Spain has finalised its provincial plan for this year’s Operation Paso del Estrecho (OPE), the annual summer transit of more than three million Maghrebi residents in Europe travelling by ferry between Spain and North Africa. At a coordination meeting in Alicante on 6 May, officials confirmed that the 2026 edition—running 15 June to 15 September—will pilot the European Entry/Exit System (EES) at Algeciras, Almería and Alicante ports. Under EES, third-country nationals’ passports will be scanned and their biometric data stored at first entry, replacing manual stamping. To ensure a smooth journey, travellers can use VisaHQ’s online platform to verify EES obligations, secure the right visas and receive personalised documentation checklists before boarding; find details at https://www.visahq.com/spain/ Authorities expect the automated gates to cut processing times by 30 % once passengers are enrolled, although they conceded that first-time registration could initially lengthen queues. Additional shaded waiting areas and real-time traffic apps are being installed to smooth flows. For employers, the modernised border checks reduce the risk of accidental overstays by seasonal workers returning to EU jobs after vacation, as entry and exit dates will be logged automatically. Logistics companies moving goods on driver-accompanied ferries will also see fewer discrepancies in passport stamps, a common cause of fines under cabotage rules. The Spanish government has pledged extra staffing at land contingencies—particularly the A-7 motorway and Tarifa ring road—to deal with peak surge days around Eid al-Adha (17-20 June). Moroccan and Algerian consulates have been asked to disseminate EES guidance so that travellers know they must remove hats and glasses during biometric capture.
