Embassy urges Brits resident in Spain not to delay in exchanging green certificates

The British Embassy in Madrid has once again urged British citizens resident in Spain who still have a green EU residency certificate to exchange it for the Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE) without delay or risk being treated as “overstayers” in the Schengen Zone when the EU’s new ‘Entry Exit System (EES)’ comes into force, possibly as soon as this October.

Posting on its Facebook page, the Embassy confirmed that “Only those with a biometric TIE are exempt from the EES when entering Spain. If you only have the green certificate, it will not be accepted as proof of residency for EES purposes. You could be treated as a tourist at the border, subject to full EES checks, and potentially accused of overstaying in the Schengen zone.”

After the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union – “Brexit” – both the UK and Spanish authorities confirmed that the green EU residency certificate would remain valid as proof of residency for Brits living in Spain but they also urged those residents to exchange it for a TIE card as soon as possible to avoid complications. In recent months, the Spanish government has confirmed that the green certificates would not be recognised by the EES when it comes into force.

The EU ‘Entry Exit System’ (EES)’ is a new digital border management system designed to replace the traditional manual passport stamping process at entry points into the EU Schengen Zone, including Spain. It will register non-EU travellers each time they enter and exit the zone, using biometric data like fingerprints and facial scans, and digitally record entry/exit details. However, those non-EU nationals who are resident in Spain, including the British, will be exempt from having to register with the system but in order to be exempt, those residents will need to show a valid uniform-format biometric card, and in Spain, only the TIE will be accepted as such.

The British Embassy warned that any attempt to try and enter Spain with anything other than a valid proof of residency – the TIE – could result in refusal of entry and even deportation back to the UK. Although there will be an appeals process, the Embassy has confirmed that it may still require removal back to the UK before the issue can be resolved.

Consequently, both the UK and Spanish authorities urge those still holding on to the green EU residency certificate to get a TIE as soon as possible, warning that the process can take a few months to complete, crucial to future travel plans once the EES comes into operation.

According to data from Spanish authorities, 403,925 UK nationals were officially registered as living in Spain as of the early summer of 2024, but only 217,408 of those had TIEs.