France Pre-Arrival Procedures for Yachts

You are subject to border checks if:

• You enter France by sea after leaving a non-Schengen country.
• You are leaving France by sea to a non-Schengen country.

Ports of Entry – PPF

In France there are a limited number of Ports of Entry (PPF). The majority of PPFs are commercial ports where officials are present because of cross-border ferry traffic. This means that officials tend to be located some distance from marinas and in some PPFs clearance can take a little time. There are of course a number of PPFs where officials do make scheduled visits to marinas to assist with clearance (normally during the summer season in ports which are frequently used by recreational craft). These marinas will have a form on their website for you to complete in advance.

• See this map for all the PPFs in France, and also view the “Explore France” dropdown above and click on the anchor symbol to see PPFs by region.

Note: If a boat arrives in France and into the EU via a PPF port, it must leave via a PPF port (if exiting the EU from France), and passports will be stamped on arrival and departure by the Border Authorities,  although Declarations of Arrival and Departure must still be submitted to the relevant marina authorities.

Temporary Ports of Entry – Non-PPF

Non-PPF Ports are marinas around the coast of France which, under a new arrangement introduced June 2024, have been given permission to directly welcome yachts coming from third countrie. This new entry protocol applies to both EU and non-EU yachts and gives the cruising sailor a greater choice of ports for first landfall in France.

Using a single generic Word document (which can be downloaded here) and completed on a mobile phone, boaters can fill in this form and send it to the participating marinas at least 24 hours prior to arrival – or when leaving the previous port outside the Schengen area, if the voyage time is less than twenty-four hours. Many marinas have their own form (available on their website), which you may prefer to complete. The marinas will then take care of transmitting documents to the relevant border control authorities and authorise arrival.

• See list of French marinas participating in the new clearance system (Port de Plaisance)
• Border Police/Immigration (Police Aux Frontières – PAF)
• Customs (Douane)

Note: If a boat arrives in France and into the EU via a non-PPF port, it should only leave by another non-PPF port (if exiting the EU from France). No inspection of passports is required, as all information concerning persons on board is contained in the Declarations of Arrival and Departure submitted to the marina authorities for onward transmission to the Border Authorities. Entry and departure can be effected in each of the participating marinas, and there is no need to arrive and depart from the same location.

This new system doesn’t replace standard Schengen protocols and crew departing by plane or ferry, or otherwise requiring a passport stamp, will need to obtain this from official Immigration offices, such as those in the existing PPF ports. The list of French marinas above shows the PPF port that all non-PPF ports are attached to.

Important Points to Remember if entering the EU/Schengen via France:

• If a boat arrives in France via a non-PPF port, it should only leave by another non-PPF port. No inspection of passports is required, as all information concerning  persons on board is contained in the Declarations of Arrival and Departure submitted to the marina authorities for onward transmission to the Border Authorities.
• If a boat arrives and leaves by the same non-PPF  port, no inspection of passports is required for the same reasons as given above.
• If a boat arrives in France via a PPF port (see Annexe 3) it must leave via a PPF port, and passports will be stamped on arrival and departure by the Border Authorities,  although Declarations of Arrival and Departure must still be submitted to the relevant marina authorities.
• In the event that a boat arrives in France via a non-PPF port with the intention of leaving France via a PPF port, be warned that all those on board must  present themselves ON ARRIVAL to the PPF port to which the non-PPF port is attached to have their passports stamped. For example as Brest is the PPF for L’Aber Wrac’h and L’Aber Wrac’h is the entry port into France, the boat should proceed initially to Brest before continuing to L’Aber Wrac’h.
• When planning a cruise this requirement must be taken into account to avoid any delays or misunderstandings.

Notes:

• There will probably be a bit of evolution in terms of checking in and out of PPFs/normal marinas, form availability and boat visits, until this new system settles in. Please do share your feedback using the comments icon (speech bubble) in the “Explore Country” drop down at the top of the page.
• With the introduction of the Europe-wide entry and exit system (EES)  (now delayed until late 2024/early 2025), biometric data will need to be recorded on entry and exit for third country travelers. This negates the need to have passports stamped, however, it is not yet known if the ports under the new arrangement will be equipped to comply with EES. It is also not yet known how rigidly EES will be enforced for pleasure boat users. France has already announced further delays in its introduction.

France Arrival Procedures for Yachts

Notice: Since April 2022, Russian flagged or registered yachts are not permitted to enter any ports in France. See news item for details.

