Passport queue advice

[jerseybean1000]

Just looking for some advice. I am travelling with DH to Spain next year. I have an EU passport and he has a UK passport.
When we enter Spain do we have to split up for passport control or can he join me in the EU queue ?
And I suppose the same question for getting back into the UK ?
Sorry but I just don't know !

I would guess you are better staying together in the non-EU queue with him. As they need to stamp his passport and might not do it at the EU desk but you will be able to get through any of them.

And some airports have an "all passports" lane too?

I also read in summer than some Spanish airports let Brits start using the e-gates again to reduce queues.

I haven't been to Spain recently, but when travelling to and from the EU (Netherlands) in September, both queues were dealing with all passports to keep things flowing freely, though the counters were labelled EU and non-EU. And I'm sure I read that Portugal aren't differentiating between EU and UK passport holders where queuing is concerned.

I went to Spain in the summer and I don't remember seeing 2 different queues

My understanding is that your DH has the right to bring his family with him in the EU queue. I’ve searched up about this myself as both my DH and DS are EU nationals.

Sorry, I mean you can bring your DH with you.

I travelled to another European country recently and the British people had to go in the all passports queue. They wouldn't let us use the E gates. I think it does depend on how busy the airport is. The all passports queue was enormous!

On the way back to the UK, you can use the E gates as can he.

Why does it matter if you’re in different queues? Surely, you’ll cope, you’re grown ups.

My husband has an EU passport, which means I'm not as tightly bound by the 90 days rules. We go through the EU desk together and he hands his passport over first.

I am in the same situation. When we’ve traveled recently Portugal and NL made us split up and go through separate lanes going in, Switzerland also.
Although I have a permit to live/work in NL, I still have to be checked at borders coming in from outside the Schengen area, whereas he doesn’t.
it can be a pain because sometimes the non-EU queues are huge, especially at big international airports like Schiphol.

Btw SeatonCarew your husband’s passport status does not change your entitlement to stay beyond the 90 days.
My husband and children are all EU passport holders but that doesn’t give me any specific rights. I had to apply for my own permit.

It's not the colour of your passport that matters, it's your nationality. If you are both British, you have to go in the same queue.

When we go to Germany (DH and DC have British and German passports) we all go through the EU gates both in and out. The queues are generally shorter
My passport gets stamped

It doesn’t matter but it’s great if you can use the EU queue if it’s much shorter

We went to Spain in June and Sicily in September. Both times we had to join the other passports queue. EU members were directed towards the EU queue.

As PP said, assuming by EU passport you mean you are an EU national, you can take DH with you into the EU queue. Or you can both go into the All Passports line.

My recent experience entering Portugal was that the EU line was shorter, possibly because I was coming off a Jet2 plane. I guess if I'd been coming off a TAP plane there may have been more Portuguese travellers so it may have evened out a bit.

When leaving Portugal, everyone was being sent through the All Passports line - the EU kiosks were not open. The Irish ladies behind us were grumbling (in a good-natured way) about it.

Manchester passport control was deserted with no queues when we arrived back. Really weird.

Separate queues.

Depends on which airport but I haven’t seen seperate queues in Spain recently - we’ve flown in to Barcelona Reus, palma and murcia and it’s all been one line.

Sorry, you’re still bound by the 90 day rule. I’m an EU resident, but not a passport holder (yet). When I travel outside my EU country of residence to another EU country, the 90 day clock starts ticking again. More often than not though, there’s no control between Schengen zones so no one to stamp my passport.

Nothing to do with not coping, it’s just bloody annoying if your family are having to wait ages for you to come through the non EU lane.

My family just pick up the bags and wait for me.

I've tried to go through the EU passport with the rest of the family (who have EU passports) before and been turned away. So we just split up.

You are incorrect, different rules apply and we have this confirmed by the EU contact office. The guidance book issued by the EU to border guards refers to it, and we travel together constantly with no problem. Your situation is different to mine.

Eg I can travel to the Schengen zone, leave for one night after 90 days and then go back, or move between Schengen countries. I don't have the same rolling 90 days in 180 days issue the same as a UK citizen not married to an EU citizen has. I have to be travelling with my husband or be travelling to meet him for this to apply.

In Spain as of yet there are only one lane . There are no EU lanes .