Border Crossings, Gibraltar

If you are daytripping to Gibraltar with a car, park on the Spanish side of the border in La Linea or you may be facing a REALLY long queue to get out. Walking across the border was a breeze, they barely even looked at our passports and there was no queue in either direction. But we did see quite a long line of cars on our way out!

Once across the border, there are buses that can take you through Gibraltar or you can walk should you have lots of time.

If you are in Gibraltar and wish to travel into Spain, you must go through the border and show your passport and open your bag(s) for inspection.

Legally you can only take one carton of 200 cigarettes and one bottle of alcohol every 10 days across into Spain after 9am and before 9pm, anything over this amount or outside the times will usually result in your items being confiscated and your passport stamped, which means you cannot bring any cigarettes or alcohol into Spain for 10 days.

Gibraltar is a self governing British colony so if you are traveling there from Spain you need to remember to bring your passport along with you. Although the border guards didn't even glance at our passports going in either direction nor did they stamp our passports (we asked!), you still need to bring one with you in order to cross the border from Spain into Gibraltar and vice versa.

The ques at the border are ridicolous.The Spainish goverment makes life as difficult as possible for people crossing the Gibraltan border, this includes checking your passport, then your luggage, the your car and then if your really unlucky your passport again.Catch a bus from La Linya or Algeciras its much easier.

The length of the queue to get in and more often out of Gibraltar is a barometer of the political relationship between the Uk and Spain.

Although Franco closed it completely, that is now most unlikely, but you may still have to wait for a couple of hours.

Leave you car in spain and walk. Buses are available from the border crossing.

Alternatively, the last time I went to Gibraltar we rode across on bicycles. This way we actually managed to get through without getting off the bike, holding the page up to the officers as we passed!

Remember that to travel into Gibraltar you require your passport or your Id Card if you are an EU national. Gibraltar is not part of Shengen and some nationalities require a visa for Gibraltar. As a general rule if you need a Visa for UK you will need a Visa for Gibraltar. Another thing is that if you require a Schengen Visa. To enter Gibraltar and return to Spain you must have a Multiple Visa for Schengen. A drivers license or residence card is not a valid travel document. Email me if unsure or need more information.

If you are entering Gibraltar from Spain, please be aware that any items, such as clothing or electronics are subject to taxation. Second hand goods are not taxed. The tax is a small percentage of the cost of the items; If you must go into Gibraltar with newly bought items from Spain, make sure to remove packaging and any labels, as you might be able to convince them it is second hand.

We drove in to Gibraltar through the Spanish boarder town of La Linea. The first day No problem either ways, the second day again got through the boarder very quickly but returning to Spain it took us 2 hours to get through the boarder.

Admitedly I dont know if this was due to a genuine traffic jam, or the Spanish boarder guards deliberately holding it all up.

Either way it made it a very long day. I think next time we would park in spain & walk accross.

The biggest problem Gibraltar has is the border problem...which has been going on for years.be prepared to wait,unless you park your car in la linea which is the other side of the border,but be warned we regulary had our car broken into for only a few pesatas!!You do NOT need a visa to enter Gib. even if the touters at the border insist you do..other than that the rock is a safe haven to visit.

When crossing to Gibraltar from Spain you wont fail to notice the oil refineries between La Linea and Algeciras. Unfortunately the fumes they emit can be quite unpleasant and can sometimes even reach the town of Gibraltar itself.