The new regulation has hit British holiday home owners hard meaning that they can only enjoy their property in Spain for half a year.

Alastair Johnson of About Moving to Spain said: “Non-European Union travellers planning trips to Spain and other Schengen Zone countries must prepare for significant changes in the enforcement of the 90/180-day rule. The new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), set to launch in November 2024, will use advanced biometric technology to track all entries and exits from Schengen countries, ensuring stricter compliance with the rule.

“The Schengen 90/180 rule allows non-EU citizens to stay in Schengen countries, including Spain, for up to 90 days within a rolling 180-day period. The introduction of the EES will automatically enforce this rule, reducing opportunities for overstays and violations by tracking every traveller’s compliance in real time with biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition.”

Attempts have been made to try and get the ruling scrapped but so far they have proved unsuccessful.