Residents of Gibraltar from non-EU countries including Morocco, India and Russia are now reportedly being allowed to enter Spain and the wider Schengen zone without undergoing standard border checks.
The controversial move has been celebrated by Gibraltar’s Moroccan community, which described the development as a historic breakthrough after residents were reportedly waved through the border at La Linea de la Concepcion over the weekend without passport controls.
According to regional newspaper Europa Sur, Spanish Policia Nacional officers stationed at the frontier have been instructed not to request normal entry documentation from third-country nationals legally resident on the Rock.
In practice, this means foreign residents holding Gibraltar’s ‘green ID cards’ are being treated the same as native Gibraltarians and British residents already living in the territory – both of whom have reportedly enjoyed streamlined access since April.
Free movement into Europe
The measure effectively opens the door for non-EU Gibraltar residents to travel onwards into the wider Schengen area without additional border checks.
Once across into Spain, there is currently nothing stopping eligible residents from continuing onwards to countries such as Portugal, Belgium or Italy under normal Schengen free movement rules.
Gibraltar’s Moroccan community association publicly celebrated the change on social media, congratulating a Moroccan resident named Ismail, who they claimed became the first person to benefit from the relaxed crossing rules on Saturday.
A promotional image shared online showed the man standing in Plaza de la Constitucion in La Linea alongside a digitally added Gibraltar flag.
Controls relaxed since April
The easing of controls reportedly began on April 10 alongside the implementation of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES).
Since then, Gibraltarians and British residents on the Rock have reportedly been allowed to enter Spain without biometric registration or digital passport stamping.
Critics argue this undermines one of the key aims of the EES system – namely tighter security and accurate monitoring of stays within the Schengen area using facial recognition and fingerprint data.
Now, according to the reports, the same treatment has quietly been extended to third-country nationals residing in Gibraltar, including Moroccans, Indians and Russians.
‘No official written instruction’
One of the most controversial aspects of the situation is the apparent lack of any formal written order.
Sources cited by Europa Sur claim there is no official regulatory instruction governing the change, with officers instead allegedly receiving guidance informally via WhatsApp messages.
The Moroccan community association itself has advised residents to continue carrying both their Gibraltar residence card and passport when crossing into Spain, even if documents are no longer stamped.
However, the group clarified that the arrangement currently only applies to entering Spain and returning to Gibraltar – not for travel onwards to Morocco until separate agreements are reached with Moroccan authorities.
Gibraltar’s colour-coded ID cards
Gibraltar operates a colour-coded ID card system depending on residency status.
Native Gibraltarians hold red cards, British residents magenta, EU nationals blue, and non-EU foreign residents green.
It is the holders of these green cards – including many Moroccans and other non-EU nationals – who are now reportedly benefiting from the relaxed crossing rules.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
