Spain and Gibraltar have reopened their border following the lifting of border controls
As of July 15, 2026, border controls between Spain and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar have officially been lifted. The day before, the parties dismantled the old checkpoints and the fence that had stood for over a century.
For over 100 years, border controls separated Spain from Gibraltar, but thanks to a new agreement, Schengen Area rules now apply when entering the British Overseas Territory.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called this event “historic,” as it has brought significant relief to thousands of Spaniards.
Every day, more than 15,000 people cross the border between Spain and Gibraltar. Many of them are commuting to work, but previously they often had to wait in line for hours at the border, especially during rush hour.
“Sometimes I had to wait three or four hours, and on some days even longer—up to seven hours. Finally, this ordeal is over,” a doctor’s assistant from Spain, who has been crossing the border into Gibraltar for work for 30 years, told the dpa news agency.
The publication notes that following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar also left the bloc, despite the fact that about 96% of the island’s 34,000 residents voted to remain in the EU in a 2016 referendum.
The dispute over Gibraltar has repeatedly caused tension between Madrid and London. Spain considers the territory a “colony” and claims it is illegally occupied.
Gibraltar was captured by Great Britain in 1704 and came under its control in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht.
Source: Tagesschau
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