What should I do if a Schengen border officer insists on registering me in EES despite my Gibraltar card?

Short answer

Politely explain that you are a Gibraltar resident and exempt from EES registration under the UK/EU Treaty arrangements, showing your passport and your Gibraltar identity card or civilian registration card. If you are registered anyway, report it to the Government of Gibraltar at [email protected] and ask the relevant Schengen State to erase the record.

Detailed answer

The Government of Gibraltar's Technical Notice of Tuesday 13 October 2026 confirms that, following consultations, the European Commission has issued further instructions and guidance to Schengen border authorities making clear that Gibraltar residents should not be registered in the EES or be required to interact with it. The Government expects this to be reflected in operational practice.

At the border

Present your passport together with your valid Gibraltar identity card or Gibraltar civilian registration card. The card is what establishes your entitlement to the exemption, which applies at all external borders of the Schengen Area. At Gibraltar airport, use the corridors reserved for Gibraltar card holders and EU citizens. If an officer still seeks to register you, politely explain that you are a Gibraltar resident and exempt from EES registration under the treaty arrangements.

If you are registered anyway

Report the incident to the Government of Gibraltar at [email protected] so that it can be recorded and raised through the appropriate channels. You can then request erasure of the record from the competent authorities of the Schengen State that recorded your most recent entry into or exit from the Schengen Area, enclosing copies of your passport and the front and back of your Gibraltar card. The Government has published a template letter for this, and you can copy your request to [email protected] so the Government can follow its progress.

Acting promptly matters, because an EES record can later show you as still present in the Schengen Area after you return to Gibraltar by land, which can cause difficulties when you next travel.