The British Embassy in Madrid has told The Local that all UK citizens residing in Spain will need to carry their TIE when they travel due to the EU’s new Entry/Exit rules, discouraging travel without a valid residency document from October 12th.
The EU’s new Entry/Exit System known as EES will be rolled out across the bloc starting from this Sunday October 12th through its full implementation in April 2026.
This will mean new border checks for non-EU residents who enter the Schengen Area such as photographs and fingerprinting.
READ ALSO: UK Embassy in Spain spells out new EES travel rules for Brits
Crucially though, if you’re a non-EU citizen but are a resident in Spain, you will not have to register for it.
The British Embassy in Spain told The Local that “British Residents in Spain should travel with a valid TIE, which will exempt them from registering in the EES”.
However, “those without a valid TIE should apply for a new TIE as soon as possible, and preferably before they travel.
“We do not recommend travelling on expired documentation”, UK embassy representatives in Madrid stressed.
If travel is necessary, UK residents without valid documentation (due to expiry/loss) “are encouraged to travel directly to the host State in which they enjoy a right to reside”.
READ ALSO: Can Brits in Spain renew their TIEs in another town or immigration office?
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TIE stands for Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero and it’s the Foreigner’s Identity Card of non-EU residents in Spain.
If you’re a UK citizen who moved to Spain before Brexit and are therefore covered under the Withdrawal Agreement (WA), you would have been encouraged to exchange your previous EU green residency certificate for a biometric TIE.
If you still have the paper and photo-less green residency document, you will probably know that the British Embassy has repeatedly encouraged you apply to exchange it for a TIE as soon as possible to avoid any issues at the borders when you travel, especially now that EES starts to come into force on October 12th 2025.
READ ALSO: UK Embassy insists Brits in Spain get TIEs or risk being ‘treated as overstayers’
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Unfortunately, the EES launch has coincided with the renewal process for temporary WA TIE card holders in Spain, and thousands of Brits are currently struggling to get appointments to update their expired residency cards for permanent ones with Spanish authorities.
READ MORE: Brits in Spain face appointment nightmare for residency card renewals
Therefore, there is the very real possibility that many UK nationals residing in Spain will be faced with this dilemma of whether to travel or not with an expired TIE.
“Should you still plan to travel before receiving your replacement TIE, we would encourage you to carry as much evidence as possible of your residency, including your expired TIE, and be prepared to explain your situation to border officials. Ensure that you obtain your new TIE before you next travel,” the Embassy has stressed.
It’s important to remember though that even if you have a TIE, you will still also need to travel with your passport.
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 and may have your fingerprints and photo taken.
So far, the new EES System is only expected to be operation at Madrid Barajas on October 12th, but will be rolled out at other airports shortly. Authorities have not yet stated which ones these will be or when.
READ ALSO: Can Brits travel back to Spain if their TIE residency card has expired?
