New border control procedures are being introduced for nationals from non-EU/non-Schengen countries. Please note, that these are not yet operational.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a computerised border control system, which will replace manual passport checks.
It will monitor the external borders of the Schengen area by registering entries and exits of third-country nationals who come to visit Alicante and other EU regions for a short period of time.
The launch of the system has been delayed several times. While it was intended to go live on the 10th of November 2024, this date has now been pushed back again. A new start date has yet to be announced.
The system will register non-EU nationals travelling to Alicante (and other areas within the EU) for a short stay. This includes visa-exempt non-EU nationals (e.g. people from the UK, US and many more countries) and those who require a short-stay visa.
People from countries outside the European Union (EU) who don’t need a visa can visit Spain (and other EU countries) for up to 90 days in a 180 day period. It’s crucial to know that this 90-day limit applies across all EU countries that use the EES, meaning you can’t spend more than 90 days in total within any 180 days across all these places.
The EES is mainly about saving time. Instead of stamping passports and doing border checks manually, the EES does it all automatically. In addition, the system will increase border security as it aids in identifying fake IDs or passports. It can easily spot people who shouldn’t be entering or who have stayed too long. Plus, it will help to stop and catch terrorists and other serious criminals.
The EES gathers and keeps track of:
If you are visiting Spain or other EU countries frequently, then you will need to ensure that you don’t exceed a maximum of 90 days in 180 days. That means you can stay for a total of 90 days (roughly, but not exactly, 3 months) in any 180 day period (roughly, but not exactly, 6 months). Your 180 days start with the date of your first visit to Spain (or another EU country that uses the EES).
There will be several ways to find this out:
You have two options:
If you stay too long in European countries that use the EES, including Spain, the system will notice and keep a record of it. Usually, if you’re caught overstaying, there could be consequences under the law of that country. For example, you might be told to leave, fined, or even put in detention. You might also have trouble coming back to the EU later on.
However, there might be exceptions to this rule due to some unforeseeable circumstances, e.g. if you were in hospital due to serious injury or illness. In such a case, you will need to provide credible evidence to border- or immigration authorities, so that your records can be amended.
You can find more detailed information on the official EES website. Once the system is live, the website will also allow you to check how long are allowed to stay in Spain or any other country using the EES.