IN ACTION
Loiret marina, Centre-Val de Loire. Check for additional regulations if you’re planning to boat inland.
on departure on the boat, which will need to be from a PFF port. If you plan to cruise to another
Schengen Area country, we encourage you to enter France through a PPF port. This is so you have a stamp in your passport/s, rather than on a form which may not be recognised outside France. This may also simplify your eventual exit, so you can exit the EU/ Schengen Area under the standard process from another EU country.
Departing France for the UK When you leave France, how you ‘check out’ will depend on the type of port you’re leaving from. If you’re leaving from a PPF port, passports are stamped on exit. If you’re leaving from a non-PPF marina, you’ll need to submit a completed border control ‘exit’ declaration form. You must inform Border Force
and HMRC of your return to the UK, using the
GOV.UK sPCR service that you used for your outward trip. If you plan to visit the Channel
Islands before returning to the UK, you don’t submit a pleasure craft
report until you are preparing to leave the Channel Islands bound for the UK.
Waste water The French tourism code requires all boats with toilets constructed after 2008 ˧ ˕˘ Ѓ˧˧˘˗ ˜˧˛ ˔ holding tank or treatment system if they want to enter French river ports,
sea ports, moorings or anchorages. French
ports and marinas should provide waste water disposal
facilities. Discharge of black, grey or bilge water is forbidden in French ports and within three miles of the French shore. Treated black water can be
discharged beyond three miles if the boat is travelling at a minimum of four knots. Pleasure boats under 20m could be subject ˧ ˔ Ѓ˘ ˙ ˨ˣ ˧ ϭʧʣʣʣ ˙˥ disposing of any waste in the sea. Boats are also prohibited from discharging waste water into canals and rivers.
Red diesel It’s unlawful in France to buy or use marked ‘red’ diesel for propelling a
private pleasure craft. Any red diesel should be in the main tank and not in cans and you should have evidence that it was purchased in Great Britain.
Pets If you’re planning to take a pet on your boat, it’ll need to comply with French health requirements as well as UK requirements for your return. Importantly, you must bring a dog or cat (or ferret) back to the UK through an approved travel route and not on your boat.
For the latest updates visit www.rya.
org.uk/knowledge/abroad/france
Your experience
ˇ˛˜˦ ˜˙˥ˠ˔˧˜ ˥˘Є˘˖˧˦ ˨˥ current understanding and is written for UK residents cruising to France on their privately owned UK-registered boat. Some regulations are applied more strictly than others and local interpretation can vary. ʼ˙ ˨ Ѓ˗ ˧˛˔˧ ˥˘˚˨˔˧˜˦
or practices differ from those described please let us know. Email your experiences to
cruising@rya.org.uk
rya.org.uk SUMMER 2025 43
Photo: Alamy/Getty
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