Pedro Fiol, president of the Aviba association of travel agencies in the Balearics, says that foreigners without the right to the residents' 75% travel discount are illegally benefiting from it and that this can often be because of misinformation from officials who issue the certificates.
This has to do with temporary residence status in the Balearics, Fiol suggesting that foreigners who apply for the discount aren't themselves aware of the regulation and adding that online systems don't distinguish between temporary and permanent residence.
The situation has been occurring for years, and there have been various meetings with the FELIB town halls' federation in order to try and resolve it. "It is illegal and represents fraud against the public coffers."
Fiol explains that Spaniards and EU citizens registered in the Balearics are entitled to the 75% discount, as are non-EU foreigners who have permanent residence. But people with a temporary NIE are not legally entitled to the certificate and are therefore also not entitled to a travel discount. Fiol says this predominantly applies to people from Latin America.
He wants town halls to remind the officials responsible for issuing travel certificates that these cannot be granted to citizens with a temporary NIE. Airlines also need to verify that the NIE is eligible for a discount. "If controls were tightened, denying boarding to passengers who have a discount they're not entitled to, we would deter 'confused' offenders."
Despite his concerns, Fiol believes that the discount should be extended to temporary residents. "They work and contribute here. They should have the same rights as everyone else." In this regard, he points to the high cost of travel.
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