How do UK nationals who own spanish homes get over the border?

[bobley]

Eureka.

You rent out your spare room to a local couple for €100/month and then get them to invite you to your own house? Maybe they'd like to holiday in the UK while you're over there...

 

[alcanadakid]

This is on the UK Gov website.

"The rules for travelling or working in European countries changed on 1 January 2021:

you can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training
if you are travelling to Spain and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days"

 

[Sparky]

It has been reported that Europe is to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers ,

The conditions for vaccinated travelers to enter the EU is that they have received the complete vaccination schedule (two doses in most vaccines on the market) at least fourteen days before their trip, according to the consensus of the States. member at an ambassador-level meeting in Brussels.

The agreement must still be formalized at the level of ministers, probably this Thursday at a planned meeting of those responsible for Trade, and will enter into force as of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

 

[fil6699]

This is on the UK Gov website.

"The rules for travelling or working in European countries changed on 1 January 2021:

you can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training
if you are travelling to Spain and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days"

Sadly it is not up to the UK to determine rules of entry to another country the rules are set by the country concerned and at this time Spain is sticking to the invitation requirement if not staying in paid for legal accommodation ie Hotel or Holiday let with Licence .As it stands now only a resident can apply for an invitation for somebody to stay with them total madness. But this has been the situation for non eu for many years its just not been enforced as it looks like it could be now, This is what happens when you poke a bear

 

[bobley]

This is on the UK Gov website.

" This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training"

Yes, so when you arrive at the border, they ask why you're here, you say

"tourism" they say "please show me your accommodation details"

"to visit family or friends" and they say "thats nice, please show us you letter of invitation"

.....unlikely/maybe/probably... I don't know. Its a great way to kill off unlicensed holiday rentals, but it's also a real hurdle for UK owners of family holiday homes.

 

[Bircho]

My understanding is that what is being referred to above is what you need to do when applying for a Schengen visa. Details are here:
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-application-requirements/proof-accommodation/

At the current time, UK has an agreed opt out of this regulation until September 2022 when it will come into force unless the UK and EU agree a mutual visa arrangement.

EDIT: Just to update a technicality. Schengen is not the EU but you get the jist!

 

[fil6699]

My understanding is that what is being referred to above is what you need to do when applying for a Schengen visa. Details are here:
https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-application-requirements/proof-accommodation/

At the current time, UK has an agreed opt out of this regulation until September 2022 when it will come into force unless the UK and EU agree a mutual visa arrangement.

Hi can you show please where it says uk is exempt untill sept 2022 My Lawyers are currently looking into this situation as it will be a nightmare for so many people here

 

[Bircho]

Here you go:
https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-news/etias-visa-how-will-it-affect-uk-citizens

 

[Bircho]

Just to supplement this, this is what Schengen also says:
Travel Documents and Entry Requirements for non-EU Nationals

You will have to present several documents at the Schengen port of entry, in order to be permitted to enter, if you are a non-EU/Schengen country national, regardless if you are a visa-exempt or not.

The documents you need to provide when entering the Schengen Area are as follows:

Valid Passport. Issued within the previous 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU.
Schengen Visa. If you are a national of one of the third countries in need of a visa.
EU/Schengen border officials may also ask for other information and documents such as sufficient funds, proof of accommodation, how long you intend to stay, round-trip airline ticket, the purpose of your entry, travel insurance, invitation letter, etc.

Please, make sure that the border officer gives you an entry stamp in your passport when you enter the Schengen area. Without a stamp, you could be fined or detained.

Until large groups start to enter there's no saying what else you will need as it does say may Thing is it is only until etias goes live in 2022.

 

[Bootledodger]

Sadly it is not up to the UK to determine rules of entry to another country the rules are set by the country concerned and at this time Spain is sticking to the invitation requirement if not staying in paid for legal accommodation ie Hotel or Holiday let with Licence .As it stands now only a resident can apply for an invitation for somebody to stay with them total madness. But this has been the situation for non eu for many years its just not been enforced as it looks like it could be now, This is what happens when you poke a bear

So therefore it isn't a "brexit" issue - it's a EU/Spanish issue. "Poke a bear"??? behave yourself.

 

[JPALCOVER]

So therefore it isn't a "brexit" issue - it's a EU/Spanish issue. "Poke a bear"??? behave yourself.

Rather a "NON-EU / Spanish" issue

 

[fil6699]

So therefore it isn't a "brexit" issue - it's a EU/Spanish issue. "Poke a bear"??? behave yourself.

If the UK was still in the EU this would not have append so yes I am afraid it is a Brexit Issue 100% and the Bear is the EU .

 

[Tiggy]

An article in The Guardian also mentions this thorny subject ...headline reads

UK travellers to France may be asked proof of accommodation as part of post-Brexit changes.

