Alicante port improves border control of passengers with an automated system

The Port Authority of Alicante has given Sistemas Informáticos Abiertos, SAU, of the INDRA Group the job of providing, installing, starting up, and maintaining the new automated equipment for the...

January 1, 2026 2 Mins Read

The Port Authority of Alicante has given Sistemas Informáticos Abiertos, SAU, of the INDRA Group the job of providing, installing, starting up, and maintaining the new automated equipment for the European Entry and Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). This is in line with the agreement between State Ports and the State Secretariat for Security.

According to a statement from the port authorities, the contract has been given for €1,215,752.36 (without including VAT), and the work would take 36.5 months to finish. This project is a big step forward in how the Port of Alicante handles passenger flows from third countries. It will use self-service kiosks, automated passport control gates, assisted checkpoints, and cutting-edge biometric equipment, all of which will be connected to the National Police’s systems and the European Union’s central European Security Expansion (EES) system. According to the same sources, the system should be completely operational by 2026, when the EES has been installed, tested, and put into use in the European Union.

European co-financing

The European Union is helping to modernise and digitise border controls in the Schengen Area by paying for this equipment and keeping it in good shape. The European Union is helping to pay for the project through the Financial Support Instrument for Border Management and Visa Policy (IFGV). This means that the Port Authority of Alicante can modernise the port with fewer of its own resources.

The Port Authority says that this move makes security stronger, controls more effective, and makes Alicante a safer and more efficient way to go to the Schengen Area from North Africa, in line with European policies for smart border management.

Luis Rodríguez, the president of the Alicante Port Authority, said that the contract “puts the Port of Alicante at the forefront of border control technology, thanks to the joint commitment of Spanish institutions and the strong financial support of the European Union.” He also said that putting the system in place “will make things better for international travellers and make a strategic location for maritime traffic in the Mediterranean safer.”