Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) refreshed its Smartraveller advisory for Spain on 27 July, adding new guidance on the Schengen Entry/Exit System and a warning about pending ground-handling strikes. The notice reminds Australians that airlines may check proof of entry date to ensure compliance with the 90/180-day rule and that overstays will now be calculated automatically by the EES. The update also highlights the possibility of flight delays at Palma de Mallorca, Madrid and Barcelona from 28 July because of industrial action. Travellers are urged to monitor airline notifications, keep medicines and valuables in cabin bags and allow extra time when connecting onward to North Africa or Latin America. Although the Smartraveller risk level for Spain remains at the second-lowest tier (“Exercise a high degree of caution”), DFAT now explicitly recommends travel insurance that covers strike-related disruption and extreme-heat medical expenses. Corporate mobility teams with Australian assignees should circulate the new advisory and ensure HR systems correctly track Schengen days. Companies should also revisit crisis-response protocols that reference passport-stamp verification, replacing them with EES data checks.