Just for a bit of balance checked the The Daily Telegraph but no mention of the above yet

although they did write ....Liverpool are scoring goals and their centre-half is playing like a colossus. Jurgen Klopp must wish he could start this season again......))))

 

[bobley]

The regs say that if you can't prove the money/ accommodation issue then you can still enter if a you have a Visa, b have a residence card c, have an authorised return... I've no idea what c means...

 

[Tiggy]

Booked return ticket..

In the 1980 s you could only buy charter flight which came with a voucher for two nights hostel accomodation to get around this bit of legislation.
Dan Air Gatwick to Ibiza 50 GBP return full luggage allowance and 3 course meal and a one year cardboard passport from the post office ....��

 

[alcanadakid]

I suspect this is a "remainer" scare story.

The gov.uk website makes no mention of this and while the UK government doesn't make the EU rules this is their legal interpretion of them and would be open to litigation if it were wrong.

The airlines also make no mention of this and if it were true, then the cost of repatriating refused travellers would fall on them.

Immigration officials always have lots of rules that they could apply but don't, because there is a huge difference between "may" and "must".

Can we really believe that the two immigration officers at Palma would have the time to question everyone offloading from multiple flights when it is not in Spains economic interest to refuse entry?

Time will tell of course, but until then I will not be scared off.

 

[bobley]

Its nothing to do with remainers, its just the facts... but just not all of them!

Its basically the Schengen system and the UK has a similar system. Just google UK immigration letter of invitation. It's exactly the same. There are lots of posts on tripadvisor asking the same questions but the ones I read were about Venezuelans coming to the UK.

This legislation has always been there but it didn't apply to us until now.

I did a bit more digging this morning and its certainly looking like you'd only need a letter of invitation if you arrived for a long stay and didn't have a return ticket.

Once ETIAS is running I'm fairly sure this will all disappear... but you'll end up filling out forms to regain your Visa exemption every couple of years...and I bet the forms are the same as those you'd do if you were applying for a ....Visa!

Hey ho. Vaccine 2 next Friday. Come on Spain!! get your rates down and get your vaccines up!

Saying that, although UK on the whole is doing okay the Indian variant is tearing its way through Bolton, Blackburn, bits of Nottingham, Bedford etc etc. Only take a couple of people to carry that into Spain after a false neg PCR, and Spain with almost no protection is in big trouble.

 

[fil6699]

I suspect this is a "remainer" scare story.

The gov.uk website makes no mention of this and while the UK government doesn't make the EU rules this is their legal interpretion of them and would be open to litigation if it were wrong.

The airlines also make no mention of this and if it were true, then the cost of repatriating refused travellers would fall on them.

Immigration officials always have lots of rules that they could apply but don't, because there is a huge difference between "may" and "must".

Can we really believe that the two immigration officers at Palma would have the time to question everyone offloading from multiple flights when it is not in Spains economic interest to refuse entry?

Time will tell of course, but until then I will not be scared off.

nothing to do with remainers scare story its a fact and yes they are turning people away now at Palma . it would appear that there is an agreement in place between the. Eu and UK that neither will enforce this but after 2022 a visa similar to USA Esta will be required
Never under estimate the boarder force in Spain. They have many tourists form Europe visiting. So as much as they love the British pound it is not the only source of income remember this applies the whole of Europe Mallorca and PP is just a small corner. You will note that the UK government site has many negative results of Brexit missing, But this is not a post Brexit debate its for information so people as has happened just this week do not get turned back at Palma . On my flight to London 3 weeks ago 2 people were on the flight who had been refused entry

 

[Tiggy]

Update from GOV.​UK for:

Spain travel advice
Change made:
Further information on Schengen border controls on arrival in Spain where passengers who meet entry requirements may be asked to demonstrate sufficient funds for their stay, present a return or onward ticket, and proof of accommodation (‘Entry requirements’ page)

Time updated:
4:23pm, 20 May 2021

 

[Bircho]

nothing to do with remainers scare story its a fact and yes they are turning people away now at Palma . it would appear that there is an agreement in place between the. Eu and UK that neither will enforce this but after 2022 a visa similar to USA Esta will be required
Never under estimate the boarder force in Spain. They have many tourists form Europe visiting. So as much as they love the British pound it is not the only source of income remember this applies the whole of Europe Mallorca and PP is just a small corner. You will note that the UK government site has many negative results of Brexit missing, But this is not a post Brexit debate its for information so people as has happened just this week do not get turned back at Palma . On my flight to London 3 weeks ago 2 people were on the flight who had been refused entry

The difference is at the moment you can only enter Spain from the UK for a number of specified reasons. From when this is lifted (in next few days?) then tourism will be allowed it will be then that we will see how much they are enforcing the requirments. When three planes with 200 people on each arriving within 5 minutes of each other, how they will deal with that will be seen.

However, as stated, it is only a short term issue until 2022 when the new scheme launches.