Crossing the channel by ferry, current French/UK controls

So I may finally be able to visit my mum in August as things covid-wise are relaxing as far as travel is concerned. It will be the first time in two years so I’m very keen to make it happen….

I plan to motorbike from home in Germany to the UK and can anyone help with what actually is happening both off the ferry into the UK and off the ferry into France. Passports? Jab passports, digital certificates? No checks?

Currently
UK passport holder / German residence card holder
Double jabbed and vaccination card with stickers and QR code on my phone
German plated bike, German licence
Dunkirk / Dover and return

Do we need to show all this stuff or just drive off the boat? Anyone travelled recently or any commercial drives who can shed any light here?

Are we still bumping posts?

Also interested. I am pretty sure it will currently involve paying for multiple PCR tests too. Someone will be along shortly to enlighten us I hope.

The ferry company website may well have information. I had the following yesterday from P&O..

https://www.poferries.com/en/coronavirus/pre-travel-covid-19-testing?&media_type=owned&utm_source=SS&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=202107_FullyVax_DOCA&pid=5051074&cid=202107_FullyVax_DOCA&type=email

Welshfarmer, thanks for the info…
Those testing packages are quite a lot of cash via the P&O link.. £180 + £230… spendy!

To enter the UK you’ll need:

Passport

Vaccine Cert

LFT or PCR completed within 48 hours of travel.

Passenger Location Form completed no more than 48 hours before travel.

A pre-booked PCR test to be taken 2 days after you arrive in the UK, when you book that, you’ll be given a code, you’ll need this code to complete the PLF above. I don’t know how tourists are managing this.

To return to France

Passport

Vaccine Cert

LFT or PCR taken no more than 48 hours (LFT) or 72 hours (PCR) before travel.

A declaration form (from the French erm… website) signed.

LFT tests in France are €29. A Day 2 PCR test should cost less than £50 if you shop around, an LFT for return to France about £40 if you shop around.

I went to France about 2 weeks ago, getting into France is pretty easy, a nice (ours was anyway) French Guard will check the various bits of paper and wish you a nice trip.

Entering chippy little England was a massive PITA, first Border Force will talk to you like something they stood in, whilst doing their best Ant Middleton impression and check everything, then, at least for us 3m after we passed the gate another Border Force knob in a car stopped us to check the car, again, then drive a few meters more when the Guy from the Ferry co will check everything again. Takes 45 mins to go about 30 meters.

That said there were only 6 cars on the Ferry that day, they might have been bored, but the 19th there’s no way they’ll be able to check all that, not a chance, there are 6 gates in Calais, it took us 40 mins to clear the only one open and a cross-channel Ferry can take up to 1000 cars. A quick bit of maths tells me if 1000 cars arrive in Calais on the 19th of July and they’ve got all 6 gates open, if they check everyone to the same degree they checked us, it’ll take 4 and a half days to clear everyone.

Those testing packages are quite a lot of cash via the P&O link.. £180 + £230… spendy!

They’re based on Pre-19/7 requirements and over-priced to boot. You should be able to do it for about £110 there and back.

Apparently France & U.K. are currently in discussions about putting each other on green lists, not sure how that will affect things though.

Also interested in this thread.

Apparently France & U.K. are currently in discussions about putting each other on green lists, not sure how that will affect things though.

For vaccinated people it would remove the need for a pre-travel test to go into France.

For unvaccinated people it would allow them to enter France without good reason and having to isolate.

I personally don’t see it, our numbers are high and rising quickly and France isn’t quiet where we are with vaccines, if anything, I can see it going the other way, but I’d be happy to be wrong.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england

You’ll still be doing 10 days quarantine in the UK as you haven’t been vaccinated by the NHS.

WBO, yep, thanks for the link. Germany is on Amber…

still, what happens when you roll off the ferry at Dover… do they actually check all this stuff?

still, what happens when you roll off the ferry at Dover… do they actually check all this stuff?

They check it before you board. The UK has it’s staff in France and vice versa, and at least when I did it, they check EVERYTHING more than once.

@Welshfarmer Wales hasn’t agreed to this new rule yet, also, and I had no idea about this, we’re not allowed to use ‘approved providers’ in Wales, we have to book tests through Welsh Gov site and they’re really expensive, about double the going rate.

Which means, despite following all the other rules, I actually didn’t comply with the Welsh ones 2 weeks ago and I’m now liable for a £1000 fine… great.

They check it before you board. The UK has it’s staff in France and vice versa, and at least when I did it, they check EVERYTHING more than once.

Good info, thank you.