The British Association of Sant Antoni, Ibiza, which is chaired by Martin Makepeace, has sent a formal letter to the president of the Council of Ibiza, Vicent Marí, highlighting the “worrying” situation faced by third-country nationals, particularly British nationals, when passing through passport control at Ibiza airport, even though they hold a Foreign Identity Card (TIE).
Although TIE holders are legal residents, border control systems prioritise passport scanning. Upon detecting a document from a non-EU country, the protocol automatically directs the citizen to the non-EU queues for manual inspection and stamping. This not only slows down entry into Ibiza, but also forces officers to carry out a double physical check to avoid stamping the passports of those who, as residents, are not subject to the 90-day stay limit. Without specific queues that recognise the residence card as granting access similar to that of other EU citizens, British residents are forced to endure a long wait at the airport.
“There are cases of waiting times of over an hour,” Makepeace explained in comments to Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera, “in Palma and Alicante they already have a system to avoid this problem, but here in Ibiza they don’t. And it cannot be that, as residents of the island, we have to wait as long as if we were tourists from outside the EU.”
Makepeace pointed out that airport authority AENA has already set up a special system for this type of resident at airports such as those in Alicante and Palma and wondered why the island “is not applying the same solution”.
“This situation is causing understandable concern among legal residents who hold valid residence documents,” he also stated in the letter sent to the Island Council. He also warned that the problem could worsen with the tourist season if measures are not taken. For this reason, the British Association of Sant Antoni is asking the Council to intercede with AENA so that the public body applies the same systems at Ibiza airport as it is applying at other airports to “facilitate and speed up the passage of Ibiza residents through passport control”.
Ibiza is not the only airport where this problem has been reported. The same has happened at Barajas and Málaga airports. The implementation of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) for EU countries is causing these kinds of situations, which are exacerbated in regions with a high number of British residents.
The EES is the automated system used to monitor the entry and exit of non-EU citizens into the Schengen area. Although it should already be fully implemented at airports across Spain, the problem lies in the fact that the first time a citizen with a TIE passes through this checkpoint, they must provide all their biometric data. This is where the delays mainly occur, and at Barcelona airport they have exceeded three hours.
“The wait in Ibiza is over an hour,” complained Makepeace, “they’ve set up a special queue in Palma. In Alicante too. Why not here? What we’re asking is for the Council to speak to AENA because it’s unacceptable that, as residents, we have to wait so long.”
Last month, Abta said the Easter period would likely be the first real test of EES. It has also previously called on EU border authorities to make better use of the contingency measures available to smooth the rollout.
Mark Tanzer, Abta chief executive, on Friday (10 April) said: "The rollout of EES is continuing to present a mixed picture for travellers. While some journeys are smooth, others involve longer waiting times and uncertainty at the border, particularly during busy periods.
“Member states do have access to a range of permitted provisions intended to help manage passenger flows and minimise disruption at the borders. However, the industry is increasingly concerned that these measures are not being applied consistently in practice, which can add pressure on operations.”
Tanzer also made a “critical” plea for clarity and consistency around the rollout. “Abta understands manual passport stamping will continue at the UK’s juxtaposed border in the coming weeks,” he said.
“It is therefore critical there is greater clarity and consistency in how the system is implemented, alongside appropriate staffing and planning, particularly as we approach the peak summer travel period. We continue to share feedback from our members with the European Commission and national authorities.”