Alicante-Elche joins other Spanish airports in launching EES border checks

Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport has become the latest Spanish travel hub to start using the new EES system for non-EU residents.

The rollout of EES at Alicante is the latest in a series of Spanish airports phasing in the new border technology.

READ ALSO: What will new EES border checks mean for non-EU residents in Europe?

Alicante, which serves as a travel hub not only for the Alicante and Elche areas but the Murcia region and southern Valencia, has already rolled out the new system.

That’s according to the British Embassy in Spain, which on Friday October 31st posted on its Facebook page ‘Brits in Spain’ to warn UK nationals that Alicante-Elche airport is now using the new biometric border system.

A staggering 6.12 million British passengers used Alicante airport in 2024 alone, meaning that the sheer number of non-EU nationals using the airport will put EES to the test as a result.

Reports in the local press state that Alicante-Elche will even create a new arrivals area for British travellers and non-Schengen flights.

Alicante Press reports that "the space will be built in the area now occupied by the old terminal, which will be demolished, and will have modern boarding gates assisted by walkways. The project responds to the need to offer greater comfort and better services to passengers from countries outside the Schengen area, such as the United Kingdom, who represent the majority of international tourists on the Costa Blanca."

Madrid Barajas airport was the first to start trialling EES on October 12th.

This was followed by three other smaller airports - Seville, Tenerife North and Burgos. Then Málaga airport started testing the new system on October 12th.

Then came the addition of Barcelona earlier this week on October 27th and Gran Canaria from October 29th.

Mallorca is scheduled to kickstart EES on November 19th.

EES

The new passport checks started being implemented in many European countries on October 12th and will be rolled out across much of the bloc for the next six months until April 10th 2026.

To be exact, this affects the 29 European countries that form part of the Schengen Area - all those in the European Union except Cyprus and Ireland, as well as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

It essentially means more checks for those from third countries - such as having photographs and fingerprints taken - and will record entries and exits from the Schengen Area for third-country nationals.

It gathers and stores:

Details from your travel document (e.g. full name, nationality, date of birth, passport number).

The date, time, and location of your entry and exit.

Your facial image and fingerprints (“biometric data”).

Any record of refused entry, where applicable.

Once the process is complete, passport stamps will be eliminated.

Crucially, if you’re a non-EU citizen but are a resident in Spain, you will not have to register for EES, but you still have to queue in third-country national queue if flying in from outside of the Schengen Area.