Gibraltar Ends Ferry Service to Morocco to Avoid Spanish Police Controls at Port

Marrakech – Gibraltar’s government announced last week the end of its ferry service to Morocco, operated by DFDS, formerly FRS. The decision is directly tied to new border arrangements set to take effect at the Gibraltar-Spain frontier under the EU-UK Treaty, with provisional application beginning July 15.

The official statement described the closure as “the end of an important chapter” in Gibraltar-Morocco relations. The ferry had served for over two decades as the sole regular passenger link between the territory and Morocco.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo framed the move within the broader treaty context. The existence of a regular ferry would require Spanish National Police officers to conduct permanent Schengen entry checks at Gibraltar’s port.

By canceling the service, those controls become unnecessary at the port facility. Under the new treaty model, all police inspections will instead be concentrated at Gibraltar’s airport.

Picardo had previously confirmed the government would not grant new licenses for regular passenger services to prevent the port from becoming “subject to permanent Schengen controls.”

He also argued the route had lost “economic viability,” noting that the “immense majority” of travelers use the ports of Algeciras and Tarifa, which offer numerous daily connections to Morocco.

The Gibraltar ferry, he added, had been maintained through public subsidies and was used primarily by members of the Moroccan community who lacked British passports or Schengen visas to access Spain.

The ferry link dates back decades. Bland Line operated a regular service as early as the 1950s, and United Nations documents from 1976 recorded it as the only regular passenger service at Gibraltar’s port. FRS began operating the route in 2005 before its integration into DFDS. The service was suspended during the pandemic and restored in 2022.

Cruise ships calling at Gibraltar will not be affected. Immigration controls for cruise passengers are conducted at embarkation and disembarkation ports, not during scheduled stops. Passengers arriving by sea on merchant vessels or during crew changes will be transferred to the airport’s Schengen entry facilities.

Picardo acknowledged the closure “will be felt especially by our Moroccan community” and described the community’s contribution to Gibraltar’s life, economy, and culture as “enormous.”

Minister John Cortes, who holds the Morocco relations portfolio, called the ferry “more than a means of travel,” noting it was “a familiar part of life, carrying workers and families in their everyday journeys across the Strait.”

On the same day, the Ministry for Developing Relations with the Kingdom of Morocco issued a travel advisory. It warned that Moroccan nationals traveling to Gibraltar through Spain will now need a Schengen visa under the new treaty arrangements.

The ministry urged family members planning summer visits to “begin the visa application process as early as possible,” noting that appointment availability and processing times “may vary, particularly during the busy summer season.” The advisory clarified that visa approval remains “entirely at the discretion of the competent Consular authorities.”

Gibraltar’s government pledged to continue supporting its Moroccan community and maintaining ties with the North African kingdom.