Laurence Dollimore
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BRITISH residents arriving at Malaga airport are still having their passports stamped despite showing the necessary documents, the Olive Press can reveal.
A reporter from this newspaper arrived at the Costa del Sol travel hub on Friday morning, having spent a few days at home in London to visit family.
On their way out of the country on Monday, passport officials did not even open their passport after seeing that they were carrying a green residency card and a Spanish driving licence.
However upon returning this morning, a policia nacional official claimed neither documents were valid enough proof.
She insisted that a photo ID proving residency, i.e. a TIE card, was required to avoid being stamped.
READ MORE: Is my green residency card enough to live and work in Spain? British Embassy releases new guidance
This is categorically false, with the British Embassy in Madrid last year issuing guidance confirming that the green residency card is in fact acceptable.
The embassy even prepared a letter for British residents of Spain to show passport officials who refuse to acknowledge the law.
However this morning, our reporter was simply ignored when they tried to protest the stamp and told to pass on through.
AENA, which manages Malaga airport and most airports through Spain, refused to comment, saying it was a question for Policia Nacional.
The force has been contacted for comment.
In its guidance last year, the British Embassy warned that many officials across Spain are not properly informed of how the green residency card remains valid for residents entering the country.
It advised Brits to get their TIE as soon as possible. However, there have been very few appointments available.
This week, for example, Marbella had zero TIE appointments for the coming weeks, with the online booking platform telling users to check back at a later date.
