BY EMMA DEIGHAN

SPAIN has introduced new security rules for those travelling to the country from the UK in what ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) calls the 'harshest yet' in intra-European travel.

The new law will now mean that anyone travelling from the UK into Spain regardless of their nationality will have to supply more passenger information to the Spanish authorities prior to travel.

The API scheme (Advance Passenger Information) will mean gathering things like names, surnames, nationality, date of birth and travel document details, primarily passport numbers from those travelling to the country.

As from the middle of June, Spain enforced the API rules and made it the responsibility of the airlines to retrieve such personal data.

British Airways was the first airline to implement this by setting up a facility online that allowed travellers to input the details.

EasyJet followed suit by organising an online facility for those booking to go to Spain and emailing all its passengers already booked to travel to there, advising them to log on to the airline's website to input data.

The Department of Transport anticipates disruption at airports due to prolonged waiting times as many travellers unaware of the law may have to pass on information at check-in, if they haven't already done so with their chosen airline.

It said: "We strongly advise that you provide data before travelling and check with your chosen carrier before doing so."

If you are booked to travel to Spain, your travel agent should request such information prior to travel, as too should your airline.

If you haven't supplied the necessary information, ABTA anticipates that it will be collected at the airport check-in or at self-service kiosks.

Jet2 said it was 'currently investing in new technology to collect the information at check-in, and does not, therefore anticipate any extra queuing times for its passengers.

Jet2 added: "Passengers using our online check-in facility will be able to provide their data at the 'fast bag-drop' if they have baggage to check in, or at the departure gate, if they have hand baggage only.

"We advise passengers to arrive no later than one hour and 30 minutes prior to their departure time."

If you are due to travel to Spain from now, contact your travel agent or airline to check that the information has been forwarded to avoid any queuing at airports.

The new security rules will apply to other EC countries next year.