The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) released an updated Spain travel-advice notice on 25 September reflecting two operational changes important to corporate travellers. First, following the provisional UK-EU agreement on Gibraltar applied on 15 July 2026, the old entry-booth structures at the Gibraltar-La Línea crossing have been dismantled. Travellers now experience a Schengen-style flow with randomised rather than systematic passport inspection. The FCDO warns, however, that Spanish police retain the right to conduct spot checks, so visitors should still carry valid travel documents. Second, the notice expands guidance on the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which entered phased operation this year. British and other third-country nationals arriving in Spain may be required to register biometric data—fingerprints and a facial image—on first entry, a process that can add several minutes per passenger. The advice urges airlines to allow additional boarding-gate time and recommends that travellers with tight onward connections reconsider itineraries. For mobility managers the update means that staff transiting via Gibraltar can factor in shorter—but less predictable—crossing times, while assignments that involve multiple Schengen hops should include buffers for EES registration. HR teams should also brief employees on Schengen-area passport validity rules: documents must be issued within the past ten years and be valid for at least three months beyond the intended exit date. Travel-policy tip: embed the new FCDO URL in company booking tools and set an automatic alert whenever the advice page is revised. Several insurers now tie policy validity to compliance with official travel guidance.
Source: GOV.UK – Foreign Travel Advice
