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Believe it or not, this Sunday is the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice and the start of astronomical winter, after which date the days start slowly getting a bit longer on the long upward climb to spring and summer.

 

Before we launch into your usual mix of stories for this week, just a brief reminder to let you know that there will be a Spanish News Today Editor’s Roundup Weekly Bulletin for next week, on December 26, and that will be the last one of the year until after the Three Kings’ holiday.

 

 

 

 

British residents in Spain have been swapping airport stories with increasing confusion over recent months, particularly about one seemingly simple question: should passports still be stamped when travelling between Spain and the UK? The short answer is yes, no, sometimes and it depends, which neatly sums up why so many people are baffled.

 

Anecdotal reports from airports including Murcia, Alicante and Málaga suggest wildly different experiences, sometimes even on the same journey. Travellers carrying the same documents, usually a British passport and a TIE residency card, have found their passport stamped on departure but not on return, or vice versa.

 

In some cases, two people travelling together have been treated differently at the same control desk, despite having the same sort of residency status. It beggars belief, but at the same time is not all the surprising at all, unfortunately.

 

The British Embassy in Madrid, when we consulted them about this, acknowledged the uncertainty and confirmed that British nationals, whether resident or not, may have their passports stamped when entering or leaving Spain, whether they are technically supposed to. That’s basically down to a lack of knowledge on the part of border control guards due to the changing rules.

 

Essentially, the root of the problem lies with the gradual rollout of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES). Border checks under this system began appearing from October 2025 and will not be fully in place until around April 2026. During this transition period, procedures can vary not only from country to country but from airport to airport, depending on how far implementation has progressed. That’s why some travellers are encountering biometric checks, others manual stamping and many a mixture of both.

 

Once the system is fully operational, manual passport stamping should disappear altogether. Until then, stamping remains possible, even for legal residents who do not technically need it.

 

For holidaymakers, the rules are clearer. Visitors to Spain should expect to use the Entry/Exit System, including fingerprinting and a photo at a kiosk, before seeing a border guard or using an e-gate. Their passport may still be stamped at the end of the process, especially at busy times.

 

For British residents with a TIE card, the situation is different. They are not required to register in the Entry/Exit System and should present both their passport and TIE at non-EU passport control. Dedicated residents’ lanes exist at some airports, but stamping can still happen during this transitional phase. Crucially, the British Embassy stresses that an unexpected stamp does not affect your residency rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

 

Those still relying on the older green residency certificate face the most complications. Without a TIE, they may be treated as visitors and processed through the system, which is why the advice from the Embassy is firm and the same as it ever was: apply for a TIE to replace your green cert sooner rather than later.

 

 

Storm Emilia – one of those weather systems that are strong enough and big enough to earn their own name under the modern rules – swept across the south of Spain earlier this week, prompting Aemet to issue yellow, orange and red alerts like they were cards in an Arsenal-Spurs game (except the orange ones). See below for how it affected Andalucía, in particular, but for now, Murcia.

 

Almost the entire Region was affected, but the storm hit the western half particularly hard. In just a few hours, vast quantities of water fell on towns such as Águilas, Totana, Pliego, Alhama de Murcia and Mula, overwhelming rivers, roads and ramblas. Across the Region, roads became hazardous obstacle courses, littered with rocks, mud and uprooted vegetation dragged onto the tarmac by fast-moving water.

 

In Águilas, a couple narrowly escaped tragedy when their car was swept away by floodwaters in the Rambla del Cocón. Firefighters managed to pull them to safety just seconds before the vehicle was carried off by the torrent, a rescue that emergency services described as the difference between life and death.

 

 

In Molina de Segura, garages and ground-floor homes were flooded within minutes as blocked sewers backed up, manhole covers lifted and water surged indoors. Firefighters worked flat out, pumping water from properties while residents looked on helplessly.

 

Totana saw emergency crews rescue two people from a vehicle that had ended up in a canal, while several regional roads were closed or reduced to crawling traffic as water poured across them.

 

On the plus side, the Inunmur flood plan seems to be working the stormwater tanks prepared in advance prevented millions of litres of runoff from reaching the Mar Menor and helped limit damage to farmland. Every cloud, and all that…

 

Actually, the other big story coming out of Murcia this week, which even made it into the national news headlines, was of the very unpleasant accusations made by a couple of nurses who claimed to have filmed a plastic surgeon working in Murcia city sexually assaulting a sedated patient during breast surgery at a private hospital.

 

The doctor has been arrested and placed in pretrial detention without bail at Sangonera prison, although he denies all charges, saying that the surgical clothing and conditions in the operating theatre make any sexual abuse in that situation physically impossible.

 

The incident apparently took place earlier this month, when the two nurses noticed what they described as “strange and inappropriate movements” during an operation and secretly filmed the scene before alerting hospital management, who immediately contacted the police.

 

The video is not available to view right now, though it is a key piece of evidence in the ongoing judicial investigation.

 

In La Manga, public transport has come under the microscope this week as Cartagena plans to cut and scale back several bus routes. The direct bus between Cartagena and La Manga is set to disappear entirely, replaced by a much longer route with dozens of stops. Other services have been reduced, the early morning buses removed and, perhaps most controversially, the night bus eliminated altogether.

 

For those who live and work in La Manga year-round, the changes feel like a backward step that increases isolation and forces greater reliance on cars, even as authorities promote the area as a year-round destination and try to alleviate the traffic jams which are a daily occurrence up and down the strip in summer.

