French Passport Control

Jamsdad
Jamsdad Forum Participant Posts: 275

We are off to France soon for our August holiday ( comme d'habitiude) and fully sorted with all the required documentation. I am interested to hear from anyone  who has travelled recently as to how long the delays are now on arrival as a result of additional document checks.

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  • RedKite
    RedKite Club Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #2

    Hi Jamsdad, We have had friends here and on her local ex pat forum a lady had put on that she had came over yesterday from Newhaven to Dieppe with all the correct paperwork and had no issues either side all very pleasant and very quick on and off the ferries, so have a good trip. Hope this helps and there was only 20 cars on the ferry.

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #3

    A report elsewhere of a Portsmouth-Caen ferry on 5/7/21 says there were only about 60 vehicles on a ferry normally carrying up to 800, passports quickly stamped on arrival, and no delay. Others have said that paper print outs of documents seem to go through faster than fiddling with phones.

  • Jamsdad
    Jamsdad Forum Participant Posts: 275
    edited July 2021 #4

    Very many thanks for this info. Good advice about paper copies!

     

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited July 2021 #5

    Do you have to get a test in France before returning and how easy is it to arrange this?

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited July 2021 #6

    Do you have to get a test in France before returning and how easy is it to arrange this?

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2021 #7

    Even after 19 July when rules relax you must still take a test in France during the 3 days before returning - Google Centre de Depistage for the location you choose.

    You must also complete a locator form online and book and pay for a Day 2 test (but not Day 8) for when you are back in England.

    But please check the official UK government website for updates. Things are changing fast.

  • SeasideBill
    SeasideBill Forum Participant Posts: 2,112
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    edited July 2021 #8

    You’ll need to order and pay for the Day 2 test first because the locator form cannot be submitted without the test booking reference. 

    Also, all testing companies are not the same. They obviously vary on price, but some have very quickly cobbled together clunky websites and long turn around times - check the reviews.

  • Jamsdad
    Jamsdad Forum Participant Posts: 275
    edited July 2021 #9

    From what I can see  from an internet search there are a great many test centres available across France to get the necessary pre- departure test. Until recently these were free  but now non-French travellers need to pay.

    At least you  now only have to prebook a single Day2 PCR on UK return.

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004
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    edited July 2021 #10

    We crossed with Eurotunnel on the 13th Juner , prior to them requiring uploading of digital information, and were through check in and passport control as quickly as normal.  We had printed off all our documents, put them in our passports in the same order, and were through in seconds.  Others, trying to show digital information via their phones were taking aged.  I was scoffed at by people who didn't sound as if they believed me, but since then others have reported exactly the same. 

    Currently in France, and yesterday travelled down into Spain just for a day, with no border issues - in fact the border is non-existent, just as pre-Brexit and Covid.