More detail emerges on ETIAS for those of us who sail to France etc

[chrishscorp]

Having read the article linked below it looks pretty clear that anyone wanting to enter the schengen zone via a boat is definitely going to have to arrive/leave using a main port of entry, i know some on here were hoping that in time that restriction would be eased and devolved to smaller ports but with the need for fingerprint and facial scanning I can see us only being allowed in or out using ports of entry, they simply are not going to put this kit in every marina/harbour masters office.

Rail, ferry and Eurotunnel passengers to Europe face border chaos in 2022

 

[Stemar]

A typical example of what happens when bureaucrats (not just bEurocrats - our freedomcrats are just as bad) design a system with no input from those who have to implement it.

 

[Koeketiene]

Having read the article linked below it looks pretty clear that anyone wanting to enter the schengen zone via a boat is definitely going to have to arrive/leave using a main port of entry, i know some on here were hoping that in time that restriction would be eased and devolved to smaller ports but with the need for fingerprint and facial scanning I can see us only being allowed in or out using ports of entry, they simply are not going to put this kit in every marina/harbour masters office.

I fear you're quite right.
But we have to face the fact that in the grand scheme of things yotties are a (very) small minority group.

And to put things into perspective, us EU yotties were promised there would be an app to allow us to clear in when visiting the UK.
Haven't seen it yet.

Rail, ferry and Eurotunnel passengers to Europe face border chaos in 2022

1. Paragraph one of the article: passengers travelling between the UK and France could face chaos next year when the EU’s long-planned Entry/Exit System (EES) is implemented
2. These ETIAS measures are mandatory from May 2022. In the words of Corporal Jones: don't panic.

To me this sounds like an attempt from Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover to extort money from HMG.

 

[Concerto]

I very much doubt the start date will ever be achieved as the equipment required is going to have to be specially made and tested, along with any software running the system. It sounds great in theory, but like many ideas, totally impractable in practice. Surely it would be easier for everyone to be chipped and tracked continuously - and would certainly assist in crime detection. This would mean people could travel without any entry procedures, but no doubt many would complain of being continuously tracked.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Having read the article linked below it looks pretty clear that anyone wanting to enter the schengen zone via a boat is definitely going to have to arrive/leave using a main port of entry, i know some on here were hoping that in time that restriction would be eased and devolved to smaller ports but with the need for fingerprint and facial scanning I can see us only being allowed in or out using ports of entry, they simply are not going to put this kit in every marina/harbour masters office.

Rail, ferry and Eurotunnel passengers to Europe face border chaos in 2022

Is this correct? The ETIAS website says it will ‘become completely effective and obligatory for travellers only by the end of 2022’.

 

[Ink]

A typical example of what happens when bureaucrats (not just bEurocrats - our freedomcrats are just as bad) design a "totally unnecessary" system with no input from those who have to implement it.

Fixed that for you.....

Ink

 

[Sandy]

Having read the article linked below it looks pretty clear that anyone wanting to enter the schengen zone via a boat is definitely going to have to arrive/leave using a main port of entry, i know some on here were hoping that in time that restriction would be eased and devolved to smaller ports but with the need for fingerprint and facial scanning I can see us only being allowed in or out using ports of entry, they simply are not going to put this kit in every marina/harbour masters office.

This has been well know for years... We are just catching up with the rest of the world.

Thankfully, Plymouth and Roscoff are my usual exit and entry point and points of entry.

 

[chrishscorp]

Is this correct? The ETIAS website says it will ‘become completely effective and obligatory for travellers only by the end of 2022’.

It is suppose to be in by May 2022 but they did say to the Lords that there was likely to be slippage of a year whilst it was introduced.

Thankfully, Plymouth and Roscoff are my usual exit and entry point and points of entry.

We have previously gone Portsmouth, Cherbourg but then gone on to St Vaast so that will be knocked on the head as we will have to leave from a port of entry it just spoils what was a nice long weekend trip.

