Brits left bamboozled at Spanish airport over major change

Passengers arrive at Malaga Airport (Image: Getty)

British travellers in Spain have been left bamboozled by Brussels' new entry and exit rules for non-EU members. The EU is rolling out its new digital border controls known as the Entry/Exit System (EES).

The EES came into effect on October 12 and will be gradually implemented to cover all EU countries within a six-month period. Travellers from countries outside the Schengen area will now have to provide their passport information, facial image and fingerprints at the border upon their first entry or exit. Thereafter, only a quick verification will be needed on subsequent trips to the EU.

Mr Murphy told the Express it was 'Brussels punishing the UK' (Image: Steve Murphy)

To help speed up the process, some countries are installing self-service kiosks at airports and ports. However, confusion reigned supreme at Malaga Airport, as British travellers tried to navigate the new procedures.

One couple told the Olive Press that they had to initially register at an automatic kiosk, before checking in via a face scan. Afterwards, they had to pass through another electronic gate, but one of the couple was denied entry.

“It was the exact same process at the second machine…But while my passport worked, my husband’s didn’t,” explained Anne, 67, from Glasgow, in Scotland. And the strange thing is he has a new black one while mine is the older burgundy one.”

She continued: “Even stranger was that both worked fine in Majorca last week and also in Faro, in Portugal.”

British expats resident in Spain have also faced confusion and uncertainty, as they struggle to come to terms with the new rules. Expats say they are unsure whether to join the EU lane – as legal residents of Spain – or the non-EU queue, which is now controlled by the biometric kiosks.

Officials at Malaga Airport told Olive Press that British passport holders with a TIE residency card must use the queue for the EES system. However, Spain's Interior Ministry insisted that those with Spanish residency did not have to and are not subject to the 90-day stay limit for non-EU citizens.

Other British travellers have told the Express they have experienced long delays at borders due the EES roll-out while journeying through Europe.

Steve and Dharshini Murphy were on a trip through the Balkans in October and heading from Montenegro to Croatia on a coach.

Mr Murphy said: "At the Montenegro/Croatia border, EES checks, one camera/booth for the entire coach lane. Crazy.

"We were almost 2 hours, it was 50 minutes per coach. They will need more machines. Of course, it's Brussels punishing the UK."