Private marine vessels customs and immigration requirements

What are private maritime vessels

Private marine vessels (or navires de plaisance) are any boats or ships where no person or entity is rewarded to carry the persons or goods on board.

Vessels travelling to France from Jersey

If you're travelling to France from Jersey, your vessel needs to clear Customs and Immigration when you first arrive at a designated port of arrival. You need to notify the port authority at that designated port of arrival who will notify the relevant border officials.

If in exceptional circumstance your vessel does not arrive in France at a designated port, that port's authority must be notified to authorise your entry.

If you're a British national, you should have your passport stamped on arrival in France and on departure.

The most relevant designated ports (Points de Passage Frontalier or PPF) to Jersey are:

• Brest
• Carteret
• Cherbourg
• Granville
• Roscoff
• St Brieuc
• St Malo

For more information contact the relevant French port authority.

Declaration requirements for vessels' arrivals on Les Ports de la Manche website

For guidance on a list of border crossings, see page 21 of the Official Journal of the EU.

Vessels travelling to Jersey

Customs and Immigration requirements are in addition to any health related requirements for anyone arriving in Jersey.

Maritime Customs and Immigration Declaration

You must complete and submit a declaration if your vessel arrives in Jersey from:

• any jurisdiction and carries goods that need to be declared for customs purposes
  
• any jurisdiction and carries goods in excess of any duty free allowances
• a port outside the Common Travel Area (the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or Guernsey) and someone on board is not British or Irish. However, this does not apply for EU nationals with pre-settled or settled status in Jersey

If you meet one of the criteria above and your vessel is registered or based in Jersey, you must still complete and submit a declaration.

Every person on board arriving from outside the Common Travel Area must have a valid passport unless they hold settled or pre-settled status. In this case, they may travel with a valid EU national identity card.

Maritime Customs and Immigration declaration

If you complete and submit a declaration

If you complete and submit your declaration before arriving in Jersey or on arrival and you have been granted Immigration permission to enter Jersey as a visitor, you can come ashore anywhere on:

• the Island of Jersey
• Les Ecrehous
• Les Minquiers

If you have not been granted Immigration permission to enter Jersey as a visitor you must only arrive at the designated port of St Helier, remain on your vessel, raise the yellow “Q” flag and make yourself known to the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service.

If you intend on fishing or low water fishing in Jersey territorial waters, including at Les Ecrehous and Les Minquiers, you must comply with Jersey Fisheries regulations. Find more information on fishing and aquaculture.

If you have not completed and submitted a declaration

If you need to complete and submit a declaration and you have not done it before you arrive in Jersey, you must raise a yellow 'Q' flag. You must complete and submit your declaration immediately on arrival.

If you cannot submit the declaration before or immediately after you arrive you can only come ashore in St Helier. There are facilities at St Helier Marina Office you can use to complete your declaration.

All persons travelling with you must stay in the port area on your vessel until your declaration is submitted or you're given immigration clearance by Customs and Immigration Officer.

Information for nationals

When you complete and submit your declaration, you'll be free to leave the port area if you're one of the nationals listed below and you do not intend to work, study or settle in Jersey.

You will have immigration permission to visit Jersey for up to 6 months but you cannot work or access public funds.

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Croatia
• Republic of Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United States of America

If you're another national or a national listed above who intends to work, study or settle in Jersey and you do not have pre-settled or settled status, you must remain on board of the vessel until you're given immigration clearance.

Find more information on Jersey Customs and Immigration Service.