Visiting France - an update

[stranded]

If you're stamped in at a PPF then you must be stamped out otherwise you won't have matching passport stamps - that much seems obvious.

Neither Lorient nor L'Aber Wrac'h seem to be PPF so not sure why you have a stamp at all?

Lorient is a PPF I believe Anyway, they definitely passport stamped us in when the stamped preavis we were promised by Camaret caiptainerie would be emailed to us did not materialise. And until I see a French official source of information to the contrary, I am sticking with my own interpretation that I can have an ‘in’ stamp in my passport from a PPF and an ‘out’ stamped preavis via laberwrach which I must then keep with my passport, potentially for as long as it remains valid. But I would of course prefer to see a French official source that confirmed that, or otherwise.

 

[Boathook]

Marinas – digimap.gg
this includes the info, I've lost track of the official page

I think that the form on here my crew used to 'book' us into to and out of France. I left this paperwork to him as he is French living in the UK and I thought that he would understand it better than me !!

 

[KevO]

What happens if you send the preavis form to the Capitainerie at Camaret 24 hrs prior to arrival, having planned to go there, and then divert to L’Aberwrac’h once arriving on the other side?

 

[lustyd]

Lorient is a PPF I believe Anyway, they definitely passport stamped us in when the stamped preavis we were promised by Camaret caiptainerie would be emailed to us did not materialise. And until I see a French official source of information to the contrary, I am sticking with my own interpretation that I can have an ‘in’ stamp in my passport from a PPF and an ‘out’ stamped preavis via laberwrach which I must then keep with my passport, potentially for as long as it remains valid. But I would of course prefer to see a French official source that confirmed that, or otherwise.

If you have a passport in stamp you absolutely must have a passport out stamp. They very much do look through and match them up at border control so don't even try to risk this.
It looks like you've stepped outside of the system by seeking out someone to stamp a passport so you have checked in via the PPF route, not the alternative method. As such you must check out via PPF. The non-PPF port control won't know you've done any of this and it's not their job to make sure you've done the right thing, it's yours. Every non-PPF port has an aligned PPF where you can escalate and check in properly and that's probably what happened in your case. Brest Douane is the place you need to check out of but it's your responsibility to do so, the L'Aber Wrac'h folk are under no obligation to point you in that direction.

 

[lustyd]

What happens if you send the preavis form to the Capitainerie at Camaret 24 hrs prior to arrival, having planned to go there, and then divert to L’Aberwrac’h once arriving on the other side?

Can't see Camaret on the list but probably also under Brest and likely sorted with an email or an explanation on arrival since you'd already have received approval.

 

[stranded]

If you have a passport in stamp you absolutely must have a passport out stamp. They very much do look through and match them up at border control so don't even try to risk this.
It looks like you've stepped outside of the system by seeking out someone to stamp a passport so you have checked in via the PPF route, not the alternative method. As such you must check out via PPF. The non-PPF port control won't know you've done any of this and it's not their job to make sure you've done the right thing, it's yours. Every non-PPF port has an aligned PPF where you can escalate and check in properly and that's probably what happened in your case. Brest Douane is the place you need to check out of but it's your responsibility to do so, the L'Aber Wrac'h folk are under no obligation to point you in that direction.

OK, noted, thanks Lusty.

 

[lustyd]

I should say I don't know more than you about the new process, but I do know bureaucracy and I have a healthy fear of being blocked from the Bloc as a sailor

 

[wonkywinch]

I don't think they necessarily need to, you're not supposed to speak to them if using the alternative system.

That said, it would be nice if they were at least aware, and if the various information was easily available from an official source

I simply went to the office to enquire about the other vessels in our cruise, yet to arrive. Through the conversation, I insisted they didn't stamp my passport but they decided otherwise.

It is the establishments in Normandy we were planning to visit this week on the way north that have lost out.

On reflection, the faff and lack of local knowledge about the system makes our own West Country more attractive rather than jumping through hoops to visit France/Europe.

I agree that comment on various internet sources is being bundled up as the truth.

 

[ashtead]

It’s quite easy to stamp in as a ferry passenger at st Malo but if you are sailing away it seems exit stamping might take a while longer. Presumably if you make straight to st cast from jersey you are entering there and can then travel elsewhere as you like to other French ports? I assume st cast is a non Ppf port still like the others there.

 

[stranded]

I should say I don't know more than you about the new process, but I do know bureaucracy and I have a healthy fear of being blocked from the Bloc as a sailor

You’re right, it’s not worth the risk. Anyway, I quite like Brest, but also like laberwrach and it would have been nice to stopover for a beer there on the way home.

I guess the new new system will be overtaken by a new new new system next year when (if) ETIAS finally gets sorted.

 

[wonkywinch]

It’s quite easy to stamp in as a ferry passenger at st Malo but if you are sailing away it seems exit stamping might take a while longer. Presumably if you make straight to st cast from jersey you are entering there and can then travel elsewhere as you like to other French ports? I assume st cast is a non Ppf port still like the others there.

