Thousands of foreign residents in Spain are still confused about how the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) affects them, a new survey has found.

Research by Staysure Expat discovered that 33% of respondents felt travellers had not been given enough information about EES, while 35% said they wanted clearer guidance on whether the system applies to residents with a TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero).

The findings come as reports of long queues at airports across Europe continue to concern travellers this summer.

One of the biggest areas of confusion surrounds passport e-gates. The survey found that 42% of respondents believed TIE holders could use them, while 40% believed they could not.

As Staysure Expat rightly explains, residents with a valid TIE card should not use the e-gates, even if they hold a non-EU passport.

Instead, they should head to the EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and Residents lane and present both their passport and TIE card at a manned passport control desk.

Caroline Lips, Head of Marketing at Staysure Expat, said using the automated gates could cause problems because the machines only scan passports and not residence cards.

‘It could incorrectly register you as a short-stay visitor and potentially flag you as having overstayed the 90-day rule,’ she explained.

She stressed that foreign residents with TIE cards are exempt from the EES and therefore do not need to have their fingerprints or facial image recorded under the new system.

The advice is backed by the EU’s official Travel Europe guidance, which states that the EES does not apply to holders of residence permits or long-stay visas.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) also confirms that long-term residents of Schengen countries are exempt from the EES throughout the Schengen area.

Staysure Expat said travellers should keep both their passport and TIE card ready when approaching passport control so officers can immediately recognise their residency status.

The company added that, in many airports, the manned passport control desks for residents are currently moving considerably faster than the dedicated EES lanes.

The survey also found that 33% of respondents wanted clearer airport signage, while 28% said they would benefit from a simple step-by-step guide explaining the new system.

In response, Staysure Expat has published an online guide answering the most common questions about the EES for expats living in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.