SAILING TO THE UK
From 1 January 2021, due to Brexit, the process to grant permission to enter the UK changes for EU/EEA citizens that do not already hold permission to enter, or have an existing right of entry to the UK. This means EU/EEA citizens arriving by general aviation (GA) and general maritime (GM) need to seek permission to enter prior to disembarking their mode of arrival. We know how stupid and tedious this is. Please read the following information carefully.
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FAQs
Customs reporting
Q: I am sailing from the Channel Islands into a port in the UK
A: You must comply with Customs reporting requirements (see below)
Q: I am sailing from Ireland into a port in England, Scotland or Wales
A: You must comply with Customs reporting requirements (see below)
Q: I am sailing from an EU country into a port in Northern Ireland
A: You do not need to comply with Customs reporting requirements.
Q: I am sailing from an EU country into a port in England, Scotland or Wales.
A: You must comply with Customs reporting requirements.
Q: I am sailing from Northern Ireland into England, Scotland or Wales
A: There are no reporting requirements.
Q: I am sailing from a country outside the EU into a port in the UK
A: You must comply with Customs reporting requirements (see below)
Q: I have goods onboard in excess of my personal allowance to declare
A: You must declare these goods and pay any taxes due using the Online Service for Passengers available on Gov.UK. There are penalties for failing to declare.
Immigration reporting
If you require immigration permission to enter the UK, you must obtain this before disembarking your vessel. Failure to do so may result in you entering the UK illegally and being subject to enforcement action.
Q: I am a British or Irish citizen sailing into a port in the UK from outside the UK.
A: You do not need to contact Border Force for Immigration clearance.
Q: I hold EUSS or have the right of residence in the UK.
A: You do not need to contact Border Force for Immigration clearance.
Q: I am not a British or Irish citizen. I am sailing into a port in the UK from outside the Common Travel Area (Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man).
A: You must contact Border Force to obtain permission to enter before disembarking your vessel.
Provided your vessel is being used for private recreational purposes the following FAQs will apply. There are different rules for vessels that are being used for a commercial purpose. See Gov.UK for more details.
Q: I am not a British or Irish citizen. I am sailing into a port in the UK from the Channel Islands, Ireland or the Isle of Man.
A: You do not need to contact Border Force for Immigration clearance.
Customs reporting procedure…
• Fly the yellow Q flag on entering UK Territorial waters (the 12-mile limit).
• Complete Part 2 of the HMRC C1331 form (available on Gov.UK)
• Call the HMRC National Yachtline 0300 123 2012 on arrival.
• Declare any excess goods on the C1331 form and pay the duty/tax using the Online Service for Passengers via Gov.UK
Immigration reporting procedure…
• Before disembarking your vessel, you must contact the local Border Force office to request permission to enter. Contact numbers are available from the harbour office, marina, Gov.UK or via the National Yachtline on 0300 123 2012
GENERAL MARITIME BORDER FORCE CONTACTS
Dependent on where you arrive in the UK in your vessel there will be a different Border Force region for you to contact to seek permission to enter.
• Each region is represented by a different colour on the map below to help you identify who to contact.
• For each region (except Heathrow) you can use the link to download the relevant asset and contact info for:
- North Region
- Central Region
- South Region
- South East Region
Customs rules are also changing – further information can be found here.
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