Rum_Pirate
Well-known member
What is the penalty for not clearing immigration when leaving a country say UK (EU prob has different regulations for each state) ?
Penalty for not clearing out
- Thread starter Rum_Pirate
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Sea Change
Active member
You don't have to clear out of the UK if that's where you're from.
Otherwise, I think it varies a lot. In the EU the biggest problem might be that your Schengen clock keeps running.
Otherwise, I think it varies a lot. In the EU the biggest problem might be that your Schengen clock keeps running.
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
Normally you don't have to clear out of immigration unless you are going into a foreign country territorial waters
If you passing through a foreign countries waters but not going into port then again you don't have to clear in
If you are going to enter a foreign country legally you need to clear in register with customs and port health and it you leave you should clear out.
What penalty you may encounter depends on if you get caught. Its more about if you re enter the country after leaving to a foreign without clearing out
We have a new rule in that you need to give 96 hours notice of your entry from a foreign country of country with a foreign ship. The problem is that it can take less than 96 hours to sail from the closest country into South Africa.
We don't know how this will work yet
If you passing through a foreign countries waters but not going into port then again you don't have to clear in
If you are going to enter a foreign country legally you need to clear in register with customs and port health and it you leave you should clear out.
What penalty you may encounter depends on if you get caught. Its more about if you re enter the country after leaving to a foreign without clearing out
We have a new rule in that you need to give 96 hours notice of your entry from a foreign country of country with a foreign ship. The problem is that it can take less than 96 hours to sail from the closest country into South Africa.
We don't know how this will work yet
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st599
Well-known member
You're meant to register your exit using the online form.
dunedin
Well-known member
Are you expecting a summons / prosecution?
Sea Change
Active member
ashtead
Well-known member
Many seem to leave France without clearing out surely?
Rum_Pirate
Well-known member
No, just wondered if there was a penalty/ fine etc
Mark-1
Well-known member
I've often wondered this. Unless you're singlehanded you're likely providing someone else's passport details. If you get that wrong they're not recorded as leaving. I'd love to know exactly what the significance is if you forget to send the form when you leave or simply make a typo. If you completely burn down someone else's schengen clock I can see that putting quite a strain on a marriage/relationship/friendship. Wonder how easy it is to correct these kind of errors?
The fact the form is not automated makes me think they largely ignore it - especially since a lot of people must simply change plans half way across the channel with the vagaries of wind. I'm 100pc sure they used to ignore all customs formalities on Alderney - back in the day if you had a non-EU crew member and couldn't simply put the form in the box they made it pretty clear they wished you hadn't bothered them.
St Vasst form here:
https://apisspl.kpratik.com/storage...6c4c015adpravis-immigration-maritime-SVLH.pdf
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st599
Well-known member
It all changes later this year, EES starts in October. Haven't seen anything yet from the RYA on how this will be implemented. Can your first trip, where you register biometrics be by boat? Where are the biometric scanners going to be?
I'm assuming that only ports of entry will have them initially.
I'm assuming that only ports of entry will have them initially.
AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
Well, a lot of smartphones have biometric (fingerprint) scanners, and a camera is also a biometric scanners. Most secure apps on my phone (banking, even shopping) use biometric authentication, so I'd hope that a means to use that would be available. I think the biometrics on passports are just fingerprints and perhaps facial recognition.
Mark-1
Well-known member
Obvs you don't need to enter via a POE in the UK-milk run places on the North coast. So presumably they'll all need them - or perhaps more likely won't need them.
Daydream believer
Well-known member
If you leave the EU without logging out you may well exceed the 90 day in 180 limit. So on return there could well be issues & problems with their immigration.
I know from my dealings with French customs that they do detailed checks on my passport - That has happened even when I am travelling along the coast of France- So I would be careful. I did think of going from Cherbourg to the CIs then to Roscoff & not log out at Cherbourg. However, I did hear of a yacht that did that & got a serious rollicking from French officials. I do not know the outcome of that, but officials are best placated where possible.
I know from my dealings with French customs that they do detailed checks on my passport - That has happened even when I am travelling along the coast of France- So I would be careful. I did think of going from Cherbourg to the CIs then to Roscoff & not log out at Cherbourg. However, I did hear of a yacht that did that & got a serious rollicking from French officials. I do not know the outcome of that, but officials are best placated where possible.
capnsensible
Well-known member
Ironically, one of the most lengthy clearing out places I've been was St Kitts. They may have customs and immigration for yachting in the marina now? But before that, you had to go to the port, long way, by taxi. Who wouldn't wait coz they took so long. So sweaty walk back.
There are plenty more close to that one. Every place kicks up a fuss if you don't have a clearance out, sometimes called a zarpe, which can cause trouble. Being polite and smiling helps a lot. Getting all flustered and annoyed doesn't....
Mark-1
Well-known member
Just out of interest, why? It's just sending an e-mail. I'm sure people forget to do it all the time, but choosing not to do it in advance seems a little eccentric.
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Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
If you have a U.K. passport then there is no issue, you are entitled to come and go from the U.K. as you please.
If you do not have a U.K. passport and don't officially exit, then the "visa free" clock keeps ticking until it runs over the time you are allowed to stay - 6 months or thereabouts. When you re-enter the U.K. at a later date you will be detained and questioned as a visa overstayer ... if you have no record of having left the U.K. then you will most likely be deported back to where you came from.
If you do not have a U.K. passport and don't officially exit, then the "visa free" clock keeps ticking until it runs over the time you are allowed to stay - 6 months or thereabouts. When you re-enter the U.K. at a later date you will be detained and questioned as a visa overstayer ... if you have no record of having left the U.K. then you will most likely be deported back to where you came from.
Sea Change
Active member
Oh carp, that's where we're headed next. And I thought Antigua was bad!
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
I have dual nationality one being British.
If I enter the UK I would use my british Passport but could leave on my other passport. Perfectly legal but the UK immigration would not be able to connect my entry and exit.
If I enter the UK I would use my british Passport but could leave on my other passport. Perfectly legal but the UK immigration would not be able to connect my entry and exit.
capnsensible
Well-known member
You could check with Rum Pirate but I think they can clear you in at the marina now.
Antigua Jolly Harbour has always been good. The tough one was the police station outside Nelsons Dockyard. The new one inside I didn't find too bad....but I guess I got used to it all!!
There is an e thingy for doing it I advance if you have the stuff and WiFi. Which is not always possible as I guess you've found!
St Kitts is worth it though, great run ashore. We did the cab around the island thing including Brimstone Fort.
And did good rum.
Sea Change
Active member
It was Jolly we've dealt with. Easily the rudest, most officious, and most complex check in yet. Four different officers to see- health (you have to declare that nobody died on the journey), customs, immigration, and port control. Three of them were ok but there's a particularly rude and unhelpful person working in customs. Sometimes you just have to bite your tongue and keep smiling.
The other day we tried to clear out at the port control office so that we could go to Barbuda. I'd overheard somebody being told by an official that this was the correct procedure. But when it came to my turn, the guy just said that there was no way to check in at Barbuda and I'd have to come back to Antigua before leaving the country. He just smiled when I said I thought you could check in and out at Codrington. No point getting in an argument with people like that. A friend had managed to get his port clearance literally that morning so I don't know what I did wrong.
All part of living the dream, though
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