Customs for the channel islands?
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 98
Likes: 0
From: The South
Customs for the channel islands?
Quick question: do I need to notify customs (or immigration) of a flight to/from the Channel Islands? I would be departing from a non-customs airfield.
I've searched high and low but can't quite find the answer I'm looking for. I gather that:
- I need to notify special branch, for both directions, 24 hours in advance
- I need to file a flight plan
- If I were flying to France instead, I would need to notify customs 4 hours prior to my arrival back in the UK (being at a non-customs airfield)
- If I were flying to a non-EU country, I would need to notify customs and immigration for both directions (being at a non-customs airfield)
... but do customs/immigration need to know about flights to/from the channel islands? As they're not in the EU, it would seem that they do, but on the other hand, nothing I've read says so explicitly.
Mark
I've searched high and low but can't quite find the answer I'm looking for. I gather that:
- I need to notify special branch, for both directions, 24 hours in advance
- I need to file a flight plan
- If I were flying to France instead, I would need to notify customs 4 hours prior to my arrival back in the UK (being at a non-customs airfield)
- If I were flying to a non-EU country, I would need to notify customs and immigration for both directions (being at a non-customs airfield)
... but do customs/immigration need to know about flights to/from the channel islands? As they're not in the EU, it would seem that they do, but on the other hand, nothing I've read says so explicitly.
Mark
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
From: Between LPCs
Yes you do need to and file a flight plan, it is over water and class A airspace. However, you can file the customs when landing in the channel is. In fact you have to. It is dead easy, file it when you get there, but you do need to file in advance on the way back as per any normal flight back into the UK.
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 939
Likes: 1
From: UK
Hopefully this extract from the General Aviation Report Form will be of help
CUSTOMS RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF AIRFIELD
1. CUSTOMS OR DESIGNATED E.G. SOUTHAMPTON, BIGGIN HILL, LIVERPOOL
2. GENERAL AVIATION AGREEMENT AERODROMES (GAA) E.G. GOODWOOD, ELSTREE
3. PRIVATE AIRFIELDS AND HELIPADS
4. MILITARY (NOT COVERED IN THIS DOCUMENT)
1. AT A DESIGNATED AIRFIELD YOU MAY ARRIVE AND DEPART WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION TO CUSTOMS ( THIS RULE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ). YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A GAR PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND ALSO ON ARRIVAL FROM FOREIGN.
2. AT A GAA AIRFIELD YOU CAN FLY TO AND FROM ANYWHERE, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERING PERIODS OF PRIOR NOTIFICATION REQUIRED DEPENDING ON YOUR DESTINATION/DEPARTURE POINT.
OUTWARDS – TO ANOTHER EU COUNTRY THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO ADVISE CUSTOMS OF YOUR DEPARTURE.
OUTWARDS – TO A NON-EU COUNTRY (INC CHANNEL ISLANDS*) YOU MUST NOTIFY CUSTOMS AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
INWARDS – FROM ANOTHER EU COUNTRY – 4 HOURS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
INWARDS – FROM A NON-EU COUNTRY – 24 HOURS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
*CHANNEL ISLANDS – NOTIFICATION PERIOD IS 12 HOURS.
3. AT PRIVATE AIRFIELDS AND HELIPADS YOU CAN ONLY FLY TO AND FROM OTHER EU COUNTRIES, UNLESS YOU HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO DO SO. IN PARTICULAR, FLIGHTS TO/FROM THE CHANNEL ISLANDS WILL NEED TO BE AGREED WITH CUSTOMS AND POLICE.
THE NOTIFICATION PERIOD IS THE SAME AS FOR GAA AIRFIELDS.
NOTIFICATIONS FOR FLIGHTS SHOULD BE TO THE NCU BY FAX 0870-785-3738 OR E-MAIL [email protected]
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING FOREIGN TRAVEL IN YOUR AIRCRAFT, PLEASE CONTACT THE GA TEAM ON 02380-797089 OR E-MAIL [email protected]
PRIVATE AIRCRAFT COMMON TRAVEL AREA FLIGHTS/TERRORISM ACT 2000
If you are flying to/from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Eire or Northern Ireland you must fly via a designated airport under the Terrorism Act OR give 12hrs prior notice in writing for the Police area in which the Port is situated. Please refer to the Police contact numbers printed on the rear of the GAR. It is an offence under the Terrorism Act to willfully fail to comply with this legislation.
GAR-3NOV2002
CUSTOMS RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF AIRFIELD
1. CUSTOMS OR DESIGNATED E.G. SOUTHAMPTON, BIGGIN HILL, LIVERPOOL
2. GENERAL AVIATION AGREEMENT AERODROMES (GAA) E.G. GOODWOOD, ELSTREE
3. PRIVATE AIRFIELDS AND HELIPADS
4. MILITARY (NOT COVERED IN THIS DOCUMENT)
1. AT A DESIGNATED AIRFIELD YOU MAY ARRIVE AND DEPART WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION TO CUSTOMS ( THIS RULE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ). YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A GAR PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND ALSO ON ARRIVAL FROM FOREIGN.
2. AT A GAA AIRFIELD YOU CAN FLY TO AND FROM ANYWHERE, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERING PERIODS OF PRIOR NOTIFICATION REQUIRED DEPENDING ON YOUR DESTINATION/DEPARTURE POINT.
OUTWARDS – TO ANOTHER EU COUNTRY THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO ADVISE CUSTOMS OF YOUR DEPARTURE.
OUTWARDS – TO A NON-EU COUNTRY (INC CHANNEL ISLANDS*) YOU MUST NOTIFY CUSTOMS AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
INWARDS – FROM ANOTHER EU COUNTRY – 4 HOURS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
INWARDS – FROM A NON-EU COUNTRY – 24 HOURS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
*CHANNEL ISLANDS – NOTIFICATION PERIOD IS 12 HOURS.
3. AT PRIVATE AIRFIELDS AND HELIPADS YOU CAN ONLY FLY TO AND FROM OTHER EU COUNTRIES, UNLESS YOU HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO DO SO. IN PARTICULAR, FLIGHTS TO/FROM THE CHANNEL ISLANDS WILL NEED TO BE AGREED WITH CUSTOMS AND POLICE.
THE NOTIFICATION PERIOD IS THE SAME AS FOR GAA AIRFIELDS.
NOTIFICATIONS FOR FLIGHTS SHOULD BE TO THE NCU BY FAX 0870-785-3738 OR E-MAIL [email protected]
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING FOREIGN TRAVEL IN YOUR AIRCRAFT, PLEASE CONTACT THE GA TEAM ON 02380-797089 OR E-MAIL [email protected]
PRIVATE AIRCRAFT COMMON TRAVEL AREA FLIGHTS/TERRORISM ACT 2000
If you are flying to/from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Eire or Northern Ireland you must fly via a designated airport under the Terrorism Act OR give 12hrs prior notice in writing for the Police area in which the Port is situated. Please refer to the Police contact numbers printed on the rear of the GAR. It is an offence under the Terrorism Act to willfully fail to comply with this legislation.
GAR-3NOV2002