General Procedure:

Arriving in France from within Europe:

EU boats (on which VAT has been paid or which are exempt) and EU crew coming from another EU country do not have to clear with the French authorities.

Non-EU boats with non-EU crew coming from another EU country should visit the Border Police (Police Aux Frontières – PAF) and Customs (Douane) on arrival, however, will likely not be required to show any paperwork and the crew will just be reminded to be aware of their time spent in Schengen.

Arriving in France from a Third Country (non-Schengen):

All boats coming from a third country (both EU and non-EU yachts) should decide if they wish to enter France at a PPF or a non-PPF port and follow the pre-arrival procedures noted above.

Entering at a Non-PPF port:

• The “Q” flag need not be flown unless you have items to declare on arrival.
• On arrival, visit the marina office to confirm entry has been authorised.
• No inspection of passports is required, as all information concerning  persons on board is contained in the Declarations of Arrival and Departure submitted to the marina authorities for onward transmission to the Border Authorities.
• However, if any crew members want to have their passports stamped, then a visit must be made to the Border Police at the PPF port to which the non-PPF port is attached. For example as Brest is the PPF for L’Aber Wrac’h and L’Aber Wrac’h is the non-PPF entry port into France, the boat should proceed initially to Brest before continuing to L’Aber Wrac’h.
• The same action must be taken if the yacht intends to leave the EU from a French PPF port (rather than a non-PPF).
• If a boat arrives in the EU and France via a non-PPF port and intends to leave the EU from France as well, ideally it should only leave by another non-PPF port.
• When planning a cruise this requirement must be taken into account to avoid any delays or misunderstandings.

Entering at a PPF port:

If a boat arrives in the EU and France via a PPF port, it must leave via a PPF port, and passports will be stamped on arrival and departure by the Border Authorities,  although Declarations of Arrival and Departure must still be submitted to the relevant marina authorities.

All boats coming from a third country and choosing to clear in at an official PPF should clear in as follows:

General Process:

• The “Q” flag need not be flown unless you have items to declare on arrival.
• Visit the PPF marina website to see if there is a Customs and Immigration form that can be completed in advance and e-mailed to the address on the form and/or completed, printed off and handed in on arrival. This will speed up the clearance process. Some PPFs in Normandy and Brittany use this form and most like to get it in advance.
• On arrival in France contact the Port Captain. Enquire if a booking is required with the authorities for clearance (often required in the peak summer months).
• The captain and all crew should report to the local Border Police (Police Aux Frontières – PAF) and possibly Customs (Douane) at a Port of Entry with the ship’s registration papers and passports and the completed PPF form (if available). If you have been unable to send this in advance, the marina office will provide the form.
• Normallly a time to return to get passports stamped will be given at check-in.
• Be aware that many offices (PAF or Douane) are not always close to the marinas, nor open 24 hours or regular hours. Oftentimes they are located in the nearest ferry port. In ports popular with visiting yachts the authorities will make a special visit to the marina for clearance.
• In some ports, officials will visit the boat (whether from the EU or not), as soon as it docks and inspects all documents (passports, boat documents, Certificates of Competence etc.) They may also inspect the equipment on board.

For further Immigration information including visas see the Immigration section.

For further Customs information including length of stay see the Customs section.

If bringing a pet into France on board the boat see the Pet section.

Domestic Cruising in France

If the correct entry procedures are followed, non-EU visitors can then visit other French ports without further checks.

French Waterways: Fees, Rules and Regulations

France Departure Procedures for Yachts

Departures within the EU/Schengen

Any yachts departing France for another EU/Schengen country, do not need to carry out any departure procedures other than checking out of the marina (if applicable).

Departures to a third country

If a boat entered the EU in France via a non-PPF port, then it should only leave France and the EU by another non-PPF port.

If a boat entered the EU in France via a PPF port, then it must leave France and the EU via a PPF port.

If a boat entered the EU elsewhere, but it choosing to depart the EU from France, they have 2 choices for departure:

1. Complete a departure declaration and report to Customs at an official port of entry/departure (PPF), so that their movement out of the Schengen Area has been recorded. Any non-EU crew should report to the Border Police when leaving the Schengen Area and get their passports stamped. This is the best option for non-EU crew as their passports will be officially stamped out of Schengen.
2. Depart from a non-PPF. Use the online form and submit it 24 hours prior to departure, then depart from any of the ports/marinas under the new arrangement (June 2024). See port list here.

Links:

• For more details about clearing-into France with a pleasure boat go to https://www.douane.gouv.fr/particuliers/vous-naviguez

Last updated: June 2024

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