British residents who were in Spain prior to 1st January 2021 should apply for their TIE now.

Filed under : Residencia

Many British residents and visitors to Europe will have heard about the new EU’s Entry Exit System (EES).

This will affect British residents living in Spain and is going to be positive for those who hold the TIE. The TIE is a biometric card which is listed as a residency document under the Withdrawal Agreement.

When the EES comes into force those who hold the TIE will be able to enter and leave Spain without having to create a  digital record by passing through the electronic gates under the new EES.

The new entry system for those who do not have the TIE is going to  to ensure those who enter and leave the Schengen zone stay within the 90 in 180 day requirement.

There are still a number of British citizens who have legal residency in Spain and are relying on the old green card or paper.

While Spain has not made the TIE application compulsory we strongly advise you now look to change

to the TIE. This will avoid any future problems at the border which may occur if you have the old green card.

You can find more information on the Gov UK website at

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain#if-you-were-living-in-spain-before-1-january-2021

The date of the entry of the EES has not yet been confirmed so it is best to apply now for the TIE.

If you live in Spain or have relatives living here a good source of information can be found here

https://www.supportinspain.info

If you need assistance with your TIE and also any Visa applications to live in Spain do contact us on [email protected] or call on +34 952 527014 and for our Tenerife, Canary Islands office on +34 922 719 520.