A Customs/Immigration Question

[Robin]

We hope to take some visting USA friends sailing over the Bank Holiday week visiting Cherbourg and Channel Islands. Does anyone know if we have to clear them through Customs or Immigration either before departure or on our return? They will have arrived in the UK via Heathrow and have had their passports stamped there on arrival, and will leave from there afterwards.

I've tried to contact Customs by phone, but only get a recorded announcement inviting me to report my arrival or if I call the number listed on their website get a nice BT lady saying the number is not recognised!

Does anyone perhaps know a (manned) telephone number for Customs that I can call - BT's Directory Enquiries only has VAT offices or Drugs reporting numbers!

 

[Guest]

I work a lot with Customs and cannot imagine for a second that they have got time for anything other than drugs at the moment. If they stop a yacht it is drugs that they are looking for and we should all help. THe fact that your friends are American is neither here nor there to Customs. As far as Immigration are concerned I cannot see a problem as they have been cleared at Heathrow.

From what I can gauge the authorities are now so busy with the baddies that they have neither the time nor inclination to start nitpicking with the silent majority of decent honest citizens.

Enjoy your sail and dont forget the passports or the SSR !

Best wishes

 

[MapisM]

Is EC going nuts ?

I wouldn't put my right arm on that, but I'd expect no CUSTOM control at all between F and UK.
What they can do are POLICE controls (even as custom officers), in the sense of checking documents, look for drug, weapons, etc.
But you should be allowed to:
1) import/export whatever good regularly purchased between any EC country without any custom formality.
2) move freely within any EC country, even if the person is not an EC citizen, as long as the person a) originally arrived through a regular immigration procedure in an EC country, b) is not going to stay permanently (that would require a special permit).

All IMHO naturally. I would be interested in other viewpoints.

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: should be allowed to:

Telephone customs, speak to a human and get clarification.

 

[brianhumber]

Did the same as you in 2000. No problems they cleared in UK, sailed with me from Chichester, left in Le harve went to Cannes, joined another Yacht in Cherbourg sailed around Channel Isles came back to UK and went home.
Don't forget your ships papers though

 

[Piers]

Look slike an immigration problem. The following may be applicable....

"A non-EU national must have the permission of the Immigration Officer to enter the UK if arriving from any country other than the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland or if carrying anyone to or from a place outside the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands or Republic of Ireland, or who does not have the right to live in the EC. Advise the Immigration Officer before departure"

Try calling: 0191 201 1719 or 08450 109 000 or 01189 644 200.

Some have auro attendants - might take some time, but keep pushing the buttons!

Piers du Pré
MBM Cruising Club enthusiast
www.dupre.co.uk/fsPlaydeau.htm

 

[incognito]

I am not sure what the implications of EU membership is wrt this situation. Before EU, your friends would have to report to immigration at a port of entry to France, Holland, Belgium in their (albeit transported by you) travels around the continent. It may be that the 'port of entry' is an EU-wide one, but I doubt it. We UK citizens are citizens of Europe, and are free movers, but I don't think that extends to visitors.

You should check to see if the first place you touch down on after leaving UK is a port of entry, if not, you MAY be transporting your US friends illegally.

 

[tome]

A mate of mine is a customs officer, and I was surprised to hear that their priorities now are tobacco and liquor, not drugs!

 

[tcm]

imho it is fairly relaxed. In fact very relaxed indeed. I took in bundles of papers, insurance and so on and they waved me away as though I was a nutter, altho of course youmust take these. In Deauville once the customs people tapped us awake and pored over the papers to ensure that we were supposed to be on the boat. You shd expect more problems if you or your visitors are black, I'm sorry to say. Otherwise, you pay marina fees and that's that.

 

[Guest]

Wife and son are American living in UK.
Officially USA citizens must complete a French landing card when entering France.
In reality, no one checks.

 

[Robin]

My wife is also American, no probs for her as she is UK resident, but before we were married she had to clear outbound and inbound but that was 14 years ago!

I suspect all we need do is maybe call customs on return, but I'd hate to get our friends arrested! I've tried phoning again this morning - no answer from one number (from BT directory Enquiries) and number unobtainable from 5 others, including ones from customs website.

 

[davidhand]

I went accross the channel in 96 with my wife, a US citizen, she had her passport with her but nobody asked for it. My son was with us too, but I had got him a UK passport, Britain recognises anybody who can trace their ancestry to Britain within three generations as a British citizen.
We left from Portsmouth, entered at Le Harve and left from Ouistreham.

 

[Guest]

Robin: Having read through this thread, no one has the notion that the Channel Islands can be a problem. Follow this:

Every week I am on and off the Island of Jersey through the Port of St Helier to St Malo by Ferry (Katoema is based on the French west coast). Since the problems with illegal immigrants entering the UK, the Channel Islands were thought to be a soft touch for anyone wanting to land in the UK through the easy route. A thorough control now operates in Jersey and if the persons are not EU nationals then you have to complete full formalities and last week two Americans were stopped for not completeing the forms. Every Jersey resident that has a Jersey passport has to complete this as well and they are returning to THEIR Island which is outside of the EU. This morning, the French Police stopped two eastern Europeans from leaving France for Jersey (then enroute for the UK). You will definitely need to talk with Immigration Officials directly.