Recreational vessels

The Netherlands complies with the Schengen Borders Code at the external borders of the Schengen area. This Schengen Borders Code includes a reporting requirement for recreational shipping. This requirement applies each time you cross the external border, except when you are transiting Dutch territorial waters without entering a Dutch port.

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Reporting requirements

As the captain, you are responsible for providing a crew manifest and a passenger manifest, and for reporting any stowaways upon arrival in a port. These manifests must include at least the information included in form 5 (crew manifest) and form 6 (passenger manifest).

Reporting must be done:

At latest 24 hours prior to arrival in port.
Or, if the journey time is less than 24 hours: no later than the moment your ship leaves the previous port.
Or, if the port of call is still unknown or changes during the journey: as soon as this information is known.

As the captain, you are responsible for the timely reporting of departure. Border control will be conducted once time of departure is known.

The following applies:

A minimum of 3 hours prior to the moment the ship crosses the external border of the Schengen area.
A maximum of 3 days prior to the moment the ship crosses the external border of the Schengen area.

Exceptions

Exceptions are unforeseen and exceptional circumstances or when the ship is less than 3 hours from a border crossing point. In that case, reporting must be done as soon as possible, so that an officer from the border crossing point can conduct an identity check.

Registering crew and passengers

Are you the captain of a:

recreational ship of less than 45 metres in length?

You have a duty to report. You must send an e-mail with at least the information from the crew manifest and passenger manifest to:

Seaport Police (for the Port of Rotterdam): rotterdam@dutch-immigration.nl.
Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (for the other ports): dutch.immigration@mindef.nl.

Single window

If your ship is not one of the above-mentioned types, you must register your passenger and crew details via Single Window for Maritime and Aviation. Single Window uses the Trade and Transport Gateway (HTG). With HTG electronic messages are exchanged.

You can register your information for Customs, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee/Seaport Police digitally via Single Window. You only need to do this once. The port authority will make sure that your report is passed on to the National Competent Authority SafeSeaNet via Single Window. The various government organisations will subsequently all receive your report.

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and the Seaport Police also use the Advanced Passenger Information System-3 (API-3). Information entered in Single Window will automatically be stored here. The data in the API-3 is compared to search lists and risk profiles.

Registering crew members or passengers with visa requirement

Crew members or passengers who require a visa must be registered:

Use the Application for Schengen Visa form (in Dutch, English, Turkish, English/Chinese, English/Russian or French/Arabic).
In many countries you can apply for a visa at the Dutch Embassy or the Dutch Consulate. Check the list of embassies in alphabetical order.

Additional rules for recreational shipping

In addition to the above-mentioned reporting requirement, a number of specific rules apply to recreational shipping.

Recreational ships coming from or going to a non-Schengen country ust first sail via a border crossing point, where border control will be conducted. Timely reporting can prevent unnecessary delay.

It may be the case that it is not possible to sail via a border control point, for instance in the event of a breakdown, emergency medical assistance or extreme weather conditions. In these situations, you can enter a port that is not a border crossing point. In that case, you must inform the port authority of your journey and situation, and you need to show them a crew manifest and passenger manifest. You must then ask the port authority to report your presence to the border authorities at the nearest border crossing point. The Royal Netherlandse Marechaussee will arrive to conduct a border check. During this check, the captain must hand over the passenger and crew manifests to the border guards.

Dutch border crossing points

The crossing of the external borders of the Schengen area may be executed only at the official border crossing points (inbound and outbound) and during the official opening hours.

Recreational vessels

Reporting requirements

Reporting prior to arrival

Reporting prior to departure

Exceptions

Registering crew and passengers

Single window

Registering crew members or passengers with visa requirement

Additional rules for recreational shipping

Within the Schengen area

Outside the Schengen area

Dutch border crossing points