Green Certificate will not be recognised by the EU's Entry Exit System for UK nationals

The British Embassy in Spain is urging all British nationals resident in Spain to get a tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (TIE) as soon as possible, following new information from the Spanish government that the old Green Certificate will not be recognised by the EU’s Entry Exit System.

The EU have yet to announce a date for when the Entry Exit System (EES) will come into force, though it is believed to be later this year.

Under this new border system, all non-EU short stay travellers will need to register their name, passport details, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) upon entering Spain or any other EU country. 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 or have their passport stamped once EES is fully implemented.

To be exempt from registering with the EES, British residents in the EU will need to show a valid uniform-format biometric card. For British residents in Spain, only a TIE will be accepted by Spanish and EU authorities. The Green Certificate will not be recognised because it does not meet the requirements to feature in Annex 22 of the Schengen Borders Code.

As a result, Green Certificate holders attempting to enter Spain or any other country in the Schengen zone will not be able to use their Green Certificate as valid proof of residency and may be wrongly accused of overstaying in the EU. This could lead to them being denied entry and returned to the UK.

There will be an appeals process although it may require the Green Certificate holder to return to the UK until it is resolved.

The British Embassy and Spanish Government is therefore urging those remaining Green Certificate holders to get a TIE as soon as possible.    

The process for securing a TIE appointment is run by the Spanish government and appointments are readily available in key areas to facilitate uptake. 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.    

Useful Links   

• Living in Guide: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain#visas-and-residency    

• EU Guidance: https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en    

• Spanish TIE application: https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/es/servicios-al-ciudadano/tramites-y-gestiones/extranjeria/oficinas-para-tramites-de-extranjeria/  

•  Spanish information on being denied entry: https://www.interior.gob.es/opencms/es/servicios-al-ciudadano/tramites-y-gestiones/extranjeria/regimen-general/entrada-requisitos-y-condiciones/  

UK opens travel permit process for EU nationals

EU citizens can now apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the UK. 

An ETA is obligatory for European travelers entering the United Kingdom from April 2.

According to the UK government, "an ETA is a digital permission to travel – it is not a visa and does not permit entry into the UK – it authorises a person to travel to the UK."

An ETA currently costs £10 (€12) and permits multiple journeys to the UK for stays of up to six months at a time over two years or until the holder's passport expires – whichever is sooner.

Information on who can get an ETA and how to apply before coming to the UK is available on gov.uk.

With an ETA, visitors can come to the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study. It can also be used for transit through a UK airport that passes through border control.

Exemptions

An ETA is not required if permission to live, work, or study in the UK has been granted, or if the traveler holds a visa.

Travelers transiting through a UK airport without passing through border control do not need an ETA.

British and Irish citizens are exempt, as are EU citizens residing in Ireland and traveling to the UK from Ireland.

Travel to EU

The European Union is also set to introduce its ETIAS travel authorisation, an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals, including UK citizens, travelling to 30 European countries.

An ETIAS will cost €7 and be valid for up to three years or until the traveler's passport expires.

The date the requirement will be introduced is still to be announced. The EU has confirmed it will not be before July 2025.