We have received a letter from The Ambassador, Sir Alex Ellis at the British Embassy, Madrid
I am writing to you with an update on the Entry Exit System (EES) and our campaign to encourage British residents in Spain to get the TIE. You will recall that my predecessor, Hugh, wrote to you on this subject last year to explain the EES and the possible risks Green Certificate holders could face when crossing Schengen borders.
Although the EES did not launch in 2024 as expected, we did see an uptick in applications for the TIE last year which your support no doubt contributed to.
This month, the European Union (EU) has published draft legislation in preparation for the EES coming into force in Autumn 2025. It states that Green Certificates will not be recognised by the EES, in Spain or any other Schengen country. We thought this might be a possibility but had hoped that some kind of exception would be shown, at least on the Spanish borders. However, it has now been made clear to us that Green Certificate holders travelling in and out of Spain should expect difficulties, which could range from lengthy delays, to being denied entry, to possibly being banned from the Schengen area. There will be options to lodge an appeal, but this could be a lengthy process which would need to be completed from the UK.
While the Spanish National Police may wish to be pragmatic with British residents in Spain, they will be operating under instructions from the EU so Green Certificate holders should not expect flexibility from them.
I recognise this will be concerning news for many, particularly Green Certificate holders. But there remains time for British residents to get a TIE if they act now. That’s why we are stepping up our campaign and changing our messages to give total clarity on how Green Certificate holders will be treated.
Please share our updated Living in Guide with your contacts and advise them of the importance of getting a TIE:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain#visas-and-residency .
We understand that there are now enough appointments available in key areas, but if you are aware of any issues or other barriers preventing British people from getting the TIE, please do let us know so we can work together to unblock them
The UK Foreign Office and the Spanish Government recommend any UK national in possession of a green Residency Certificate, to exchange it for the biometric TIE card (that was introduced in July 2021) as soon as possible.
Last year our friends at Age In Spain produced this guide for how to obtain a TIE here. | 
