If you’re sailing to France, here’s what you need to know to avoid the headaches of immigration and customs for a smooth entry and exit from the country
British sailors planning to travel to France this summer are being warned that a shortage of officials means not all ports can be treated as ports of entry.
Last year, French authorities sought to simplify entry and exit for non-EU cruise passengers by allowing sailors to email their intended passage using a Préavis Police aux Frontières (PAF) form. ) Immigration/Advance Immigration Notice.
This would allow arrival at any port and would not require a designated port.
These forms began to appear on some port websites, such as St Cast and St Quay Portrieux in Brittany, but not all, and it soon became clear that there were not enough French officials to go from port to port. to check boat papers and stamp passports. .
Honfleur in Normandy is one of France’s official ports of entry. Credit: Peter Cumberlidge
This had the effect of limiting the number of ports included in the input port program.
According to the Cruising Association (CA), the entire check-in process for entering and leaving France for non-EU cruise passengers remains under review and is not expected to change before the introduction of the new European EES system. (Entry/Exit System) and ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) which should come into force towards the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 respectively.
Navigate to France: Entrance
The CA and RYA are now advising those sailing from the UK to France to choose an official port of entry. These are Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne, Dieppe, Le Havre, Honfleur, Caen/Ouistreham, Cherbourg, Carteret, Granville, St Malo, St Brieuc/Légué and Roscoff.
Those sailing the English Channel to a port or marina that is not a port of entry should check whether an immigration form is available and what special arrangements, if any, have been made with the authorities for entry. arrival.
If a form is available, fill it out and send it to the email address listed on the form. If you do not get a response to your email, call the local border police (Police Aux Frontières – PAF) or designated customs (Douane) for advice.
Border Police officers take care of the registration of sailors heading to and from France. Credit: Getty
On arrival, all non-EU crew will need to see the local PAF or customs (Douane) for immigration and customs.
This may involve going to the nearest PAF office; many are located far from marinas and are not open 24 hours a day. Boat papers may also need to be presented.
In the event of extreme weather conditions or other force majeure, non-EU country boats may enter any port or harbor with the permission of the harbor master, but the crew must report the presence of the vessel to the authorities at the nearest port of entry and submit to immigration. and customs controls.
Sailing to France: Departure
On departure, the same process must be followed as on arrival.
UK cruise passengers should ensure passports are stamped on departure to avoid staying too long in the Schengen area, which could result in future denial of entry.
Since Brexit, visits to the Schengen area are limited to 90 days every 180 days for British nationals.
The CA and RYA warn that PAF offices are not open 24/7 and crew should plan accordingly.
Be sure to check before leaving France to avoid staying too long in the Schengen area. Credit: Getty
HQ Canals Section Secretary and Board Chairman Bob Garrett said the process may “seem onerous, but it’s a legal requirement and those of us who have sailed beyond the ‘Europe will be aware of these processes in other countries’.
‘Other non-EU seafarers visiting the EU have always had such processes to sail to France, without the benefit of some of the flexibility currently offered. All reports the Cruising Association has received from its members on interactions with French officials have been good – friendly, helpful and accommodating. They want visitors for friendship, camaraderie and tourism business, so they facilitate things as much as possible within the legal framework and available resources,” he added.
Navigate to and from the UK
Anyone sailing to and from the UK must complete a C1331 form to report pleasure craft trips.
Form C1331 has always been required for those sailing to and from destinations outside the EU and to the Channel Islands.
The Home Office has confirmed that the new online Submit a Pleasure Craft Report, which will effectively replace the C1331 by allowing pleasure skippers to digitally submit information about their voyage and crew before departing to or from the Kingdom United, was delayed.
It was scheduled to go live in late 2021, but it’s still under development by Border Force and will launch “in due course.”
Instead, an electronic C1331, known as eC1331, is available which allows skippers to submit their details by email, rather than printing the C1331 form, filling it in and sending it to Border Force by mail. The eC1331 is only available as an Excel document.
The C1331 can be printed and completed before being sent to Border Force. The eC1331 can be sent by e-mail. Credit: HMRC
Both eC1331 and C1331 can be found here.
eC1331 requires a United Nations Code for Places of Commerce and Transport (UN/LOCODE) for points of departure and arrival.
Some skippers have experienced issues finding the UN/LOCODE of their destination, or have reported that the link on the eC1331 to the UN/LOCODE is not working, and this is being investigated.
A list of UN/LOCODEs can be found here.
Alternatively, skippers can write the full name of their start and end locations along with latitude and longitude coordinates.
Sailors using the eC1331 will need to complete two forms – one for the outward journey, one for the return journey.
If you print the C1331, complete Part 1 and send it to Border Force at the address provided.
For the return, complete Part 2 and call Yachtline one hour before your arrival.
The number is 0300 123 2012. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sailing to France: the experience of a sailor
Richard Turner and his wife, Bernadette, sailed to France twice in 2022, aboard their Beneteau Oceanis 331, Jupiter, as part of an extended cruise around the UK.
Their maiden voyage was in February and they sailed from Falmouth to St Malo.
“We arrived at the marina office and the staff didn’t know what we needed to do in terms of checking in in France. Instead, they suggested the city’s main police station. The agents there didn’t know, but suggested Border Police (PAF) at the ferry terminal. It turned out that the PAF agents had never done this before, but they stamped our passports, but did not ask for the boat papers, or even visit the boat, ”explained Richard.
Roger and Bernadette chose to sail from Falmouth to St Malo, which is a port of entry. Credit: Getty
The couple sailed to the coast but returned to Saint-Malo to leave France. The St Malo PAF is only open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Richard and Bernadette leaving on a Sunday, their passports were stamped the day before.
After sailing in the Channel Islands, Richard and Bernadette returned to France due to the weather.
Again, when they arrived at the Cherbourg marina office, the staff did not ask them to check in in France. When Richard inquired, marina staff phoned the PAF office at the Cherbourg ferry port and two officers went to the marina to stamp their passports. Again, the boat’s papers were not examined and a visit to the boat was not necessary.
Upon leaving France, Richard and Bernadette went to the PAF office at the ferry port to have their passports stamped.
“Everyone I talk to in the UK is hesitant to go to France because they think it will be a nightmare, it’s not,” Richard said.
“All the French marinas are desperately waiting for our arrival; many of them, like Cherbourg, are quite empty.
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His advice is to arrive and depart via a port of entry.
Richard used the eC1331 when leaving and returning to the UK.
‘Getting the UN/LOCODE was a real hassle because the link provided on the form didn’t work; I ended up googling the UN/LOCODE of our arrival port to find it,” he said.
Richard filled out the form on his iPad which converted it into a Numbers document without him realizing it. The eC1331 was returned to him and he had to save it as an Excel document before it was accepted.
He used the eC1331 when he returned to the UK.
“The eC1331 is a very clunky system and does not work properly,” commented Richard.
“It’s not flexible for cruising, especially for us as cruise ships, because we often don’t have cellphone signal. We could phone Yachtline, but you need all the information required by the C1331 form to hand,” he added.
Richard and Bernadette say they will definitely return to France once their Schengen allowance is refreshed in August.
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