Tom Ewart Smith
BRITISH residents in Malaga and Alicante provinces have been issued an urgent warning to exchange their paper Green Certificates for the biometric TIE card before October or risk being denied entry to Spain after holidays.
The British Embassy in Spain has launched a targeted campaign after official data from the Spanish Ministry for Inclusion revealed that these two provinces – home to the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca – have the highest numbers of Brits still using the outdated green residency documents.
When the EU’s new Entry Exit System comes into force this autumn, Green Certificate holders could face serious travel disruptions as the document will not be recognised at borders under the Schengen Borders Code.
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“We have already seen an increase in Brits getting a TIE since our campaign began, which is fantastic news,” said British Ambassador to Spain, Sir Alex Ellis.
“However, there remains a minority of British people still in possession of a Green Certificate, so we want to reach them, explain why the TIE is so important and ensure they have one by October.”
The stark warning comes as border authorities confirmed that once the new system is implemented, anyone without a valid biometric residency card could be wrongly classified as tourists who have overstayed their 90-day limit – potentially leading to them being denied entry and returned to the UK.
The Embassy has been escalating its outreach efforts since May last year, working with local British support organisations including Age Concern, the Royal British Legion, MABS Cancer Support, Samaritans, and various HELP groups.
Officials are also cooperating with Spanish authorities to increase appointment availability in these key areas, where hundreds of thousands of British nationals pass through the airports each year.
Under the new border system, all non-EU passengers entering Spain or other EU countries will need to register biometric data unless they can present a valid biometric residency card – which for British residents in Spain means only the TIE will be accepted.
Anyone experiencing problems securing an appointment should contact their nearest Foreigners Office (Oficina de Extranjeria).
For more information on how to exchange your Green Certificate for a TIE, visit the UK government’s Living in Spain guide at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain.
