e-Borders requirements for carriers and ports

This section explains what carriers and ports must do to provide advance electronic information about passengers and crew under our e-Borders programme, and how we help them to meet their obligations.

The e-Borders programme collects and analyses information on passengers and crew intending to travel to or from the UK, or in transit through the UK. We use this information to:

• assess the risks presented by people entering and leaving the UK; and
• identify those of interest to the authorities before they arrive here or leave the country.

The information in this section is relevant to all carriers who transport passengers or goods to and from the UK. This includes individuals, businesses and organisations. It is also relevant to ports, which have to support the installation of equipment.

If you cannot find the information you need in this section, you can contact our e-Borders team at ebct@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

For information about the legislation governing how e-Borders collects and manages information, see Our legal powers to collect and manage information on travellers.

You will find the information that is most relevant to you in the pages listed below.

Aviation

• Cargo. This page is for dedicated cargo-only flights, including mail flights. The people involved are normally only the crew members, but may occasionally include a few passengers. For information on passenger flights that reserve capacity for cargo, see Commercial carriers.
• Commercial carriers. These pages are for scheduled and charter flights.
• General aviation (including business aviation and business charter). This page is for all plane and helicopter flights, except those operated by major airlines and the armed forces. It particularly applies to business aviation.

Maritime

• Cruises. This section is for cruise operators with passenger-only vessels making journeys that may have multiple destinations. Unlike a ferry, a cruise vessel does not usually operate on a single fixed route.
• Ferries. These pages are for international roll-on, roll-off ferry routes which carry a mixture of freight and passenger traffic.
• Fishing vessels. This page is for fishing vessels that undertake international journeys.
• Leisure craft. This section is for leisure craft that undertake international journeys.
  • cargo vessels including containers, break bulk, dry bulk, wet bulk and vehicles;
  • dredgers, cable layers and other off-shore working vessels; and
  • off-shore supply and tugs.

Rail

• Through-tunnel passenger services. These pages are for passenger-only rail services through the Channel Tunnel.
• Through-tunnel vehicle services. These pages are for rail services through the Channel Tunnel that carry vehicles and their passengers.
• Through-tunnel freight services. This page is for rail services through the Channel Tunnel that carry goods but do not carry passengers.

Ports

These pages explain what the impact of e-Borders will be on air, rail and sea ports, both within the UK and in other countries.

These are carriers of passengers or goods that operate on a fixed route to fixed timetables.