Checking in at Dover port

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Low Gear Guy

Veteran
Location
Surrey
Due to Brexit there is now a time limit on visits to the EU. All passports have to be manually stamped with the date of exit and entry. This is additional to checks of the passport against computer records.
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
Due to Brexit there is now a time limit on visits to the EU. All passports have to be manually stamped with the date of exit and entry. This is additional to checks of the passport against computer records.

Ah. Thank you.
 

alicat

Legendary Member
Location
Staffs
As far as I know I don't suddenly need a visa to enter France so why has it all gone so badly wrong all of a sudden?

They're looking through the passport to check previous entries to the EU during the last year to check that the person won't be overstaying their time in France/the EU etc. They're putting a stamp in the passport. They're checking the NHS Covid pass. It all takes extra time.
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
They're looking through the passport to check previous entries to the EU during the last year to check that the person won't be overstaying their time in France/the EU etc. They're putting a stamp in the passport. They're checking the NHS Covid pass. It all takes extra time.

Thank you. The comments here and a chat with my wife have got things straight for me.

Cheers. 👍
 
@Andy in Germany thank you. That's how I understood things to be previously. Could you help me a bit more as I've struggled with this. Ridiculous I know.

We visit France a lot. Usually flying Manchester Nice or when the kids were small by ferry. We've always done a passport check. I don't think we have ever walked straight off the plane and in either entering France or the UK.

As far as I know I don't suddenly need a visa to enter France so why has it all gone so badly wrong all of a sudden?

Bear in mind that I'm not too sure on the details because France has different regulations to Germany, and obviously I have to enter the EU using my German ID.

However:

As far as I understand the situation, as a non-EU visitor you do need a short stay visa unless you have a residence permit. (Edit: I think you only need an entry card, which may mean you have different requirements once in the country. Like @alicat said, this will take longer to check and stamp in the passport). This is valid for 90 days and in all Schengen countries.

There may be other regulations like proof of accommodation, funds, and certainly health insurance for the time of your trip as I don't think the UK's NHS cover is valid in France any more, but I could be wrong.

On top of this there are potential extra customs checks because the UK is no longer part of the customs union, so everything coming in is technically subject to these checks; as far as I know the French are being pretty pragmatic about these but if they feel the UK isn't being helpful they could essentially close the border down by making sure everyone is checked to the letter of the law.

This UK migrant in France has done a video on the 'new' rules for UK nationals going on holiday in France although it's a bit old now, and at the time it was unclear how strictly the laws would be applied. (Warning; for obvious reasons this will include 'political content' if you don't want to hear a French perspective, don't click on the link).

Overall, I think it's safe to say that some pretty important things have changed because the UK is now outside of the EU. How that shakes out over the next weeks, months and years will probably change frequently.
 
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PaulSB

Legendary Member
@Andy in Germany much appreciated. Thank you.

I worked in horticulture for 44 years and was involved in plant import and export, before and during our EU membership, to Europe and other countries. The commercial consequences of Brexit were and are clear to me. It was a topic I often debated in relation to many different aspects of our EU membership.

As an ordinary citizen who has moved freely and easily across Europe all his adult life I've been struggling to understand why this chaos has occurred. All much clearer now so again thanks for all the comments. I just have to get my head round getting into France and the rest of Europe is going to be not much different to visiting anywhere else in the world.

That's quite a change in mindset. We're going to the States in October. Everything is booked, paperwork checked etc. If our French friends phoned to say why not come to Nice next weekend I'll have to give it a bit more thought! :eek::laugh:
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
@Andy in Germany much appreciated. Thank you.

I worked in horticulture for 44 years and was involved in plant import and export, before and during our EU membership, to Europe and other countries. The commercial consequences of Brexit were and are clear to me. It was a topic I often debated in relation to many different aspects of our EU membership.
As you probably pointed out yourself, the situation in the 1970s around borders in general was rather different to the situation in the 2020s. A lot changed in 50 years, so it was never likely to return even roughly to as it was before, once gov.uk set those notorious "red lines" about borders. I think in theory, UK citizens do now need visas but the requirements have been postponed until an electronic system called ETIAS is ready because no country involved really wants to see the chaos full checking would cause.
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
As you probably pointed out yourself, the situation in the 1970s around borders in general was rather different to the situation in the 2020s. A lot changed in 50 years, so it was never likely to return even roughly to as it was before, once gov.uk set those notorious "red lines" about borders. I think in theory, UK citizens do now need visas but the requirements have been postponed until an electronic system called ETIAS is ready because no country involved really wants to see the chaos full checking would cause.

Oh, definitely yes. Today's requirements and meeting them are vastly different to the 70s. I go back to the era of Phytosanitary Certificates and when the Plant Health Inspector would visit to inspect every consignment of plants we imported, or wished to export, and would return on a weekly or fortnightly basis.

I've personally overseen the destruction of plant materials found to contain diseases such as Chrysanthemum White Rust. Destruction orders were not uncommon.

Still as I opened up with I'm not up for the political debate and nor should I raise it. Just wanted to understand the Dover thing a bit better.

I find it a bit odd that virtually everywhere I visit in the world I've never had an issue in understanding my responsibilities as a visitor. Yet the last few days I've struggled to get to grips with Europe.
 

T4tomo

Guru
They're looking through the passport to check previous entries to the EU during the last year to check that the person won't be overstaying their time in France/the EU etc. They're putting a stamp in the passport. They're checking the NHS Covid pass. It all takes extra time.

Indeed, pre-brexit on ferry or eurotunnel, a disinterested french customs officer merely counted the number of burgundy passports matched the occupants of the car and waved you on your way with a surly grunt!
 
OP
OP
Cathryn

Cathryn

Legendary Member
It was ridiculously easy! Thank you Dover! We are off!

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