MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has begun enforcing provisional border checks on passengers arriving from Italy via air and sea routes. The measure, which came into effect at midnight on Aug. 8, is scheduled to remain in place until Sept. 7. Authorities are verifying passports, nationality, and visa status where necessary. These controls impact Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. The decision follows Italy’s earlier enforcement of temporary checks on certain arrivals from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, officials examined 199 passengers on 12 flights originating from Italy on the first day of the measures. The inspections occurred at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on these routes may encounter document verification before completing their arrival procedures. It is important to note that these controls do not constitute a border closure. Air and sea links between Spain and Italy continue uninterrupted as long as the temporary restrictions are in effect.
Italy reinstated checks on Aug. 1 following a surge of migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July. The Italian authorities applied these controls specifically to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain via air and sea, excluding Spanish, Italian, and other EU citizens from these measures. Italy informed European authorities that its controls would persist through Sept. 1. Spain responded by introducing its own checks after calling for the withdrawal of the Italian restrictions.
Bilateral controls follow Ceuta migration crisis
During the migration wave from Morocco that started in late July, approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on Aug. 4 that roughly 70,000 individuals had already left the territory. Ceuta, located on the North African coast, remains outside the Schengen Area. This migration event preceded Italy’s decision to restore border controls on certain travelers from Spain. Subsequently, Spain announced that it would implement checks for passengers arriving from Italy through its airports and ports.
The Spanish government announced the measure on Aug. 7 after expressing opposition to Italy’s restrictions. Spain criticized the controls as unjustified and discriminatory. Italy maintained its measures, and Spain began its own inspections the following day. Both countries established different end dates for their respective controls: Italy’s measures are valid through Sept. 1, while Spain’s are scheduled to last until Sept. 7.
Temporary border checks permitted within Schengen regulations
The Schengen Area generally allows for the free movement of travelers across member countries’ internal borders without routine passport checks. However, its rules permit governments to reintroduce temporary controls if a significant threat to public order or internal security is identified. The European Commission emphasizes that internal border checks should be used only when necessary and for limited durations. Both Spain and Italy are members of the Schengen Agreement. Their current measures involve temporary screening procedures that do not suspend the normal flow of travel between the two nations.
Passengers traveling from Italy to Spain should anticipate possible identity and immigration inspections at Spanish airports and seaports during the enforcement period. Spain’s first day of inspections involved nearly 200 travelers across six major airports. Meanwhile, Italy continues its separate checks on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain under its notified schedule. Both sets of controls are temporary within the framework of the Schengen Agreement. Spain’s current timetable extends these checks until Sept. 7.