Overview
- Spain will apply Schengen rules for arrivals by air and sea in Gibraltar, creating a dual screening process after Gibraltar’s own check, with Spanish police in uniform holding the final say on entry.
- The treaty provides for the removal of the physical frontier known as the Verja, and Spanish officials say preparatory works have begun as the EU aims for provisional application before summer.
- Gibraltar is set to integrate into an EU customs regime with alignment on indirect taxes and state-aid controls, alongside a financial mechanism intended to support shared prosperity in the Campo de Gibraltar.
- The text includes a sensitive military carve‑out that exempts non‑resident UK armed forces, visiting forces and associated personnel from ordinary passport and visa rules and from standard Schengen checks.
- Ratification is still required by the EU Council, the European Parliament and the UK Parliament, while Spain’s Congress is not scheduled to vote; London says the deal protects British sovereignty, as Spain’s PP and local leaders in La Línea press for scrutiny, resources and implementation roles.