Customs in Calais

[Twrharris]

Sorry I’m sure this subject has been discussed many times! My question is for someone that has visited Calais recently and could answer the following questions. Is the PAF office open 24hrs? Is this where you go as I rang but my French is poor and the ladies English wasn’t great but she mentioned having to go to the port of Calais.
Hope someone can help.

 

[Slowboat35]

Internet searches are of little help but the Cruisng Association purports to know, though you'll only get access to their info if you pay their enormous fees. The RYA is predictably useless.
My understanding is that you need to go to the PAF office in the ferry port or maybe the Eurostar terminal with passports, a crew list and ship's papers. That'll involve a very long walk, a bicycle ride or a taxi. Some people have reported that they are happy for skipper alone to go with crew's passports and the PAF have been very helpful, but of course you have to find where they are first. I believe they have also been OK with stamping a short-stayer in and out simultaneously to avoid a second trip prior to going home, but you'll find that out on the day!
My suggestion is to google PAF Calais to get their contact details and phone them to ask where to go and when.
Good luck, and please post your experiences and details upon return.

This old thread may help, especially post #9
Entry to France

 

[Bob the Dog]

There is poster on the outside notice board at Calais Marina telling you exactly and precisely what to do…..its a total ball ache but doable. The staff at Cal Marina are lovely and speak good English so can help. Phone them on +33 3 21 34 55 23.
If on the other hand you decide to go to my home port of Boulogne instead, as its a port of entry (!), this adds to the pain by having to get the train to Calais first before deciding which bureaucratic hoop you want to jump through. There is an excellent patisserie right next to the marina where you can make up food parcels as it will take you a whole day to get your stamp. P.S. only saw two UK boats arrive last year….I wonder why.

 

[Slowboat35]

I am intrigued by a couple of references I've seen to getting passports stamped by "either PAF or Douanes".
Are Customs able to stamp passports? Has anyone tried? Because at Boulogne (far more geographically, leave alone operationally convenient for most than remote lock-bound Calais) there is a Douanes ofice in town a few minutes walk from the marina...(see post #9 linked above)

 

[Plum]

A friend of mine produced this document when she visited Calais last year and got her exit stamp from the PAF and used the free bus service. https://oga.org.uk/_documents/[755327]Getting_your_UK_passport_stamped_in_Calais.pdf

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Supine Being]

A friend of mine produced this document when she visited Calais last year and got her exit stamp from the PAF and used the free bus service. https://oga.org.uk/_documents/[755327]Getting_your_UK_passport_stamped_in_Calais.pdf

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

I didn't know about that bus. I knew there were the little Balad'in buses, but there are also the larger Imagin buses that go to the ferry terminal. All the info here: Imag'in Calais Opale Bus

 

[Twrharris]

Internet searches are of little help but the Cruisng Association purports to know, though you'll only get access to their info if you pay their enormous fees. The RYA is predictably useless.
My understanding is that you need to go to the PAF office in the ferry port or maybe the Eurostar terminal with passports, a crew list and ship's papers. That'll involve a very long walk, a bicycle ride or a taxi. Some people have reported that they are happy for skipper alone to go with crew's passports and the PAF have been very helpful, but of course you have to find where they are first. I believe they have also been OK with stamping a short-stayer in and out simultaneously to avoid a second trip prior to going home, but you'll find that out on the day!
My suggestion is to google PAF Calais to get their contact details and phone them to ask where to go and when.
Good luck, and please post your experiences and details upon return.

This old thread may help, especially post #9
Entry to France

Thanks, we are going this weekend so I will keep the post updated.