The European Union and the United Kingdom signed a treaty on Tuesday that eliminates the land border between Gibraltar and Spain, with the physical fence set to be removed at midnight. The provisional application of the agreement, which enters into force on Wednesday, ends a century of physical separation and dismantles what Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described as “the last wall on continental Europe.” The pact was signed in Brussels by European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and UK Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty, in the presence of Albares and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo.

Viewed from Brussels, the accord closes the final outstanding chapter of Brexit, six years after the UK’s withdrawal. Commissioner Šefčovič framed the outcome as “shared prosperity, closer cooperation, and no more barriers for the approximately 15,000 people who cross between Spain and Gibraltar every day.” For Madrid, the treaty is presented as a pragmatic resolution of a daily logistical problem. Albares told Cadena Ser that the agreement “turns the page on three centuries of confrontation” and inaugurates a new era in bilateral relations, while stressing that Spain’s sovereignty claim over the Rock remains intact. The Spanish government has consistently separated the border question from the sovereignty dispute during the four-year negotiation.

From the perspective of Gibraltar, the government of the British Overseas Territory emphasized that the removal of “physical barriers from a past era of friction” does not alter its constitutional status. Chief Minister Picardo stated that Gibraltar retains “the keys to its front door.” A separate concordat signed between London and Gibraltar guarantees the territory’s right to withdraw from the agreement and prevents a future British government from terminating it against Gibraltar’s will. Local business representatives, such as the Federation of Small Businesses, welcomed the fluid border as “very positive” for hiring and retaining workers, though some residents expressed concern that easier access could affect the territory’s traditionally low crime rates.

Under the new regime, Gibraltar residents can cross into Spain using residence cards without passport stamps, while Spanish citizens may use national identity cards. Arrivals at Gibraltar’s airport and port will face dual controls, with Spanish authorities responsible for Schengen-area checks, mirroring the model used for Eurostar services at London St Pancras. A new transaction tax, rising to 17 per cent, will replace Gibraltar’s current import duties as compensation for the absence of VAT. The treaty also establishes cooperation frameworks on law enforcement, judicial matters, labour rights, and environmental protection.

The border was closed by the Franco regime in 1969 after Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to remain under British sovereignty, and it remained shut until 1985. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 96.7 per cent of Gibraltarians voted to remain in the EU. The treaty, comprising 336 articles and over a thousand pages, will apply provisionally pending ratification by both the European Parliament and the UK Parliament, with the European Parliament vote expected towards the end of the year.