The new Schengen system does not apply at the border of Gibraltar
Algeciras (Cádiz).- The new entry and exit system (SES) at the external borders of the Schengen area, in effect since last Sunday, is not provisionally applied at the Gibraltar border and it is expected that it will never be implemented due to the application of the treaty between Spain, the United Kingdom, and the European Union to define the situation of the Rock after Brexit.
This has been emphasized by the Government of Gibraltar in a statement, specifying that the Spanish authorities have not decided to apply this new border control system, which came into effect on October 12, and which now has a progressive application period until April 10, 2026.
The SES is the new digital border management system of the Schengen area, which records the entry and exit of non-EU citizens at the shared borders between Schengen States and those that do not belong to this area. It replaces the old manual passport stamping system with biometric controls.
The Government of the Rock emphasizes that, despite coming into effect last Sunday, it now has a gradual application phase over the next six months, meaning that during this period it will not be applied at all external borders of the Schengen area.
The authorities of the colony stress that “the intention, as demonstrated by the political agreement reached on June 11, 2025, is that the SES will not be applied at the border between Gibraltar and Spain, neither now nor in the future. This will be the case because our future agreements with the European Union foresee that there will be no routine immigration controls between Gibraltar and Spain or between Gibraltar and the rest of the Schengen area.”
Furthermore, they point out that the treaty agreements are designed to exempt from the SES requirements at all external Schengen border crossings those who legally reside in Gibraltar, that is, holders of Gibraltar civil registration cards, regardless of their nationality, and holders of Gibraltar identity documents.
Gibraltar indicates in this regard that, “together with the Government of the United Kingdom, we continue to work to finalize the legal text of this agreement as soon as possible.” October 14