 

Don’t worry: it’s not all doom and gloom. There was actually some good news coming out of Murcia this week. In Alhama de Murcia, the Town Council has approved planning permission for the new five-star hotel at the Condado de Alhama Golf Resort, from developer Alhama Nature.

 

As anyone who has followed the situation will know, this has been in the works for several years, but it seems like the Alhama Nature project is finally moving ahead – just one more of Murcia’s golf resorts getting fresh backing from investors and new facilities to make it an attractive prospect for tourism, sport and to boost the property market. All that remains now is for the construction work to actually begin.

 

Official figures show that burglaries in homes and businesses across Murcia have fallen significantly over the past decade, a trend attributed to a fall in people having cash at home, along with the increased popularity of high-tech home alarm systems. This news comes from crime statistics just released, which, on the flip side, show that robberies involving violence have risen, often involving opportunistic thefts in busy public spaces. Police sources commenting on the report said it is a shift that reflects “growing social tension” and a move towards impulsive behaviour rather than organised crime.

 

Finally, there was reason to celebrate in Cartagena, where the Roman Theatre Museum passed the remarkable milestone of 3 million visitors since opening. More than half of this year’s visitors came from abroad, with the UK leading the way.

 

There is still ongoing excavation work at the Theatre which continues to reveal new layers of the city’s well-known Roman past, including the full excavation of the portico behind the stage and the discovery of a vomitorium (don’t worry, it’s not what it sounds like! In Roman theatres, a vomitorium was just an exit passage). A great place to take visitors when they come over, especially if you can link it up with one of their planned activities that they host at the Theatre.

 

As for what’s going on around Murcia this weekend, there’s a fun-looking singalong in the main square in Sucina, close to Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort, on Saturday December 20 at midday, which is a chance for everyone to show off their pipes and help raise money for the local food bank. And then on Sunday, there’s an alternative kind of visit available with a free Christmas tour of the northerly Murcia town of Cehegín, which maybe gets overlooked and overshadowed by some of its larger neighbours, but is really a very pretty place to visit indeed, especially at this time of year, with its narrow winding alleys and ancient architecture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Otro vídeo desde las lagunas de Mijas, fue tremendo pic.twitter.com/7eaC18a0sL

— Ismael Piña (@ismaelpg_09) December 16, 2025

 

Storm Emilia started the week off with a bang, quite literally in some parts, as strong winds and heavy rain battered much of the region. Around 282 weather-related incidents were logged overnight into Tuesday December 16, with Málaga province hit hardest. Fallen trees, flooding, and flying debris kept emergency crews busy well into the morning. A tornado briefly touched down on the Mijas coastline, uprooting trees and damaging boats, while Fuengirola’s seafront and Christmas lights took a beating.

Although the worst of Emilia has passed, local authorities remain in a pre-emergency phase as they take stock of the damage, particularly along the Costa del Sol. The Andalusian Minister for Health, the Presidency and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, thanked emergency services and residents for their response, urging people to “remain cautious” even as the alert level dropped back to Operational Situation 0.

With the storms finally easing, attention has now turned back to the road - both literally and figuratively. As festive plans ramp up, so too have police checks across Andalucía. The DGT has kicked off its Christmas campaign against drink and drug driving, running from Monday December 15 to Sunday December 21. Drivers can expect to see more officers carrying out tests at all hours on both city streets and rural roads.

Pedro Fernández, the Government Delegate in Andalucía, reminded motorists that “the only safe limit is zero,” urging everyone to take responsibility this Christmas. The numbers speak volumes: in Spain last year, alcohol and drugs were linked to 28% of all fatal accidents.

Encouragingly, Córdoba is leading by example with a dedicated Christmas safety plan involving 900 officers and over 1,000 tests in key city areas. Mayor José María Bellido said extra patrols will be out during peak festive nights, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the Three Kings parade in January.

Still, not all the week’s news has been so serious. In Fuengirola, there was reason to celebrate something more heartwarming. Bioparc Fuengirola’s newest resident, a baby gorilla, has officially been named Ernie. The name was chosen by the public, taking 44% of the vote and honouring one of the park’s beloved former gorillas, Ernest, who passed away in 2017.

Keepers say Ernie’s mother, Wefa, has been a model parent, caring for her newborn with calm dedication. Her little one’s arrival has changed the troop’s behaviour too, strengthening family bonds among the group. Beyond the cute factor, the park hopes Ernie’s story will raise awareness about the plight of western lowland gorillas, which are listed as Critically Endangered. As Bioparc staff put it, he’s “a little great victory for biodiversity,” and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in Fuengirola who’d disagree.

And speaking of much-loved companions, Granada has once again proven itself a province of pet lovers. Fresh figures show there are now 261,820 registered animals - a 5.7% jump from last year. Dogs lead the way with nearly 230,000 registered, followed by cats at just under 40,000. The data, from the Andalusian Animal Identification Registry (RAIA), highlights not only our region’s growing affection for animals but also improvements in pet welfare and registration.

Interestingly, the number of dogs classed as “potentially dangerous” continues to fall, with 7,751 currently registered in Granada compared to 8,240 last year. Across Andalucía, Málaga tops the charts with more than half a million registered pets, while Huelva has the fewest. Whether it’s ensuring rabies vaccinations or tracing lost animals, RAIA’s network is quietly helping make Andalucía a safer place for pets and people alike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading and we’ll be back next week for your final Roundup of the year.

 

 

In the meantime, have yourselves a very Merry Christmas!