frigilianafreddy

Anyone know if there are significant delays at passport control Malaga?

Lou71

Yes there were long delays when we went through Malaga airport on Sunday. There are now clearly marked lanes for EU nationals and third country nationals but unfortunately the British were creating a problem by taking up too much space and spilling into the EU lane meaning EU nationals like myself could not get through. Irate EU nationals eventually managed to get airport staff to move them over so we could get to the front because obviously we don't need to be stuck in a massive queue. My British partner was allowed into the fast lane because of travelling with me but they did have to have their passport stamped despite being an EU resident.

The sooner they introduce the EES system for third country nationals, the better.

Albir_Tom

They should not be stamping passports of residents

Lou71

That is a bit of a grey area. The EU have stated that stamps on the passports of EU residents are null and void but they leave it to the discretion of each individual EU state and don't put themselves out to stop them from doing it. It's not really their problem is it?

Joppa

My experience at Malaga is provided you show both your Spanish TIE and passport, they won't stamp your passport, either on leaving or entering. I don't know what happens if you are resident elsewhere in EU and show your local residence document, even in theory they shouldn't stamp

Ronnyone

I have travelled 6 times since I got my TIE. You wont get your passport stamped if you tell the guard in Spanish you are a uk national with Spanish residence. You show your TIE not your passport unless asked. If you hand passport and talk in English they will ignore( or maybe not understand you/ accents etc) they do not need to engage in a lengthy conversation in broken English if they dont want to. The emphasis is for you to speak Spanish andake it clear you are a resident and you dont want your passport stamped. I came back to Spain last week and simply showed my TIE and said I was a resident and he waved me through. Others appeared to trying to hand over passports being asked something without understanding anything and clearly getting stamped ( they didn't seem bothered though- presumably because they dont know what it all means)

Lou71

My partner speaks Spanish and never hands over their passport until they have explained the situation. We are resident in Portugal so that might be the problem but that said, I know of plenty of people with TIE cards who have been stamped despite speaking Spanish.

UK residents in Portugal are also having their passports stamped sometimes but like I said, nobody in the EU is going to spend any of their valuable time on this self inflicted, British problem.

DLC

On one occasion I showed my card first before my passport, I said I was a resident, I got stamped. It's not even clear if the law in Spain is that non-EU residents get stamped or not... Either way it doesn't matter as you always show your residency card with your passport, at least until you stop being an EU resident, and I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Ronnyone

I dont understand why people are getting their passports stamped if they are clearly showing their TIE cards. As I have said I have done it 6 times and never been stamped. My teenage son also has done it and he just shows his green card- however he speaks perfect Spanish and always says he is a British national but with permanent residence. They then either just wave him through or once they asked for his NIE and checked on computer. I do think that the problem is that you need to be able to converse with them in Spanish clearly and fluently so that they understand that you dont want them to stamp your passport. Normally your TIE will suffice as Spanish usually just show their identity cards not passports. If they open your passport and are about to stamp just tell them it is not required. I think the problem is often English pronunciation of Spanish is difficult for them to understand and they simply assume your are a visitor or they expect you to more clear about your status.

DLC

I speak Spanish fine, it's the telling a policeman how to do his job bit that is the tricky part.

You are supposed to show both TIE and passport when crossing a border.

But in the end they have discretion to stamp, the law says they can, and when you show your card with your passport the stamps mean nothing anyway.

However if you aren't a resident and you don't get a stamp then absolutely insist on one, at least until electronic stamping is officially rolled out.

Ronnyone

I understand but have you not politely asked why it is being stamped? That isnt the same as telling them and I cant see why they wouldn't want to explain it to you.

Ronnyone

I understand but have you not politely asked why it is being stamped? That isnt the same as telling them and I cant see why they wouldn't want to explain it to you.

DLC

He said everyone apart from those carrying an EU family member card gets a stamp. Which if you read the original 2004 directive seems to be true.

I have no idea if any later recommendations on passport stamping by the EU commission have any legal backing in Spain.

Barriej

To be honest with you, thats rubbish. The border force guards should know their job.
Its not mine or others place to tell them that they are wrong.

Besides its a stamp, its not the end of the world.
Not that we plan to travel anytime soon but when it happens I will hand over my TIE and hold my passport open ready to be asked for it. If it gets stamped then great, thats what the thing is for. If it don't then oh well..

Mark604

Exited Malaga yesterday. Hundreds and more queuing for the non-EU passport control. The queue was moving quite well though.