Schengen entry procedure

[st599]

Interesting reaction - I post a link to a French government website on the issue and you quote the RYA & CA...
I would be very surprised to learn the French officials take their orders from the RYA or CA.

The website you linked to is generic, it doesn't mention yachts.
The RYA tell us they've been in touch with the French ministry when publishing their guidance.
I hope France do move to an online system for updating the Schengen database.

 

[doug748]

I think we have to chill and wait. The whole thing will be sorted by custom and practice within two years. The French love accounting systems but, I wager, not as much as they do a pound note.
VAT problems were not sorted out properly after 45 years, everyone just got on with it, as we will do again.

 

[westhinder]

Based on your feedback here, I have got in touch with the Belgian border police and raised a number of specific questions relating to yachts and yacht crews. I am awaiting their response and will post it here as soon as I receive it.

 

[Alicatt]

Based on your feedback here, I have got in touch with the Belgian border police and raised a number of specific questions relating to yachts and yacht crews. I am awaiting their response and will post it here as soon as I receive it.

As having recently moved to Belgium I await your report
At the moment I'm going through my son's Vaarbewijs books and seeing if I can make head or tale out of them

 

[westhinder]

As having recently moved to Belgium I await your report
At the moment I'm going through my son's Vaarbewijs books and seeing if I can make head or tale out of them
View attachment 106804

I wish you all the best. If you should need a translation for the odd word, I can recommend Van Dale's Nederlands-Engels dictionary

 

[Pinnacle]

How many people will still visit Belgium this year with red in their tanks, given the ”history” that Belgium has on this topic (and that was when were were in the EU)?

 

[st599]

How many people will still visit Belgium this year with red in their tanks, given the ”history” that Belgium has on this topic (and that was when were were in the EU)?

As the chancellor announced and end to red diesel for all but farmers and fish-farmers in the last budget, presumably fewer and fewer as they replenish their tanks.

 

[Koeketiene]

How many people will still visit Belgium this year with red in their tanks, given the ”history” that Belgium has on this topic (and that was when were were in the EU)?

Arguably, red diesel was a bigger problem when Britain WAS an EU member.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Arguably, red diesel was a bigger problem when Britain WAS an EU member.

Didn't an American boat get fined heavily for having red diesel it its tanks when visiting Germany?

 

[st599]

Didn't an American boat get fined heavily for having red diesel it its tanks when visiting Germany?

In 2012.

The latest though is that Red is coming to an end for boats in the UK. The RYA is worried that if fishing gets an exemption, then there will be issues with fuel supply for recreational craft.

 

[westhinder]

I have received some clarifications from the Belgian border police. They did not address all my questions, so I have no doubt this will not be the end of it. But at least this is now clear:
- Yachts arriving from the U.K. have to fill in the online form, upon arrival they have to contact the border police, preferably by telephone (numbers on their website) to make an appointment for the police to visit the boat and stamp passports. You will also be asked to prove that you have the means of subsistence for the duration of your stay (95€/day), either in cash, cheques or credit card
- the same procedure when leaving
- when you continue to or arrive from another Schengen country there are no formalities.
- if a crewmember will leave by another means of transport or extra crew will arrive, you have to tell the officer when they visit the boat
Questions about details of the online form were not answered. I take it you fill it in to the best of your abilities and any outstanding matters will be dealt with when they come round to the boat. Port of origin, in my opinion, is a poor translation for homeport, as Belgian yachts are required to state that on the transom, under the name of the boat.
If I find out anything more, I will post an update.

 

[RupertW]

I have received some clarifications from the Belgian border police. They did not address all my questions, so I have no doubt this will not be the end of it. But at least this is now clear:
- Yachts arriving from the U.K. have to fill in the online form, upon arrival they have to contact the border police, preferably by telephone (numbers on their website) to make an appointment for the police to visit the boat and stamp passports. You will also be asked to prove that you have the means of subsistence for the duration of your stay (95€/day), either in cash, cheques or credit card
- the same procedure when leaving
- when you continue to or arrive from another Schengen country there are no formalities.
- if a crewmember will leave by another means of transport or extra crew will arrive, you have to tell the officer when they visit the boat
Questions about details of the online form were not answered. I take it you fill it in to the best of your abilities and any outstanding matters will be dealt with when they come round to the boat. Port of origin, in my opinion, is a poor translation for homeport, as Belgian yachts are required to state that on the transom, under the name of the boat.
If I find out anything more, I will post an update.

You have missed out that no meat or dairy products can be carried on the boat from the UK.

 

[westhinder]

That holds for me too when I go to the U.K.

 

[matt1]

You have missed out that no meat or dairy products can be carried on the boat from the UK.

Yes, I was going to ask about that too. Presumably we would be unable to sail to Europe with these kind of provisions on board? I also heard Oranges were banned but this may have been exaggeration / rumour? I have visions of people dumping food waste off CH1

I suspect many will stay in UK waters this year whilst you pioneer's / early adopters test the system and educate us all ;-)

 

[JumbleDuck]

That holds for me too when I go to the U.K.

Damn. That means I can't bring Chocomel back by the caseload from trips to the Netherlands.

 

[geem]

When sailing in far flung places such as Cuba, the 25 or so countries that make up the Caribbean islands, Panama, Colombia, etc we have been asked about food onboard but the only stipulation has been that we must not take the food off the boat. We can eat it onboard. In Puerto Rico our waste had to go in a special bin. That was as restrictive as it got. Even in Florida the officials were not interested

 

[westhinder]

The food question is really not so bad for us. As Geem states, it is simply a matter of not taking it with you on land. As long as your supplies stay on board, you can take with you whatever you fancy.

Besides, it can be worse. When we arrived in Canada from the Azores, the customs officer told us that we were not allowed to take our garbage to the waste bin, because importing organic material was forbidden. We were supposed to take it to Halifax where a specially licensed company would collect it for $$$

 

[geem]

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We don't sail to France so not a problem for us. First stop is always A Coruna. Lets hope the Spanish prefer us?

 

[RupertW]

We don't sail to France so not a problem for us. First stop is always A Coruna. Lets hope the Spanish prefer us?

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[doug748]

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I have drawn attention to this post on the grounds that it adds nothing at all to the thread and is designed to provoke a reaction. Once a general slanging match takes place the original intention of the thread is lost and eventually the value of the this forum to us all.

If you feel the same hit the little report bell at the bottom left hand corner.

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