I visited the police post that was stamping all the UK/Jersey bound pax in cars so they must hold "IN" and "OUT" stamps.

Will visit again to get stamped out before departure.

St Malo · 35400 Saint-Malo, Frankreich

 

[LittleSister]

For those looking for an 'authoritative' source here is the link to the French Douane website explaining it (in French) and providing links to the forms and relevant maps..

Note, though, that the information appears not to be 100% reliable - e.g. it lists Boulogne as somewhere that has a PPF, but people on this forum have reported that in practice it long hasn't (since the ferry service was discontinued) and the Marina there can't do the checking in/out business.

Vous naviguez en provenance ou à destination d’un pays non-membre de l’espace Schengen

Map and schedule of ports in the scheme from the above site.

 

[lustyd]

here is the link to the French Douane website explaining it

wrong link? Just goes to the map

 

[LittleSister]

wrong link? Just goes to the map

Apologies. Now corrected and checked.

 

[stranded]

Thanks Little Sis - though I don’t think the guidance addresses the PPF in/protocol port out question. More conspicuously, the list of ports is very different from the CA one which I think you posted (in June?), and which included Camaret, Dournarnex, Concarneau, La Trinite sur Mer, Quiberon…

Camaret were certainly acting as a protocol port when we arrived in mid-June. Also others that are on neither list - Bénodet cheerfully did so for a Brit Swan which arrived direct from the UK, even though they didn’t have a marina berth for them so they berthed next to us in Sainte Marine. Port Louis in Lorient also offered us the protocol service when we enquired about the whereabouts of the Douaniers in early July. Wish we’d taken them up on it rather than getting our passports stamped.

So it sounds as if there is no such thing as an authoritative source.

And it’s raining again…!

 

[lustyd]

Given that the port is just forwarding the form to the PPF office I don't think I'd worry about an official list of marinas if they offer it and carry it out properly then probably OK.
Logically if you use the protocol to check in then you can't check out with PPF since you never checked in. If you use PPF then you must check out so cannot use protocol since it won't check you out.

Let's all just be thankful we're not trying to find info on checking into the UK!

 

[stranded]

Given that the port is just forwarding the form to the PPF office I don't think I'd worry about an official list of marinas if they offer it and carry it out properly then probably OK.
Logically if you use the protocol to check in then you can't check out with PPF since you never checked in. If you use PPF then you must check out so cannot use protocol since it won't check you out.

Let's all just be thankful we're not trying to find info on checking into the UK!

The ‘never checked in’ question is an interesting one for us. Camaret swear they sent our preavis to Brest on 18 June. We got stamped in at Lorient on 2 July. So if we never checked in at Brest, then we get an extra 2 weeks in Schengen for free. Not sure I’m going to test that theory though!

 

[lustyd]

I can only assume that someone is putting the passport numbers into the system to count the days. Agree I wouldn't test it, and again it's something the individual is responsible for and the current system doesn't stop you going over your days

 

[bobgarrett]

Various contributors have requested an authoritative source for the Protocol which is best served by the link provided by LittleSister. However, what is important to understand is that the protocol issued by the French government (which is not publicly available) does not establish the ports where the protocol is enacted but where it may be enacted. So it is then up to the port/marina to get agreement with the local PPF officials for it to happen. Hence some of the ports listed are either not willing or not able to offer the service.
Also note that subsequent to the protocol being approved there was an update on the list of ports with some having been removed which is why the initial list the CA provided was then corrected. Also subsequent to the protocol being issued various clarifications were issued such as the restriction that if you check in at a PPF you must check out at a PPF etc.
Cruising Association welcomes easier check in/out for cruising to France | CA

Note that the map shared by a previous contributor does not show the "protocol" ports but the PPFs.
The CA continues to share amongst its members, by members reports to others, the latest situations.

The new protocol, its implementation, variations and subsequent clarifications can be seen as a source of uncertainty and doubt. However, as Joint Channel Secretary for the Cruising Association, I do believe the overall effect is still very positive for those of us cruising the Channel. Without them we would be limited to entry and exit only at ports of entry which are few relative to the number of ports along the French coast. This would have been extremely restrictive so we should be grateful to the French authorities for finding such flexibility. We should also be grateful to the CA's Honorary Local Representatives, marina management personnel and others who have pushed for this, communicated it and now have the extra work it entails.

As others have said we wait to see what will be possible when EES is put in place.

 

[Goldie]

I’m currently in NW Spain and was just moored close to another British boat who had checked in to Schengen at Camaret using the new system. He’s just had his papers checked in A Coruña and was told that he’s not ‘checked in’ as far as Spain is concerned and that the forms provided by the French are “customs forms not immigration”. The upshot as that he was advised to ‘carry on and this conversation never happened..’.

I’m sorry to muddy the waters with incomplete detail! I can’t add anything further as we’ve now gone our separate ways.