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Which line should I queue in at the airport in Spain as a British citizen?

We answer your questions about airport travel to Spain, such as ‘Can I use the EU line if I have a TIE or residency?’

Reports of hours-long queues at Spanish airports for UK citizens recently have sparked many to wonder if they can use the ‘EU passports’ line if they are residents in Spain and have a NIE number or TIE card (foreigners’ identification).

These delays at Spanish airports have reportedly come about due to a lack of staff at security controls, who are unprepared for huge numbers of British travellers post-Brexit and post-Covid.

So what advice is there regarding which line UK passport holders with Spanish TIE residency should get in – the EU one as it’s where they live or the non-EU one?

It's a great question, and one that many people are struggling with right now.

As a UK citizen, you cannot (or at least are not supposed to!) use the EU line, since the UK is not part of the EU. Your TIE only certifies that you are a resident in Spain, but does not provide you with citizenship.

Thus, you will have to use the non-EU line, queues or no queues.

So what’s the point of having a TIE or Spanish residency?

Being a resident in Spain, and having either the old paper-style NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) document or the new TIE ID cards (Tarjeta de Identificación de Extranjero) to prove it, allows you to remain in the country for more than 90 days out of every 180 without a visa – a rule that came in after Britain left the EU.

It basically states that you live in Spain, that it is your place of residency, and you are not just there on holiday.

Show your TIE at the airport

At the airport, even though you may have to use the non-EU line because you are not an EU citizen, it’s still a good idea to show both your passport and your TIE when you arrive. Otherwise border control will stamp your passport, signalling that you can only spend 90 days out of the next 180 in Spain.

Because you have a TIE anyway, it wouldn’t apply to you and the stamp would be meaningless, but it’s best to be on the safe side and not get stamped in the first place.

Safe flight!

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