Port checks at Dover and Calais
We are booked for France in late August. Just wondering with all the changes to entry requirement for France how folks are finding it? Any one had any problems ? We take our dog away with us. How difficult is the inspection of the AHC?
Covid test - data on the phone ( Scottish NHS/EU/compliant showing 3 jabs.
Do we need to show health cover and breakdown insurance repatriation etc ?
Adequate finance for the trip. Is a credit card sufficient?
Ownership of vehicles
Site bookings
Any thing else?
The UK was in the EU the last time went to France.
Thanks for your help
Chris
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We went to France in January and are currently in the Netherlands.
You won't need to produce any of the things on your list apart from maybe your covid tests but we weren't even asked for those in the later trip.
Don't know about the dog question but someone else will.
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We crossed to St Malo two weeks ago. We showed our passports and covid certificates at the Brittany ferries check in and that was it for this side. Personally I would think it easier to print out your certificates, as we did, then you can hand them across with your passports. Passing across a phone would be more difficult. The next checks were in St Malo, when the passports were checked and stamped. Took the guy about 2 / 3 minutes, I’m glad we were first of the boat.
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We've been three times this year, so far, and only had to show passports - and on one occasion our Covid pass. On the other hand, there is a very thorough check of the AHC so make sure your vet has got it absolutely correct. Somewhere on line there is a document showing exactly how it should be completed. Many people are turned away because their ACH wasn't correct.
You won't be asked to show breakdown insurance, or personal travel insurance, but you do need it. Make sure you have a replacement GHIC which replaces the EHIC. Get it from the official dot gov site (there are plenty of scam sites which will try to charge you) https://www.gov.uk/global-health-insurance-card#
Otherwise you'll find France exactly the same as always.0 -
Just to clarify Val's point about the EHIC. If you have an EHIC which is still in date, and will remain in date for your trip, then you do not need to replace it with the GHIC. I know the OP does not appear to be using the Tunnel but if you are you will have to upload your COVID pass within 3 days of travel, it was not checked subsequently. I also take my V5 and MOT, if applicable; I have never been asked to show these but I think they may be necessary should I be involved in an 'incident' when in Europe and they are in the advised list of docs to take. Getting our passports checked/stamped only took a minute at the terminal. Currently in Italy and as Val says no difference from previous trips once through the port.
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Many thanks for your info . Its good to read about what actually happens. On the subject of COVID paper certificates. Ours only show 2 jabs 2nd and 3rd but the app COVID passport shows 3 - 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Hopefully it will show 4 after next week.
Our VET on Skye is registered to use the software that duplicates what is written on the top sheet in English. I understand there must be a copy in the language of the country we are visiting (France) How do we check it?
Thanks for your help
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We had an 04.25 crossing on Monday, Dover to Calais with P&0. We do not have any pets.
French immigration checked and stamped passports and looked at our printed covid details. UK border control then checked passports. Ferry operator checked our ticket and passports.
Nobody looked in the van or the car.
Colin
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Copy of the AHC French version and on the same website you will find instructions and somewhere there is an example of a properly completed copy showing exactly where the vet should stamp/sign/complete boxes. The AHC is in both languages. Your vet should not do anything other than complete the proper version as per the instructions - no copies, no extra pages! Just a warning that our first AHC was the very first one our vet had completed, and I had to take it three times because of mistakes. Even a wrong letter in your address can lead to rejection.
Brittany Ferries used to have a Pet Check-in Service, where you could email your AHC and they would check it prior to your arrival and many many incorrect certificates were picked up this way. Unfortunately I don't think this is still offered, and nor do any other cross-channel operators seem to offer such a service. Eurotunnel are the most strict, perhaps because they get the largest number of pets crossing, and have also rejected many AHCs but the one advantage there is that they do have a nearby vet practice who will issue an emergency AHC.
There is a vet practice at Folkestone - Abbeywell Vets - who specialise in AHCs and the majority of the paperwork is doing in email conversations, but the AHC has to be picked up from their surgery in Folkestone. They charge £99 per AHC which is probably one of the lowest prices available, so as well as being reliable they are also (relatively) inexpensive! They are used by many of the French Property Owners groups of which I am a member. There is a similar practice near Portsmouth for those using Brittany Ferries.0 -
Sorry can't edit the above post, and it should say 'I had to take it BACK three times' - and 'Most of the paperwork is DONE in email conversations'! Apologies, but it took so long to find the correct links.
If you google 'Example of a correctly completed AHC' you will see some samples. Even then vets are still getting it wrong.0 -
Just back from France (29th May. -5th June) using Portsmouth to Caen. It took 2 hours to get through customs each way: it was not just a case of being last off, we were near the front of the car deck. Apart from that all went smoothly; we did take a folder with ALL the required information to satisfy all officials in the new post Brexit world.
Brian
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There are bound to be variations, dependent on ongoing operations. When we were sat waiting to go through at Portsmouth for our St Malo crossing they were going over many of the vehicles for the Bilbao boat ( which should have been leaving earlier ) with a fine tooth comb. There were 20 or more boarder staff using mirrors, bonnets up, lockers open and stuff unloaded. It all died down after an hour. However, it only takes something like that to cause a significant delay.
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There were 20 or more boarder staff using mirrors, bonnets up, lockers open and stuff unloaded.
Steve, we came through Harwich last night from Hook of Holland and there was chaos, firstly in the unloading of the vehicles due to very inept inexperienced staff on board not knowing how to unload, which soon became a free for all and then at the control itself. We asked one of the people directing the queues why there was such a chaotic scene and she said it was due to a lot of border control staff being redirected that morning to Stansted airport due to a lack of border staff there so they were short staffed at the port.
Seems a common theme across all forms of international transport at the moment and coupled with extra checks following Brexit it just leads to delays.
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They did this when we went out to France in January. Fortunately there was less than 100 cars etc. to check. We did wonder why UK staff were being so vigorous with people travelling out rather than returning. Nobody bothered checking anything leaving Holland yesterday.
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We must have been very fortunate.
We travelled out from Portsmouth to St Malo on the 5th May, no problems at either end, sailed through.
Returned today, Caen to Portsmouth. Again no problem at either side.
They did check every vehicle on the Caen Port it took seconds, our friend got pulled at Portsmouth for a check.
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We crossed on the 7/6 overnight from Plymouth and it appeared that every LV was checked.
Staff checking had no indication of their status other than caps and jackets marked “security” and certainly nothing to suggest they were anything other than privately employed staff.
We were instructed to stop and turn off the engine and told we would be asked a series of questions before the guy then apologised-And it was those very questions he apologised for! “Have you any knives-well, I can see you have a caravan so that will be a yes”.
The one that I nearly responded to, but stopped myself, was “are the drugs you have prescription?”As he hadn’t asked if I had any, of whatever persuasion, I think he skipped a line in the script!
Disembarking was slow and we sat in the car for about 50 mins after being called down and eventually passed immigration, yes we did get a stamp in our passports, just over an hour after arrival.
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Travelled back on the tunnel with the Motorhome today and all went very smoothly, just like going out. They asked if the gas was off and that was all. On time departure and rapid exit as usual.
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