The United Kingdom has agreed to allow Spanish border officials to carry out passport checks on travellers arriving in Gibraltar, as part of a new agreement with the European Union aimed at creating an open land border with Spain. Under the draft treaty, Spanish officers will conduct a second layer of Schengen checks at Gibraltar airport and port after local authorities complete their own immigration procedures. Although Gibraltar will not formally join the Schengen area, the arrangement is intended to remove the land border fence between Gibraltar and Spain, which thousands of workers cross daily. The deal is expected to take effect in April, when the European Union introduces stricter automated border controls.
Since Brexit, Gibraltar has faced uncertainty over how its border with Spain would operate. Spain had planned to introduce biometric checks that the United Kingdom warned could severely damage Gibraltar’s economy. The new agreement avoids that outcome and instead creates a system similar to the dual border checks at London St Pancras for Eurostar passengers. Spanish officers will have authority to question, search and detain travellers when necessary during border control operations. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo welcomed the deal, saying it provides stability for residents and businesses that rely heavily on tourism and cross border trade.
The treaty also includes Gibraltar joining the European Union customs union and aligning certain import duties with Spain. While Gibraltar will keep its zero value added tax system, it will introduce a transaction tax on goods sold locally, beginning at fifteen percent and gradually increasing to seventeen percent by 2028. British and European lawmakers must still ratify the agreement. The United Kingdom government has described the arrangement as a new phase of cooperation with the European Union, though opposition figures have called for close scrutiny of the powers granted to Spanish authorities.
