# UK border force checks



## wp1234 (Sep 29, 2009)

I'm sure someone has asked already but has anyone experienced the impacts of the new passport control at the Eurotunnel , someone told me that the car queue was over 45 minutes long pre passport scanning was carried out.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

I am not sure when the "new passport control" that you refer to came in, we went Calais to UK in mid February and the control took nearly 2 minutes and another 5 for the puppy,

coming back in early March was even quicker as no control on the puppy at all....

But that may not be the "new passport control" that you mean, in which case you can use this post as an example of how good it was before.....

If that makes sense.....

Dave


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

i didn't think they started until tomorrow (8th April)? They delayed the start until after the Easter rush


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## jo662 (Jul 27, 2010)

wp1234 said:


> > I'm sure someone has asked already but has anyone experienced the impacts of the new passport control at the Eurotunnel , someone told me that the car queue was over 45 minutes long pre passport scanning was carried out.
> 
> 
> Is this just UK side or both,we come back to Blighty on the tunnel Thurs morning?:frown2:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

jo662 said:


> wp1234 said:
> 
> 
> > Is this just UK side or both,we come back to Blighty on the tunnel Thurs morning?:frown2:
> ...


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

A spokesman for Eurotunnel, on Radio 4's Today prog earlier this morning, said that they had spent £2 million and employed 50 extra staff to minimize any delays on passengers as a result of the new exit checks. He also said that they were getting passengers to fill in an online form (API Form) when booking in order to speed up the process. Anyone had any experience of this?

Andy


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## jo662 (Jul 27, 2010)

nicholsong said:


> (quote)
> 
> 
> jo662 said:
> ...


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## VJP (Dec 8, 2010)

I will be finding out tomorrow evening, if the system does not crash today.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

They started this morning, but I haven't heard of massive delays to get out of the UK (yet).

Dave


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

If I understood correctly a spokesman this morning said that the plan for people leaving the uk was to phase the check out scans of passports.
25% in April, 50% in May, 75% in June and all by July. (Just in time for the main holiday period!:surprise


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Penquin said:


> I haven't heard of massive delays to get out of the UK (yet).


No, that starts the day after the General Election.:wink2:

PS I leave for Ireland 2 days before it.

I've planned it nicely lately...........

Away for the "State Funeral".
Away for the Scotch referendum.
Away for the General Election.


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

I filled in the API details when I booked 4 weeks ago, we hold a frequent traveller account. I am now fed up of receiving e mails from Eurotunnel asking me to fill in my details. I have telephoned them and they said they had the details for 2 people, but they still keep telling me that it is not done. We shall find out when we reach Folkestone next week.

Hope there is no queue as we have sold the motorhome. If anyone sees 2 harassed souls with 2 annoyed German Shepherds at the tunnel next Wednesday it will be us crammed into our Volvo. We are counting the days/months to the arrival of our new MH.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

Further to my earlier post.
From the 1pm BBC news:-
All passports are being scanned but for April 25% are being checked to verify, May 50% will be checked and June 75% will be checked.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

autostratus said:


> Further to my earlier post.
> From the 1pm BBC news:-
> All passports are being scanned but for April 25% are being checked to verify, May 50% will be checked and June 75% will be checked.


That info seems to enable a person who might be stopped to travel in April with only a 25% chance of being caught - pubishing that info seems to be a breach of security for the system, in my mind.

Geoff


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

We are doing a 24 hour tour of London with a French group next September via the tunnel. 
We Brits have to carry our Passport but the French will only need an ID card.??

Blooming cheek.

Ray.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

raynipper said:


> We are doing a 24 hour tour of London with a French group next September via the tunnel.
> We Brits have to carry our Passport but the French will only need an ID card.??
> 
> Blooming cheek.
> ...


Ray

You both need identification to get into UK(although I am not sure an ID card is sufficient - maybe I am wrong.)

However neither the French nor the Brits are required to carry ID of any sort while in the UK.

Geoff


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

I would be surprised if UKBA will accept just a French ID card.
It may be all they need to get back into France if the UKBA computer says Non!

This says you need a passport
https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/at-border-control

But the link that leads to it says


> Your passport or identity card will be checked when you arrive at a UK port


So that's as clear as mud then.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Then this

http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/The-National-Identity-Card-CNIS

says


> *Can I travel with my ID card?*
> Even though you can travel in numerous countries with the ID card, it is not really a permit to travel. However you can use it to travel within the EU, and to some other countries as well. Check the website for the French Foreign Office: *www.diplomatie.gouv.fr*


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Oh good. So I don't need to spend £100 on renewing my passport when I can get a French ID card for buqqer all.!!!

Ray.


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## ramblefrog (Jun 28, 2010)

*Api*

Booked Eurotunnel last week - travelling next Thursday. Filled in API details on line as requested with no other follow-up requests so hopefully OK. Will let you know how we get on


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## teljoy (Jul 4, 2005)

A bit of information that I don't think has been mentioned is that when booking eurotunnel with tesco vouchers travellers details for the Advanced Passenger Information is not requested (It wasn't when I booked for a trip for this June 2015) as the information is for the home office and border controls.
There is a form that can be filled in online to make the departure process allegedly quicker.
It is an easily completed form. I have done ours this morning and the website for others is https://www.eurotunnel.com/apis/

Terry


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

I would have expected any delays to be similar to the French side where UK border force have been scanning and checking passports for sometime and often have a major purge causing everything to slow up.
However I suspect it's probably not worth turning up early UK side now hoping for an earlier crossing.


