From 1 May, citizens of states which have recently joined the European Union are to be allowed free movement in Spain.

9 March 2006

GRANADA — From 1 May, citizens of states which have recently joined the European Union are to be allowed free movement in Spain.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero made the announcement as the Polish prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz visited Granada for a bilateral summit of the two countries.

Zapatero said he thought the move would bring dividends for Spain and the rest of the EU.

At present citizens from Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic have had to apply for visas to work in Spain – as in many of the other 'old EU' countries.

Workers from Cyprus ad Malta already been granted free movement.

In some cases it will take until 2011 for the former limitations to apply across the new EU, which includes 25 states.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]