Frontier workers and Gibraltar links under the agreement

Key rules

• Cut-off: You must have been working in Spain and living outside it before 31 December 2020, and still work in Spain.
• Card: The frontier worker card is issued by the Spanish immigration authorities and applied for in the province where you work.
• Gibraltar work: Living in Spain and working in Gibraltar is a special case, covered only if you meet the residence and frontier conditions.

Frontier workers have their own status

A frontier worker is a UK national who works, as an employee or self-employed, in Spain but lives elsewhere, typically in Gibraltar or the UK. This is a different status from being a resident of Spain, and it has its own document.

To be covered, you must have been working in Spain and living outside it before 31 December 2020. You must also keep working in Spain. Your rights continue for as long as you remain a frontier worker. If you started cross-border work after that date, this status does not apply to you.

The frontier worker card

The document is the Tarjeta de Trabajador Fronterizo. The Spanish immigration authorities issue it, and the Policía Nacional produces the card.

Apply at the Oficina de Extranjería or a police station in the province where you work. For the Campo de Gibraltar area, that is Cádiz. Use the form for frontier worker cards under the Withdrawal Agreement scheme.

The card only confirms your status. Your rights exist whether or not you hold it, but the card is the proof you will use in practice. The card is usually valid for five years. Confirm the exact form and procedure with the local Oficina de Extranjería before you go. The documents list below shows what to bring.

Where Gibraltar fits

Gibraltar is not part of Spain. If you live in Spain and work in Gibraltar, you are in a special position. You are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement only if you meet its residence and frontier conditions. Use the decision below to see which position you are in.

In June 2025 the UK, Spain, the EU and Gibraltar reached a political agreement on Gibraltar's future relationship with the EU. It aims to remove land border checks at the frontier and to protect cross-border workers. Whether the resulting treaty is in force, and what it changes for you in practice, is for the governments to confirm. Check the current position with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Gibraltar before you change any plans.

What to do next

• Work out which position you are in, using the decision below.
• Gather your documents from the list below.
• Check the details with the Oficina de Extranjería in your province.

Choosing between options

Which position are you in if you work in Gibraltar and have a link to Spain?

• Frontier worker: You live outside Spain and work in Spain, and you were doing so by 31 December 2020. Apply for the frontier worker card.

• Resident of Spain working in Gibraltar: You live in Spain and work in Gibraltar. Gibraltar is not part of Spain, so you are covered only if you meet the residence and frontier conditions of the agreement.

Where you live and where you work decide it: living outside Spain and working in Spain points to the frontier worker card, while living in Spain and working in Gibraltar depends on meeting the agreement's residence and frontier conditions.

Documents you need

• Tarjeta de Trabajador Fronterizo (frontier worker card): the card issued by the Spanish immigration authorities and produced by the Policía Nacional. Your rights exist even without it, but it is your document to prove them.

• Proof of identity, to submit with the card application at the Oficina de Extranjería or police station in the province where you work (Cádiz for Campo de Gibraltar workers).

• Proof that you worked or were self-employed in Spain before 2020 and have been since.

• Proof that you live outside Spain, for example in Gibraltar or the UK.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose my rights if I stop working in Spain?

Yes, your frontier worker rights depend on you still working in Spain, so they continue only while you remain a frontier worker. You must also keep a link to your activity in Spain. If your work situation changes, ask the Oficina de Extranjería in your province before you act.

Can I get the frontier worker card if I started cross-border work after 2020?

No, the frontier worker status covers only UK nationals who were already working in Spain and living outside it by 31 December 2020. If you started later, this status does not apply to you. Ask the Oficina de Extranjería which other route may fit your case.

Does the 2025 Gibraltar agreement change my status if I live in Spain and work in Gibraltar?

Not by itself, because Gibraltar is not part of Spain, so you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement only if you meet its residence and frontier conditions. The June 2025 political deal aims to remove land border checks and protect cross-border workers. Ask the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Government of Gibraltar what is in force now.