Despite the roll out of the new EES biometric entry exit system having been rolled out since October in Spain, and November in the case of Mallorca, there continues to be plenty of confusion with many British traveller who have a TIE card and are resident in Spain, having passports stamped, which is not supposed to happen. The British Embassy in Spain has said that during the initial six months of EES your passport may be stamped on entry and exit, but this will not affect your rights in the EU country or countries where you live or work.
The Foreign Office states: “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. For residents of Spain, that card is the Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE). View the EU’s frequently asked questions about the EES.”
But there is a awarning for those who still hold the green certficate: “Green Certificates (‘Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión Europea’) will not be recognised for EES exemption. The Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE) is the only residency document listed in the EU Schengen Border Guard Handbook and is the only document which border officers will accept as legal proof of residency.
Green Certificate holders may be wrongly identified as overstaying in the Schengen area and, therefore, denied entry to Spain or other Schengen countries.”
Green Certificate holders may be wrongly identified as overstaying in the Schengen area and, therefore, denied entry to Spain or other Schengen countries. To ensure you are exempt from registering with EES checks, you will need to show a TIE. While the green certificate will not be recognised for travel and EES exemption when EES is introduced in October, it does continue to be a valid proof of residency, and therefore, entitlement to public services within Spain.
UK residents are being urged yet again to get the TIE