The Customs Dependency of Algeciras has published the Informative Note NIN 2/2026, a regulatory document that has ordered and updated the authorized locations for customs controls and procedures in the port facility. The new instruction will be applicable from July 1 and will have direct effects on the daily operations of carriers, logistics operators, freight forwarders, and customs representatives involved in the clearances related to the Port of Algeciras.
The note establishes that the ordinary authorized areas for vehicle parking and conducting customs procedures will be exclusively TTP1 and TTP2. Exceptionally, when there is no available capacity in these two areas, the auxiliary zones ZA0001, in TECO; ZA0002, in Cantil; and ZA0003, in front of TTI Algeciras, may be used.
One of the key aspects of the new regulation is the obligation for the vehicle to be physically located in the declared area at the time of conducting any customs procedure. This requirement implies that the location of the transport unit becomes an operational requirement during the process, not just a documentary reference.
Alongside this division of space, the regulation has set a criterion for the use of pre-boarding zones. These areas have only been enabled for carrying out customs procedures for trucks coming from Tangier, and their use is prohibited for vehicles making the reverse journey to the Moroccan port. This differentiation of flows has sought to organize road traffic, preventing the overlap of import and export operations in the same space.
In the north-south traffic, after entering the port, the transporter must head to TTP1 or TTP2. If there is no available capacity, they may park in one of the authorized auxiliary zones. Before initiating any customs procedure, they must communicate their arrival and the exact location of the vehicle, which must not leave that location until receiving explicit instructions.
In the south-north traffic, the note likewise requires communication of the arrival and the exact location of the vehicle before initiating any customs management. The unit must remain in that location until authorization is received to continue operations. In ro-ro operations carried out from pre-boarding zones, the transporter must ensure that the unit is indeed situated in an authorized location.
The main operational difficulty lies in the need to verify the real location of the vehicle during customs processing. The authorized auxiliary zones exceptionally do not currently have access control systems that allow for the automatic and reliable verification of the unit's effective presence, which shifts a significant part of the responsibility to the transporter and the customs operator.
For this reason, companies operating in the port facility must implement internal procedures to ensure the traceability and location of transport units throughout the process. Non-compliance with these obligations may lead to operational delays, additional inspections, and even the initiation of sanctioning proceedings.
Following meetings with the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras, the documentation provided indicates that there has been information regarding the potential opening of new parking areas and the closure or modification of other currently existing ones. Therefore, the Informative Note could be subject to future updates, especially regarding the authorized areas for parking and conducting customs procedures.
