UK-Spain Relations: Minister Visit Focuses on Expats, Residency & Trade Deal
Madrid, Spain – In a move signaling a diplomatic reset, the UK’s Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, concluded a two-day visit to Spain this week focused on addressing post-Brexit challenges for British expatriates and forging a stronger bilateral relationship. The visit, completed on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, underscored the British government’s commitment to prioritizing the interests of its citizens living and traveling abroad, with over 400,000 UK nationals residing in Spain and more than 19 million visiting annually.
A central theme of Thomas-Symonds’ meetings with Spanish counterparts, including Migration Minister Elma Saiz Delgado and EU Sherpa Maider Makua, was the ongoing difficulty many British nationals face in obtaining or renewing their Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero (TIE) – the biometric residency card crucial for proving residency in Spain. Securing a TIE is becoming increasingly urgent as it exempts UK citizens from the upcoming EU Entry/Exit System (EES), a digital registration scheme for non-EU visitors to the Schengen Area.
The Minister reportedly pushed for a more streamlined process for TIE applications and renewals, aiming to protect the rights of UK residents. The EES, once fully implemented, will require non-EU nationals to register their entry and exit data each time they cross a Schengen border, a process the TIE card is designed to circumvent for legal residents.
Beyond residency issues, Thomas-Symonds highlighted the importance of strengthening trade ties between the UK and Spain. He visited Madrid’s Mercado de La Paz, a bustling food market, to emphasize the potential for a specialized food and drink trade agreement by 2027. Such a deal, a key pillar of the UK’s new strategy, would aim to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and food safety barriers currently hindering British retailers seeking to export products to Spain.
The potential trade agreement isn’t solely about boosting exports; it could also simplify the process for British expats wishing to bring personal food and drink items from the UK to Spain. Currently, regulations surrounding the import of certain products can be complex and restrictive.
This diplomatic push follows a broader shift in UK-EU relations since 2024, marked by the first UK-EU Summit in May 2025. That summit led to the establishment of new economic and security frameworks, projected to be worth €10 billion to the UK economy by 2040, and are expected to lower barriers for British citizens in Spain.
Speaking at the Nueva Economía Forum during his visit, Thomas-Symonds acknowledged the uncertainties experienced by the expat community in the decade following the UK’s departure from the European Union. “I know that the last decade created uncertainties for the expat community,” he said. “That is why we have worked to reset our relationship with the EU. It will soon be easier to get British produce in Spain thanks to our new food and drink deal.”
The Minister concluded his visit by reaffirming the UK’s commitment to a “positive and productive partnership” with the European Union, characterizing the relationship with Spain as a cornerstone of that ambition. The visit signals a proactive approach from the UK government to address the practical challenges faced by its citizens in Spain and to build a more stable and mutually beneficial relationship with a key European partner.