Exchanging the Green Residency Card for a Tie Biometric Card

Calling all Brits residing in Spain who still have their green card or A4 residency certificate…!

The European Union (EU) is projected to implement a new border control scheme on the 6th of October 2024 that will impact all non-EU citizens entering Europe for a temporary visit. The scheme is known as the Entry/Exit Scheme (EES).

The British Embassy and the Spanish Government are strongly advising anyone with a green residency card or the A4 certificate to apply for a uniform-format biometric card, which in Spain is called the TIE card, as soon as possible to avoid problems and delays at passport controls.

This new scheme will register travellers via an automated system as they arrive in Spain, replacing the current manual stamping of passports at the border. Tourists will be required to provide their name, passport details, biometric data (fingerprints and captured facial images) as well as the date and place of entry and exit upon entering Spain.

Non-EU residents (including Brits) residing in Spain will be exempt from this requirement provided they can show their TIE card alongside their passport.

Although the green card will remain a valid residency document, it is not considered the same thing as a TIE biometric card. As it was established prior to Brexit, it is therefore not included in the Withdrawal Agreement or the Schengen Border Control handbooks. Holders of the green card/A4 certificate may therefore encounter challenges and delays at the border once the EES is enforced.

At Nockolds Lawyers Spain, our expert team can help you with the application of a TIE card in an efficient and stress-free manner.

For anybody looking to apply for residency in Spain, we are also specialists in visas, and can assist with not only guiding you through the entire application process, but also providing you with the sworn translations necessary.