Non-passenger merchant shipping

This section explains what we will require from non-passenger merchant shipping carriers under the e-Borders programme, and when we will start to introduce these requirements.

Non-passenger merchant shipping companies will be required to provide crew information to the e-Borders system. If passengers are travelling on a merchant shipping vessel, the merchant shipping company will also be required to provide passenger information to the e-Borders system.

We have started to make formal approaches to merchant shipping companies later, to discuss the data that they will need to provide to the e-Borders programme.

This is all commerical shipping except ferries, cruise ships and fishing vessels, although a merchant ship can carry a small number of fare-paying passengers.  Among the vessels it includes are: cargo vessels; (including containers; break bulk; dry bulk; wet bulk; and vehicles); dredgers, cable layers and other off-shore working vessels; off-shore supply vessels; and tugs.E-Borders is the name of our programme of electronic border control. It collects and analyses passenger and crew information provided electronically by carriers (airlines, rail and shipping companies) before travel starts on all journeys to and from the UK.A person or organisation that transports passengers or goods in and out of the United Kingdom.