Here’s a rephrased version of your write-up:
All individuals planning to visit Gibraltar are required to carry a valid passport, with the exception of EU citizens who can present a valid national identity card. For tourists entering Gibraltar and Spain, it’s necessary that their passport was issued within the past decade and has at least three months remaining before its expiration date, calculated from the departure date, not the entry date.
Upon arrival, a border officer will inspect and stamp your passport. They may also request additional documents related to your visit. Currently, UK citizens don’t need a visa to enter Gibraltar or Spain, but they may be asked to show evidence of:
- A valid return ticket or onward travel ticket from Spain
- Accommodation details (like a hotel reservation, an invitation from a host, or proof of owning a secondary residence if you’re visiting your own property)
- Adequate funds to cover your stay
The Spanish authorities have indicated that the common reason for denying entry to several individuals at the border is the absence of documents justifying their travel from Gibraltar to Spain. Therefore, it’s advisable to be well-prepared with all necessary documents.
It’s also crucial to adhere to customs regulations when entering and exiting Gibraltar. This includes declaring any duty-free items to customs officers and remembering that Gibraltar’s duty-free allowances are only valid for one visit per month.
What about Gibraltar residents? Residents of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar are given Gibraltar Civilian Registration Cards in various colors – blue for EU citizens, green for non-EU citizens, and magenta for British citizens.
Typically, magenta card holders are the ones most likely to be denied entry into Spain. However, all these residents are also required to present their passport for stamping and respond to any travel-related queries from border officers.
On the other hand, Gibraltar citizens are given red ID cards. These cards allow them to enter Spain without needing their passport stamped or providing additional proof of their travel reasons – a privilege resulting from Gibraltar’s close ties with Spain.
This is, however, a temporary arrangement while the EU and the UK continue their negotiations concerning Gibraltar. The outcome of these negotiations, which could last for several more years, will determine whether any special provisions will be made to facilitate travel between Gibraltar and the Schengen Area.
What about residents in Spain? As you might already know, foreign residents in Spain either have a green residency card if they’re EU citizens (Certificado de Registro de Ciudadano de la Unión Europea) or a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero) card if they’re non-EU citizens.
There are also numerous UK citizens who obtained Spanish residency status before Brexit and have not yet swapped their green residency cards for TIE cards.
While TIE cards validate the holder’s residency status in Spain, they’re not accepted for border crossings. Therefore, TIE card holders must also present their passports along with their residency documents when traveling between Gibraltar and Spain.
Spanish citizens can use their DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad) card and EU citizens can use their national identity card if they don’t have their passport or it has expired.
Spanish residents, including UK citizens, should avoid having their passports stamped when entering or leaving Spain via Gibraltar. However, there have been numerous instances of UK residents in Spain having their British passports stamped by border officials.
Avoid getting a stamp, if possible, as inconsistent stamps from previous visits can lead to complications if you can’t prove that you haven’t overstayed in the Schengen Area.
If you require guidance on traveling between Gibraltar and Spain, or how Spanish residency status can influence your travel requirements, it…