Spanish Brits are once again urged to make sure they have important documents to avoid being “not being treated as an oversteer”. The British Embassy in Madrid took part in social media to remind Spanish British residents to exchange pre-Brexit documents for the latest certificates.
Before Brexit, British people living in Spain used Green EU residency certificates. However, this was then exchanged for Tarjetas de Identadad de Extranjero (foreign identity card) as evidence of residency. This will soon become the only document accepted by the Spanish authorities for British citizens, and hope to stay in the country for a long time.
The British Embassy in Madrid said in a Facebook post: “Only those with biometric ties when entering Spain are exempt from EES. If you have only a green certificate, it will not be accepted as evidence of residence for EES purposes.”
Thai documents prove your legal status as a Spanish foreigner and give you the same rights as before the UK left the EU. This is only required if you have a visa that allows you to stay in the country for more than six months.
If you are just a tourist and you are not planning to stay for more than six months, you do not need a Thai card. Documents are required only for non-EU citizens.
Older green certificates will not be recognized soon by the new EU Entry Ex System (EES). It is expected to take effect later this year and will collect traveler names, passport details and biometric data, including fingerprints and captured facial images. All this information is on the Thai Card.
The embassy added: “To be exempt from registering with the EE, British residents of the EU must display a valid, uniform form of biometric card.”
“You could be treated as a border tourist, subject to a full EES check and be accused of overstaying in the Schengen zone.”
Latest data from the Spanish Immigration Observatory found that 403,925 British citizens were officially registered as living in Spain as of June 2024, of which only 217,408 were involved, suggesting that many have not yet corrected the documents.
Sir Alex Ellis previously said he was the ambassador under Spain's Jehovah.
“It can take several months, so once EES comes into effect later this year, start the process to ensure smooth travel.”
