Or a state belonging to the European Union.

I think you make assumptions which not correct.

Friends who flew in from Birmingham recently simply presented their passports and were sent on their way without further ado from which I think we can reasonably deduce that scans of those brought up their details and residential status.

They hold green residencias but were not asked to produce them nor did they, they are of course not 'scanable' anyway.

I get that which isn't the point I was making. Better that authorities in Spain follow the WA and don't stamp the passport of those UK people officially resident in Spain. That way there is no confusion entailing trying to convince another Schengen country official that you live legally in Spain and your time living there doesn't count towards Schengen time rules. I agree I would always carry both passport and TIE or Green Residencia if leaving Spain.

I am sure we all agree on this.

However, this was probably down to teething problems and not a widespread coordinated witch hunt by Spanish border official against expats.

If anyone take the likes of the tripe that the Daily Express churns out, they are not to be taken seriously!

It's reporting is quite skewed and far from objective.

I never thought any different like all new procedures mistakes are often made.

does anyone have the faintest idea why the rule is 90 in 180 and not 180 in 360. What is the point of allowing jan to march and jul to september but not say, april to september. Weird.

Prior to Schengen acquis (agreement), most European countries limited the stay of third country nationals to 90 days/3 months. 3 months was considered long enough for leisure travellers, but not long enough for someone who illegally want to work or set up in business. Restriction to 90-in-180 days was to stop people attempting a visa run, i.e. stepping out of a country/group of countries for a day or two and then returning, triggering further stay of 90 days. So the rule was a compromise between allowing leisure travel (and many countries depend on money raised by tourism) and clamping down of illegal residence and working under the table.

I hear more and more people stating that they are not wet stamping passports for British passports which pretty much means Spain don’t give a monkeys about enforcing the 90/180 rule. I always thought this would be the case deep down with Spain and British nationals.

You are premature in your judgement.

Wait until the dust settles.

We will have a high-profile case sooner or later will become the focus of media attention!

I simply don't understand why you think just because you are British you are entitled to special treatment???

Why do you expect British passport holders to be treated differently from other third country nationals? I don't doubt that some are slipping through the net at the moment because it's a completely new system but don't expect that to be the case long term.

You are not exceptional and you have no right to be treated differently from US, Canadian or Russian nationals for example.

Even if Spanish border police can't get someone's residency status when they swipe a passport (and I really doubt that's the case) and they have chosen to let just Brits though out of all third country nationals (and I also doubt that to be the case), ETIAS will put a stop to that when it comes in. Can't argue with computer says no.

You may know some non resident who get through without passport stamp. However the rules are there and Spain has to treat all 3rd country Nationals the same otherwise as someone mentioned earlier, there will be a challenge. This link is very clear on what rules are and what is coming.
https://www.britishineurope.org/arti...-schengen-area

probably because members of this forum are traveling in and out of Spain without getting their passport stamped.

Rightly so if they are legally resident in Spain

What sense would it make to stamp residents' passports?