Brits leaving a Spanish island could risk breaking the post-Brexit 90-day stay rule due to passport stamping issues.
César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport on Lanzarote has, it’s alleged, regularly not been stamping the passports of British tourists when they arrive or leave.
Sources told El Diario de Lanzarote that border control staff at the airport had been ‘subtly and verbally’ told not to stamp UK passports.
This was apparently done so Brits could roam more freely or ‘make the passage of British tourists easier’.
Spanish police are now said to be cracking down on the practice, demanding all British tourists’ passports are stamped, but one source claimed the airport doesn’t have the resources to cope with the extra workload.
They said the pressure on staff is particularly bad on Thursdays, when lots of flights depart for the UK.
It’s feared some Brits will be stamped when they arrive but not when they leave.
If this happens, it could look as if they overstayed the 90 days Brits are allowed to remain in an EU country.
Since Brexit, British travellers can no longer enjoy the EU’s right to free movement.
The Foreign Office has advised all Brits to make sure their passports are being stamped upon exit, reports The Sun.
Passport stamping in the EU may soon be a thing of the past, however.
The new Entry Exit Scheme (EES), which officials hope to launch in November, would see an electronic system replace the physical stamping of passports.
Third country nationals, including Brits, would see their passports scanned to make sure they’re not overstaying the 90 days.
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