UK-Spain agreement to ensure cross-border mobility

In a landmark deal to ensure continued fluidity on its border with Spain, Gibraltar will now become part of the Schengen zone. This will allow UK citizens in Gibraltar continued access to healthcare in Spain.

When the UK left the EU, so did Gibraltar.

Everyday thousands of British and Spanish citizens travel between Gibraltar and Spain to work.13,000 Spanish and 2,000 British people working in Gibraltar live nearby in Spain and commute daily.

The initial agreement between Spain and the UK will serve as the foundation for a future treaty between the European Union and the UK concerning Gibraltar that would allow for maximised and unrestricted mobility of persons across the border.

Under terms of the agreement, Gibraltar is a part of the Schengen zone with Spain acting as guarantor. It allows for the lifting of controls between Gibraltar and Spain.

Until the agreement comes into force, it will use the arrangements permitted under Schengen to relax controls at the border. A deal will be signed by the UK and the EU within six months.

Cross-border workers who commute between Gibraltar and Spain remain exempt from border controls after Brexit

15,000 people commute daily from Spain to Gibraltar, which has a population of 32,000. The port also welcomes some 10 million tourists per year, a sector accounting for about a quarter of its economy.

In theory people from Gibraltar can get treated in the UK under the NHS but few still do; the future of this is not clear.