Spain's Balearic Islands Segregate UK Travelers

This move is part of a larger investment by Spanish airport operator Aena to adapt to the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES). The EES replaces traditional passport stamping for non-EU nationals with a digital system that captures biometric data. The phased rollout of this system began in late 2025, with Palma's airport activating its EES terminals on November 19, 2025. Aena's investment plan for 2027-2031 allocates €621.6 million for Palma airport, €229.7 million for Ibiza, and €170.7 million for Menorca. A key part of this funding is to redesign border control areas to create a single access point for non-Schengen passengers, which includes travelers from the UK, US, and Canada. This will involve installing new technology and expanding the space by about 29% to improve passenger flow and service quality. The changes come amid concerns from the travel industry about significant delays caused by the new EES checks. Reports from other European airports have shown that the new biometric registration process can increase processing times, with some travelers experiencing long queues. To mitigate this, the EU has allowed for a flexible rollout, and airports like Palma can temporarily suspend the new checks if queues become excessive during the initial phase. The United Kingdom remains one of the largest tourism markets for the Balearic Islands. In 2025, the islands welcomed over 19 million tourists in total. While there was a slight decrease of 0.5% in UK visitors that year, they still numbered over 3.5 million. In addition to the EES, UK travelers will eventually need to obtain a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) waiver before their trip. This pre-travel authorization is expected to become mandatory after the EES is fully operational. Until the EES is fully implemented, travelers are advised to ensure their passports are stamped upon entry and exit to prove compliance with the 90-day visa-free limit.