 

[lustyd]

equipment required is going to have to be specially made and tested

Do you mean the equipment that European ports and airports have been installing for the past few years? Yes, all completed I believe.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Simon Calder of the Independent must have got the information for his article from somewhere. Are there any links to any formal EU documentation on all this?

Back in May, there were reports that the French were going to make all ports, Ports of Entry.

e.g. Ports of Entry: French government announces a process to allow entry to cruisers at any French port - The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS)

Has this proposal really been scrapped ?? Something seems odd?

 

[doug748]

................................. In the words of Corporal Jones: don't panic.

To me this sounds like an attempt from Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover to extort money from HMG.

Yes, and the Media bigs it up to make a story. No wonder people are packing in buying newspapers.

.

 

[Sandy]

We have previously gone Portsmouth, Cherbourg but then gone on to St Vaast so that will be knocked on the head as we will have to leave from a port of entry it just spoils what was a nice long weekend trip.

Alderney is very nice. ?

 

[RAI]

How different is this EU system to that the US has been using for years?

 

[st599]

There are 2 different systems being conflated here.

EES the entry and exit system which records dates in Schengen, calculates if you've overstayed, checks you haven't got any red flags
ETIAS the pre-departure visa waiver that you need to buy and lasts for 2 years - which presumably flags your passport number as having been checked for whe it is seen by EES.

 

[Bathdave]

How different is this EU system to that the US has been using for years?

It seems to me to be pretty much exactly the same ..

 

[Bathdave]

Having read the article linked below it looks pretty clear that anyone wanting to enter the schengen zone via a boat is definitely going to have to arrive/leave using a main port of entry, i know some on here were hoping that in time that restriction would be eased and devolved to smaller ports but with the need for fingerprint and facial scanning I can see us only being allowed in or out using ports of entry, they simply are not going to put this kit in every marina/harbour masters office.

Rail, ferry and Eurotunnel passengers to Europe face border chaos in 2022

a Friend of mine with contacts at Normandy marinas tell me that the harbour masters believe that the terminals required to do this will be in their offices …dont know whether it’s wishful thinking

two of my main ports of entry, Granville and Carteret, have manned customs posts because historically they have had ferries to and from jersey

the ferries aren’t running and haven’t been for 2 years, Granville is still fully manned in office hours, Carteret is manned for appointments for an hour every morning and afternoon for 2/3 officers driving down from Cherbourg.

it must cost the french customs beacoup d’argent to keep these posts open when there are only a handful of private yachts (usually from jersey) turn up at a weekend

it would be much more efficient to have a machine based check of passport against teh visa and passport held on file

 

[Ian_Rob]

There are 2 different systems being conflated here.

EES the entry and exit system which records dates in Schengen, calculates if you've overstayed, checks you haven't got any red flags
ETIAS the pre-departure visa waiver that you need to buy and lasts for 2 years - which presumably flags your passport number as having been checked for whe it is seen by EES.

Yes but the issue is, where does one have to sail to and depart from to comply with the EU entry and departure requirements and when will it all come into operation?

 

[Boathook]

A year ago or so ago (pre coovid) there was a thread about entry to France via major ports for boats. The list started off small and gradually increased to include most places that boats went to. The local ports / councils lobbied the French customs complaining about lack of trade, etc if UK boats couldn't go straight there.
Not to sure whether the last few seasons have altered that though.

 

[Sandy]

Yes but the issue is, where does one have to sail to and depart from to comply with the EU entry and departure requirements and when will it all come into operation?

From and to a port of entry.

We already need to check in/out of the Schengen Zone; you get to collect some lovely stamps on your passport. The Douane and Maritime Gendarmerie will and do check boats both local and foreign in French waters. Oh and they all carry guns. I never argue with somebody carrying a gun even if I can speak the language.

EDIT: The French have a series of Semaphores, or lookouts run by the French Navy, that monitor the coast visually, on AIS and RADAR, something to do with those naughty English a few centuries back. Having visited one they know who is moving on their coast.

 

[Sandy]

Fixed that for you.....

Ink

Why do you think it is totally unnecessary?