Alex Trelinski
MURCIA’S Corvera Airport will have a fully-automated passport control area completed by May 1.
The upcoming EES system logs people entering and leaving Spain including UK travellers that do not have Spanish residency and can only stay for 90 days within a 180 day period.
The new network is expected to be launched in the country and across the EU from October.
Once EES is proved to be fully functional, from mid-2025, UK visitors to Schengen area countries will have to apply online for permission to enter under the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System(Etias) and pay a nominal fee.
The EES network replaces old-style passport stamping and automates border control procedures, speeding up passport checks.
It crucially identifies people who have no right to enter or who have overstayed in Spain.
Authorities say it makes it easier to detect travellers using fake identities or passports, who may be involved with terrorism or other serious criminal offences.
The network collects personal data each time a person reaches passport control and stores the information in the system together with the date and time of their entry or exit.
The work at Corvera carried out by Madrid-based company Elecnor has seen the restructuring of passenger queue lanes; the installation of new control kiosks; and improving the security camera network.
Passport gates with biometric systems have also been set up.
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