Dover - Calais by car and residence card - any info?

[funkyronster]

Hi everybody, have read the thread with interest.

It seems that most problems are about airline check-in staff who don't know the law.

We want to travel by car to Portugal using the Dover Calais ferry. French immigration is on the Dover side, prior to embarkation.

As this is such a busy route, I would assume that they know their stuff.

Does anybody have any experience of driving to France through Dover?

I am UK man with Non EU wife, she has UK normal residence card.

Cheers

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

It seems that most problems are about airline check-in staff who don't know the law.

Airline check in staff are afraid of getting fined, it is not a question of them not understanding or not wanting to understand the law. The directive makes provision for free, facilitated visas for those who require them.

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

French immigration is on the Dover side, prior to embarkation.

If you can prove entitlement at the border, you should be admitted under article 5.4. I've no personal experience of this, I'm afraid.

[evil_grrrl666]

This doesn't necessarily help because it probably doesn't happen all the time, but I have found on two separate occasions that the French border control in Dover were not bothered about doing any checks at all. One time they just waved us through without looking at our documents, the other time there wasn't even anyone there and all the cars just drove right through to the ferry.
But just to be sure, make sure your papers are in order in case they ask questions.

[sum1]

Of course, papers should always be in order. But it is not unusual that ferry ports are unmanned. Some of them rarely.

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Of course, papers should always be in order.

Excellent point.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

I agree that often the French border guards are not even bothered to be in the booth. Kind of sad, and sometimes you actually WANT somebody to stamp your passport.

As always when doing anything "unusual" with European free movement, it is important to carry the marriage (or birth) certificate that proves the relationship with the EU citizen and be aware of the power of MRAX: http://eumovement.wordpress.com/2010/08 ... to-travel/