A WOMAN has been prevented from entering Spain due to a new passport error at the border.

Linda, who was traveling from Gibraltar to Spain, was banned from entering the country because her passport did not have a Spanish exit stamp from a previous trip.

After the UK left the EU, Britons now receive stamps every time they enter a Schengen country.

However, despite Linda’s visit in June, passport officials did not stamp her documents when she left.

When she tried to return in September, she was prevented from traveling because she was considered an “overstay person”.

She told local Spanish media: “I was refused entry to Spain on September 26 because my passport had not been stamped on exit during a previous week-long visit to Spain which had started June 4.

“The guards first stamped my passport to enter, then they noticed that I did not have an exit stamp from this week-long visit in June, thus classifying me as an over-stay person and then marked the input buffer with the letter F and two lines.

“Even though I have proof of my return to the UK via banking activity as well as the Covid test and traceability app, border guards would not accept or view any evidence or let me speak to anyone. could help me.

“My son, who speaks Spanish, tried to explain that I had other evidence of my return to the UK, but the guards did not agree or even consider watching it.

“They kept insisting that I had no stamp, that I had exceeded the length of stay and that I would be arrested as illegal.”

She said she still had not been able to resolve the issue despite contacting her MP and the consulate, and feared she would not be able to travel to Spain until the issue was resolved.

Linda continued, “It would appear that there is no solution, the Spanish Consulate in the UK will only accept my original boarding passes as proof of departure, and as the flights have been booked online, I obviously don’t have them.

“They will not accept screenshots or copies of any other evidence I have. I contacted my MP but just got redirected to the consulate and so I am going around in circles.

“It’s frustrating because I feel like I’m being held responsible for something over which I had no jurisdiction, in other words the fact that the guard didn’t stamp my passport.

“As I still do not have an exit stamp, I fear that I will be refused entry again on subsequent visits.”

Britons traveling to a country in the Schengen area must check that their passport has been stamped to avoid falling into the same problems.

Spain’s Home Office told The Local it could not comment but was “aware of the current legislation relating to UK nationals, residents and non-residents”.

However, a new system is being put in place in EU countries called EES (Entry / Exit System) which will replace passport stamping and digitize documents instead.

The new digital system will verify the person’s name, biometric data as well as the date and place of entry and exit.

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