British owners of holiday homes are being warned of new European Union border changes coming into force in the coming days. The EU’s Entry Exit System (EES) – which launches on Sunday – will automatically alert border officials when someone has overstayed and risks them being thrown out.
Both UK holidaymakers and second homeowners will face the new border checks, which could see them kicked out of the EU if they have exceeded their stay limit. A British citizen can only stay on holiday within the bloc for a maximum of 90 days during a 180-day period. Enforcement of the rule had previously largely been ignored, experts say, but the changes will see a computer system automatically calculate whether Britons have obeyed the 90/180-day rule.
Currently, a case would generally only come to light following an inspection of each stamp inside an individual’s passport.
Those who overstay the 90-day limit will be at risk of fines, being asked to leave or even deportation with a “no-return” ban lasting for years, according to The Telegraph.
Neil Hesketh, secretary of Support in Spain, a British charity which specialises in support for Britons aged 50 or over in the popular holiday nation, told the broadsheet: “There are some 350,000 Britons here, many of whom don’t speak brilliant Spanish.
“It’s worrying and concerning for a lot of people, not least because it’s not terribly clear yet exactly what the process will be.”
He also said “no one knows what’s going to happen” to British passport holders who possess green cards — which Spain uses to register UK permanent residents in the country — when they try to leave or return to the Iberian nation.
“There’s loads of people living here that never registered as residents, because no one knows,” Mr Hesketh said.
“When we went through Brexit, lots of people had to get these green certificates because they’d never bothered, because they’ve just flown under the radar and stayed when they shouldn’t.”
When asked what currently happens when UK expats in Spain break residency rules, he told The Telegraph: “No one really knows. Some people get told off at the airport. Some people get a month to leave if they’re caught. But it’s never clear.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Luke Petherbridge from travel trade organisation Abta said UK nationals with second homes in the Schengen area “need to be aware of the rules”.
He said his advice to second home owners would be to “go down the residency route in those countries and ensure, therefore, you are exempt”.
Spain is a popular destination for UK citizens to own second homes, but it is tough for them to obtain residency rights because of financial and documentation requirements.
Fines for overstaying vary by country, but can reach the equivalent of thousands of pounds.
The length of stay requirement covers the Schengen area, which consists of most of the EU and some other European nations.
Completing EES will involve passengers having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the EU.
All children must register, though under-12s will be exempt from fingerprinting.
For most UK travellers this will be done on arrival at foreign airports.