Guernsey Private Pleasure Craft Clearance : Cross Border Crime Division

Organization : Cross Border Crime Division
Type of Facility : Private Pleasure Craft Clearance
Country: Guernsey

Website : https://www.gov.gg/article/119613/GOVGG

Private Pleasure Craft Clearance :

There are specific requirements for Customs clearance when arriving in the Bailiwick of Guernsey by sea.

Related : Guernsey Licensing Department Vehicle Registration : www.statusin.org/8815.html

This is particularly relevant to those who may have been planning to make Sark Harbour, or other non-approved small Bailiwick harbours and anchorages their first port of call.

All passengers and goods (which includes stores and baggage) landed in the Bailiwick of Guernsey must be landed at an approved port, which must be the first port of call.

The Masters of all visiting pleasure craft entering the Bailiwick of Guernsey must complete a Pleasure Craft Arrival form (GC27). These forms can be obtained from the St Peter Port and Beaucette marina offices.

Clearance will be effected at the first approved port of arrival in to the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Visiting vessels must make their first point of arrival in the Bailiwick at an approved port.

The approved ports are:
** St. Peter Port Harbour
** St.Sampson’s Harbour (inc. Beaucette Marina)
** Braye Harbour, Alderney.

The GC27 form must be completed by the Master of the vessel as soon as possible after arrival in the Bailiwick or before any person goes ashore. Notes on how to complete a GC27 are printed on the reverse of the form.

Locally based craft must obtain clearance at an approved port and a declaration form (GC27) must be completed by the Master of the vessel if you as the Master of the vessel or your passengers fall into any of the categories below:-
a) Any goods in your possession which are subject to Prohibition or Restriction, any goods in excess of your duty free allowances or goods of a commercial nature.
Or
b) There are non- British nationals on board who have arrived from ports directly outside the Common Travel Area of the UK, the Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland or the Channel Islands. Any non European Economic Area nationals must be presented to an Immigration Officer at an approved port and advanced notice of the voyage must be given.

It must be noted that Sark is not an approved port and Customs clearance must be first obtained at any of the approved ports listed above prior to proceeding to Sark. The requirement for this clearance is under Sections 14, 28 and 32 of the Customs and Excise (General Provisions)(Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1972, as amended, the extended Immigration Acts and the Prevention of Terrorism (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1990. A declaration form must be completed by the Master of craft arriving in the Bailiwick of Guernsey – a GC27, Report of Arrival For Pleasure Craft.

Vessels first calling at Alderney who have completed a declaration and have surrendered it to the proper authority in Alderney are not required to complete a further declaration if travelling directly to Guernsey, Sark or Herm.

Whilst these clearance procedures remain in place for all vessels (including commercial vessels and visiting pleasure craft) a simplified clearance procedure is available for locally based pleasure craft. This simplified clearance procedure only requires clearance at an approved port if the master of the vessel or any of its passengers fall into any of the following categories:
Any goods carried are subject to prohibition or restriction, and goods in excess of the individual’s duty free allowance or goods of a commercial nature
Or
There are non British nationals on board the vessel who have arrived directly from a port outside of the Common Travel Area (i.e. UK, Isle of Man, the Republic of Ireland or the Channel Islands). Any non EEA nationals must be presented to an Immigration Officer at an approved port and advanced notice of the voyage must be given.

The simplified clearance procedure is not available to any commercial (including local charters) or visiting pleasure craft.

Pleasure craft users are reminded that the Pet Passport Scheme is limited to authorised commercial sailings and not available to pleasure craft movements when bringing in animals from outside of the British Isles.