the EES rules for Brits depending on their status.
UK residents in Spain with green certificates
If you’re a UK resident in Spain and you still hold your EU green residency certificate and didn’t exchange it for a TIE after Brexit, then you may have problems re-entering Spain when you travel, the UK Embassy writes.
Although applying for a TIE was optional though encouraged when Brexit took place, and authorities said the green certificates would remain valid, this is no longer the case when it comes to travel due to the new EES rules.
“Only those with a biometric TIE are exempt from the EES when entering Spain,” wrote the Embassy last April, adding that they risk being treated as “overstayers”.
The British Embassy has for years now urged UK residents that still have the photo-less paper green certificates to exchange them for post-Brexit TIE hard plastic cards, and more recently Spanish authorities have also been strongly encouraging the swap.
However, the exchange has not been made compulsory, and in the eyes of Spain these pre-Brexit green certificates – issued to EU nationals in Spain – still prove the legal residency in Spain of Brits who have them.
But as this is not common knowledge and these documents aren’t biometric, they will most likely mean travel problems under the new EES rules.
READ MORE: UK Embassy insists Brits in Spain get TIEs or risk being ‘treated as overstayers’
