This Technical Notice is issued as a follow-up to the Technical Notice issued by HM Government of Gibraltar (“HMGoG”) on 23 September 2026 concerning the above matter.

First, HMGoG would like to thank those Gibraltar residents, namely, holders of Gibraltar identity cards (irrespective of whether they reside in Gibraltar) and Gibraltar civilian registration card holders, who have contacted eesinfo@gibraltar.gov.gi to provide information concerning their registration on the Schengen Entry/Exit System (“EES”).

To date, HMGoG has received numerous emails covering both cases where individuals were correctly registered prior to 15 July 2026 and cases where individuals were incorrectly registered on or after that date. This information has provided HMGoG and the relevant EU authorities with a clearer understanding of the scale of the issue and has demonstrated the need for it to be addressed by the EU authorities concerned.

In the Technical Notice referred to above, HMGoG stated that it was consulting the relevant EU authorities regarding the process to be followed to ensure the erasure of registrations from the EES. That consultation has now concluded, and guidance has been provided to HMGoG.

HMGoG also welcomes the fact that, following these consultations, the European Commission has issued further instructions and guidance to the Schengen authorities, making clear that, under the treaty arrangements, Gibraltar residents should not be registered in the EES or be required to interact with the system.

HMGoG expects this further instruction to be reflected in operational practice.

1. What should I do if I have been registered on the EES?

If you were registered on the EES on or after 15 July 2026, you have the right to request the erasure of your EES record.

You are encouraged to contact the competent authorities of the Schengen State where your most recent entry into or exit from the Schengen Area was recorded. The contact details of the competent authorities of the Schengen States, which are the data controllers responsible for handling such requests, are available here:

Contact details for data protection matters – EES

If you were registered before 15 July 2026, you also have the right to request the erasure of your EES record now that the treaty arrangements are in place. You should make your request in the same way, as described above, for persons registered on or after 15 July 2026.

HMGoG cannot directly remove an EES record.

When making a request to the competent authorities of the relevant Schengen State, you should explain that you are the holder of a Gibraltar identity card or Gibraltar civilian registration card and that, in accordance with the arrangements under the Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom in respect of Gibraltar, you are exempt from EES registration.

You should provide a scanned copy or photograph of both your passport and the front and back of your Gibraltar identity card or Gibraltar civilian registration card.

Individuals should retain any confirmation or correspondence received from the relevant Schengen State. If a request for erasure is refused, please provide details to HMGoG at eesinfo@gibraltar.gov.gi.

HMGoG has prepared the attached template which individuals can use for initiating contact with the Schengen State concerned. When contacting the relevant Schengen State you should feel free to copy your email to eesremoval@gibraltar.gov.gi so that HMGoG can monitor the progress of your request.

2. What should I do when travelling?

Gibraltar residents should continue to carry their passport and valid Gibraltar identity card or Gibraltar civilian registration card when travelling through the external borders of the Schengen Area.

Gibraltar residents should present their passport and valid Gibraltar identity card or Gibraltar civilian registration card to border authorities to establish their entitlement to the applicable exemption under the treaty arrangements.

If a border official nevertheless seeks to register you on the EES, you should politely explain that you are a Gibraltar resident and are exempt from EES registration under the treaty arrangements.

If you are nevertheless registered on the EES, you are encouraged to report the incident to HMGoG at eesinfo@gibraltar.gov.gi, so that the matter can be recorded and raised through the appropriate channels.

3. Concerns where an exit from the Schengen Area has not been recorded.

From the correspondence received from members of the public, HMGoG is aware that many Gibraltar residents who have been registered on the EES are currently in a situation where the system is incorrectly recording them as still being present in the Schengen Area. This is normally because their exit from the Schengen Area has, rightly, not been recorded at the land border with Spain given that that there are now no immigration controls between Gibraltar and Spain.

As a result, individuals have reported that, when using the following EU tool:

EU EES – Check how long you can stay

the tool indicates that they have fewer than 90 days remaining in the Schengen Area, with the number of days decreasing on a daily basis, or that they have no days remaining.

Individuals in this situation are understandably concerned that, if they attempt to re-enter th e Schengen Area other than via the land border between Gibraltar and Spain, for example, after travelling by air from Gibraltar to London and then onward to Paris, they may encounter difficulties or be refused entry.

Many individuals who have contacted HMGoG have raised this concern because they have existing or planned travel arrangements which could potentially be affected.

HMGoG strongly encourages individuals in this situation to contact the competent authorities of the relevant Schengen State as soon as possible to request the erasure of their EES registration, in accordance with the guidance set out in section 1 of this Technical Notice. This should be done in order to minimise the risk of potential difficulties when travelling.

If your entry is refused, and you are unable to persuade the border guard that Gibraltar residents are exempt from EES registration under the Agreement, and that your exit from the Schengen Area has not been recorded because there are no immigration controls between Gibraltar and Spain, you should immediately contact HMGoG on eesinfo@gibraltar.gov.gi.

If you are a British national travelling in the Schengen Area and require assistance, particularly outside normal working hours, you may also contact the nearest British Embassy or Consulate, or the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

The FCDO's 24-hour consular assistance number is +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

4. Further Information

For official updates and further guidance, please visit: https://treaty-gov.info/

TEMPLATE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES OF THE SCHENGEN STATES