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

caulkhead said:


> A spokesman for Eurotunnel, on Radio 4's Today prog earlier this morning, said that they had spent £2 million and employed 50 extra staff to minimize any delays on passengers as a result of the new exit checks. He also said that they were getting passengers to fill in an online form (API Form) when booking in order to speed up the process. Anyone had any experience of this?
> 
> Andy


Yes, we have filled in one of these. Not leaving until 27th though.

Chris


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

What about ferry travel is there a similar on line form to be filled in, booked via CC and is it needed for eire too?

Sue


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> That info seems to enable a person who might be stopped to travel in April with only a 25% chance of being caught - pubishing that info seems to be a breach of security for the system, in my mind.
> 
> Geoff


Whats the point of catching someone leaving the country? What are they going to do? Give them a damn good finger wagging? 

Whole thing is farcical if you ask me. How long before the system starts flagging long termers in motorhomes who spend "too long" out of the UK and the authorities start stopping our rights to NHS treatment etc on our return?


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## VJP (Dec 8, 2010)

Just driven through at Dover. The UK booth was closed. No checks at all.


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## jo662 (Jul 27, 2010)

I know its the other way,but we have travelled back from Calais via the tunnel today,and they just look at the passport cover and waved us thru.


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

VJP said:


> Just driven through at Dover. The UK booth was closed. No checks at all.


The checks / scanning / call it what you will, is NOT being done by UK Border Agency....it is being done by the Ferry check-in staff.

The UK Border post situation isnt going to change any time soon.....


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## mearsy (Mar 7, 2011)

*Eurotunnel Checks*

Hi,

We are using the tunnel in 3 weeks time and wondered if anyone had experienced problems with the new stricter checking regime?

helper note - merged into running thread


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## p-c (Oct 27, 2007)

Hi
Does this help.

http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/37-continental-touring-info/135105-uk-border-force-checks.html

Regards
p-c


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Will let you know what happens next week,we are going out on next Monday night.:wink2:


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

And we're going the following Monday.


Chris


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## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

I'm on P&O this Wednesday afternoon, will report back.


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## InfaRed (Nov 9, 2010)

I'm going Eurotunnel tomorrow afternoon. Will post experience when I can.


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## SunsetLancs (Mar 11, 2014)

Just travelled through the tunnel to France this afternoon. The only difference to previous trips was that a man in a hi vis vest walked through the train asking how many people were in each vehicle. He had a mechanical "clicker" to record the results on. Very hi tech.

Was that it?!

Certainly no delays - that is until they said the train was broken and we had to drive off, go on a tour of the terminal, load on another train after a long delay and finally leave 1 hour later. Still the best way to cross the channel though!


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## kenny (Jun 4, 2005)

we used the tesco points, eurotunnel asked us to fill in the form on line,no probulams going out on the 8/04 ,very impressed with eurotunnel sent email thanking us for filling it in , from very rainy spain and cold you are having better whether in uk kenny


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

I booked our Eurotunnel trip a couple of months ago for a trip in July. It'll be interesting to see when/if they ask me to fill out any forms as they didn't do at the time


Graham:smile2:


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

As a matter of interest how many languages are available to fill in the form?

(I probably cannot pull up the form because I do not have a booking)

Geoff


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## ramblefrog (Jun 28, 2010)

I, like others, used euro tunnel yesterday morning with no delays or changes to book in


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## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

GMJ said:


> I booked our Eurotunnel trip a couple of months ago for a trip in July. It'll be interesting to see when/if they ask me to fill out any forms as they didn't do at the time
> 
> Graham:smile2:


Same here, Graham, we booked Eurotunnel early March, for trip out in July, and we were't asked to fill out forms, and we've heard nothing from them about this since, either.

Mind you, we've just sent our passports off for renewal as they run out in August, so even if we'd filled a form in, it wouldn't match our passports when we travel! I think we'll wait for our new passports to come, and then email Eurotunnel to ask for the forms to fill in. Better than a delay at checkin.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

True


I was going to contact about a month before we travel also


Graham:smile2:


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

We returned to the UK on Wednesday by P&O ferry after being out of the country since just before Christmas.
Didn't notice any difference, just asked where we came from (Calais aire) and had we stayedcwith the motorhome all the time and did we spend the night in it.
Dog's passport was checked much more thoroughly than ours, no vehicle inspection no drug metering. So border checks still as sloppy as ever.
So if you're a terrorist cross early as the border agency are still dozing or nattering about last night's telly.

French gendarmes advised us to overnight at the beach aire as they thought the Cite Europe parking was too dangerous. They were in fact actively patrolling the car parks and flushing out several undesirables.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

To re-iterate, there is no difference inbound to the UK.

The only difference is that the UK have re-introduced OUTBOUND Passport checks, which we all used to go through some years ago anyway.

Geoff


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## InfaRed (Nov 9, 2010)

Went out Eurotunnel Tuesday no delays. Did check passports more than a glance. However gas check was just asked if I had any bottles in the back. I have an under slung tank, so replied no.


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

We travelled through the Tunnel on Saturday afternoon, no one took our passports off us to look at them, we were just waved through.


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## ramblefrog (Jun 28, 2010)

*update*

Travelled through tunnel on Thursday - waved through going out by French Border control. Return to UK this afternoon passport checked but all very organised with no delays.


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## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

*outbound ferry checks*

Dover-Calais, out last Wednesday late afternoon, both Border Force and P&O examined at our passports. No queue or delays though


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

the provision of API is all part of the e-border scheme meant to collect and analyse data on everyone travelling to and from the UK before they arrive at ports and airports.
The BBC is reporting that the" Home Office criticised over £830m 'failed' borders scheme" 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34988913


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