MADRID, SPAIN / RankWire.AI / – Spain has initiated temporary border inspections for travelers arriving from Italy by air and sea, effective from midnight on Aug. 8 and scheduled to continue until Sept. 7. Authorities are verifying passports, nationality, and visa status where necessary, with the checks applying to Italian travelers and other passengers entering Spain from Italy. This step follows Italy’s earlier implementation of temporary controls on certain arrivals from Spain.
According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, officers inspected 199 passengers on 12 flights originating from Italy during the first day of enforcement. These inspections were carried out at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, and Valencia. Travelers on affected routes may face document verification before completing their arrival procedures, but the controls do not constitute a border closure. Flight and ferry connections between Spain and Italy remain operational during this temporary period.
Italy reinstated checks on Aug. 1 following a surge of migrants entering Ceuta from Morocco in late July. Italian authorities applied their measures to non-EU nationals arriving from Spain via air and sea, excluding Spanish, Italian, and other EU citizens from these controls. Italy informed European authorities that its measures would continue through Sept. 1, prompting Spain to introduce its own checks after calling for Italy to withdraw its restrictions.
Ceuta influx preceded bilateral controls
Approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta during the large migration from Morocco that began in late July. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated on Aug. 4 that about 70,000 migrants had already left the territory. Located on the North African coast, Ceuta remains outside the Schengen Area. This migration event occurred prior to Italy restoring controls on some travelers from Spain, leading Spain to announce checks on passengers arriving from Italy via its airports and seaports.
Madrid revealed the Spanish border checks on Aug. 7 after opposing Italy’s introduced restrictions. Spain claimed Italy’s controls lacked justification and were discriminatory. Italy maintained its measures, and Spain began its inspections the following day. The two countries have set different end dates for their current controls, with Italy’s measures scheduled through Sept. 1 and Spain’s until Sept. 7.
Temporary border controls within Schengen
While the Schengen Area normally allows free movement across internal borders without routine passport checks, its regulations permit temporary controls during serious threats to public policy or internal security. The European Commission states that governments should limit internal border checks to essential situations and for limited durations. Both Spain and Italy are members of Schengen, and their current measures only introduce temporary screening without suspending normal travel between the two nations.
Travelers from Italy to Spain can expect possible identity and immigration checks at Spanish airports and seaports during the enforcement period. Spain’s first day of inspections involved nearly 200 passengers across six major airports. Meanwhile, Italy continues its separate checks on targeted non-EU arrivals from Spain according to its notified schedule. Both countries’ measures are temporary within the Schengen framework, with Spain maintaining its checks through Sept. 7.