The European Commission confirmed on 19 February that it has adopted the legal package needed to sign and provisionally apply a long-awaited EU-UK treaty covering Gibraltar. If ratified by the Council and Parliament, the agreement—targeted to start 10 April—would scrap physical border checks for the 15,000 people who cross daily between the Rock and Spain’s Cádiz province and integrate Gibraltar into the Schengen area.
The timing is strategic: EU officials want the deal operational before the Entry/Exit System (EES) becomes fully mandatory the same week. Under the treaty, Spanish Frontex-supervised officers will police Gibraltar’s port and airport, while goods will move under a common customs regime designed to stimulate regional supply chains.
![EU Treaty Paves Way to Restore Free Movement Between Spain and Gibraltar]()
For those looking ahead to life under the new arrangement, VisaHQ can simplify travel and residency formalities on both sides of the border. The firm’s online platform and experts help employers and mobile workers obtain the correct Spanish Schengen documentation quickly—vital if contingents need to relocate or commute under the revised rules. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/spain/
For mobility managers the practical payoff is simpler commutes for cross-border workers, elimination of passport stamping for UK nationals resident on the Rock, and friction-free movement of service technicians—a boon for the many multinationals that route Mediterranean shipping, finance and gaming operations through Gibraltar.
Property and rental markets on both sides are expected to tighten as employees regain flexibility to live in Spain while working in Gibraltar. Employers should review housing allowances and payroll tax positions before the April go-live.
The timing is strategic: EU officials want the deal operational before the Entry/Exit System (EES) becomes fully mandatory the same week. Under the treaty, Spanish Frontex-supervised officers will police Gibraltar’s port and airport, while goods will move under a common customs regime designed to stimulate regional supply chains.
For those looking ahead to life under the new arrangement, VisaHQ can simplify travel and residency formalities on both sides of the border. The firm’s online platform and experts help employers and mobile workers obtain the correct Spanish Schengen documentation quickly—vital if contingents need to relocate or commute under the revised rules. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/spain/
For mobility managers the practical payoff is simpler commutes for cross-border workers, elimination of passport stamping for UK nationals resident on the Rock, and friction-free movement of service technicians—a boon for the many multinationals that route Mediterranean shipping, finance and gaming operations through Gibraltar.
Property and rental markets on both sides are expected to tighten as employees regain flexibility to live in Spain while working in Gibraltar. Employers should review housing allowances and payroll tax positions before the April go-live.
