If you’re a British resident in Spain and still have the EU green certificate, you’ll need to exchange it for a TIE as soon as possible, as it won’t be recognised by the EU’s new Entry Exit System.
The British Embassy in Spain has called for all British nationals resident in Spain to get a TIE card as soon as possible with the introduction of the EU’s new travel system.
The TIE stands for tarjeta de identidad de extranjero (foreign identity card) and is a residency card that all non-EU citizens are required to get when they move to Spain. Before Brexit, British residents had the EU green residency certificate instead.
Although it was stated at the time that this certificate would remain valid after the UK left the EU, the British Embassy urged all British nationals to exchange it for a TIE instead to avoid complications.
According to new information from the Spanish Government, the old green certificate will not be recognised by the EU’s Entry Exit System (EES).
READ ALSO: EU aims for October start date for EES passport checks
READ ALSO: Brits in Spain urged to exchange old residency cards to prove they’ve not overstayed
The EU have yet to announce a date for when the EES will come into force, though it is believed to be in October of this year.
Under this new system, all non-EU travellers staying in Spain for a short time will need to register. The system includes enhanced passport checks including biometric details such as fingerprints and facial scans upon entering Spain or any other EU country.
These details will be held on file for three years, meaning Britons making several 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 the system has been implemented.
But, if you’re resident in Spain instead of just visiting, you should be exempt from having to register with the new system.
According to the British Embassy in Madrid, “to be exempt from registering with the EES, British residents in the EU will need to show a valid uniform-format biometric card”.
READ ALSO: The big differences between NIE and TIE in Spain
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For British residents in Spain, this means that only a TIE will be accepted by Spanish and EU authorities. The EU green residency certificate will not be recognised because as the embassy states “it does not meet the requirements to feature in Annex 22 of the Schengen Borders Code”.
This means that any British residents who still have the green certificate and try and enter Spain or any other country in the Schengen zone will not be able to use their it as valid proof of residency and may be wrongly accused of overstaying in the EU.
This could mean you may be denied entry and to Spain and even deported back to the UK. Embassy representatives say that there will be an appeals process, but it may require the green certificate holder to return to the UK the issue is resolved.
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The British Embassy and Spanish Government is therefore urging those remaining Green Certificate holders to get a TIE as soon as possible.
UK Ambassador to Spain, Sir Alex Ellis said: “We want British residents in Spain to be able to travel smoothly into this country. That’s why it’s really important that anyone with a Green Certificate gets a TIE. It can take a few months, so start the process now to ensure smooth travel once the EES comes into force later this year.”
If you need more information on how to get a TIE, find out here and how to exchange your green card here.
