Gibraltar, commonly known as ‘The Rock’, is a British Overseas Territory located on the southern side of Spain. In 2021, we travelled around Spain, and decided as we had never been before, to pay it a visit. This is our guide to crossing the Gibraltar – Spain border for British Citizens.
Where is the Gibraltar – Spain border crossing?
The border is located at the Spanish town of la Línea de la Concepción in the south of Spain.
Crossing the border
*Please note this is for foot crossing only. The other options for crossing this border are by car, motorbike, or pushbike.
Spain – Gibraltar
This direction of the border has two passport controls. The first one is the Spanish control.
Here they check your passport is in order and then stamp it. (Workers with the correct ID get waved on with no stamp requirement.)
At this point, you exit the building and leave Spain. After a short walk, you will enter another building, where you’re met by a British immigration official who will check everything is in order, and grant you access into Gibraltar.
Once through the British section of the border crossing, you have a few options about what to do next.
- You can walk your way to the main tourist areas by crossing the runway. Time your visit right and you may get lucky to see a plane land or take off. The walk should take 15-20 minutes.
- Get a bus, if you don’t fancy the walk or planning to go further into Gibraltar. You will need the correct change for buses, prices and routes can be found here.
- Get a taxi. There are any number of taxis lined up, you can use them to get to your destination of choice, or you can arrange a tour of Gibraltar with them.
Gibraltar itself isn’t very big. You will be able to see most things in a day. There is a good bus service which will take you down to Europa Point, and a cable car to take you up the rock.
Gibraltar – Spain
This direction is slightly different. You don’t go through any British border points. The first official you will meet is at the Spanish border. They will check if your passport is in order and if you’re a tourist you get stamped into Spain. Again, workers with IDs get waved on through. You will leave this area and go through Spanish customs. They are strict and look into everyone’s bag, but in all it is relatively quick. Once, through you are now in Spain.
If you are heading for the bus station it is maybe a 10 minute walk and well sign posted. The town of la Línea de la Concepción is a bit further away. However, well worth a walk around the shopping area and squares. We also recommend you grab dinner at Revuelo Taberna Urbana. The food is great.
Top Tips from us
- General rule of thumb, commute times are busy and will take a little longer to cross.
- Have space for passport stamps.
- Parking looked limited on the Gibraltar side of the border. It might be an idea to park on the la Línea de la Concepción side of the border and walk across.
- Be aware of customs regulations. They are strict going back to Spain.
We hope you find our ‘Crossing the Gibraltar – Spain border’ post useful and enjoy your time in Gibraltar.
The Lewis Family.
Check our further border crossings.
