List of border crossing points in France

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Searchtool.svg Map of permanent border crossing points in France

The following is a list of border crossing points in France (French: points de passages frontaliers, or "PPF") forming the external border of the Schengen Area. By contrast, the term points de passages autorisés ("PPA") refers to the crossing points at the border between France and other Schengen countries (i.e. internal borders of the Schengen Area).

Contents

At the main border crossing points that receive traffic from outside the Schengen Area, the Police aux Frontières carries out immigration checks, whilst Customs are responsible for customs checks. At smaller regional border crossing points that receive limited traffic from outside the Schengen Area, Customs are responsible for carrying out both immigration and customs checks. [1] [2]

PARAFE self-service gates have been installed at a number of border crossing points to facilitate passage for eligible travellers (European Economic Area, Andorran, Monégasque, San Marinese and Swiss biometric passport holders aged 18 or over).

Air borders

Border crossing pointFrench agency responsible for checksNature of presenceFlights to/from outside the Schengen Area
ImmigrationCustoms
Abbeville Airfield CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Agen La Garenne Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentSeasonal scheduled flights (London Gatwick)
Albert–Picardie Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Amiens – Glisy Aerodrome CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Angers–Loire Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (London City)
Angoulême–Cognac International Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Annecy–Haute-Savoie–Mont Blanc Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Annemasse Aerodrome CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Auxerre–Branches Aerodrome CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Avignon–Provence Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (Birmingham, Exeter, London City, Southampton)
Bastia–Poretta Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsOn request outside peak seasonSeasonal scheduled flights (London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester)
Beauvais–Tillé Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsOn request outside peak seasonRegular scheduled flights (Bacău, Bucharest-Henri Coandă, Chișinău , Cluj-Napoca, Dublin, Edinburgh, Fez, Glasgow-Prestwick, Knock, Manchester, Marrakech, Nador, Pula, Sofia, Tangier, Târgu Mureș, Timișoara )
Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Southampton)
Besançon – La Vèze Aerodrome CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (Bristol, London Luton, Manchester, Southampton)
Biarritz Pays Basque Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (Dublin, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester)
Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights (Agadir, Algiers, Casablanca, London Gatwick, London Luton, Marrakech, Tunis), seasonal scheduled flights (Bristol, Cork, Dublin, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Montréal-Trudeau, Oran, Southampton)
Brest Bretagne Airport CustomsCustomsOn request outside peak seasonRegular scheduled flights (London City, Marrakech)
Brive–Souillac Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (London City)
Caen–Carpiquet Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights (London Southend)
Calais–Dunkerque Airport CustomsCustomsOn request outside peak seasonInfrequent charter flights
Calvi–Sainte-Catherine Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsOn request outside peak seasonSeasonal charter flights (London Stansted)
Cannes–Mandelieu Airport CustomsCustomsOn request outside peak seasonInfrequent charter flights
Carcassonne Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (Dublin, Liverpool, London Stansted) and seasonal scheduled flights (Bournemouth, Cork, East Midlands, Glasgow-Prestwick)
Chalon–Champforgeuil Airfield CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Chambéry Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Leeds/Bradford, London City, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton) and seasonal charter flights (Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow, Moscow-Domodedovo)
Châteauroux-Centre "Marcel Dassault" Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Cherbourg–Maupertus Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsOn request outside peak seasonSeasonal scheduled flights (Southampton)
Colmar Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Deauville–Normandie Airport CustomsCustomsOn request outside peak seasonSeasonal scheduled flights (London City) and charter flights (Agadir, Marrakech)
Dijon – Bourgogne Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (Southampton)
Dinard–Pleurtuit–Saint-Malo Airport CustomsCustomsOn request outside peak seasonRegular scheduled flights (East Midlands, Guernsey, London Stansted) and seasonal charter flights (Leeds/Bradford)
Épinal–Mirecourt Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Figari–Sud Corse Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsOn request outside peak seasonSeasonal scheduled flights (London Gatwick, Manchester)
Alpes–Isère Airport CustomsCustomsOn request outside peak seasonSeasonal scheduled flights (Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Guernsey, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester) and seasonal charter flights (Kyiv-Boryspil, Moscow-Vnukovo, Southampton, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion)
La Rochelle–Île de Ré Airport CustomsCustomsOn request outside peak seasonSeasonal scheduled flights (Birmingham, Bristol, Cork, Dublin, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Leeds/Bradford, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester)
Lannion–Côte de Granit Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Le Havre–Octeville Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Lille Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights (Algiers, Oran, Tlemcen, Tunis)
Limoges–Bellegarde Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London Stansted, Newcastle, Southampton)
Lorient South Brittany Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights (Agadir, Algiers, Annaba, Batna, Béjaïa, Biskra, Bodrum, Bucharest-Henri Coandă, Casablanca, Chlef, Constantine, Dakar, Djerba, Douala, Dublin, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jijel, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Marrakech, Monastir, Moscow-Domodedovo, Oran, Sétif, Sfax, Southampton, Tozeur, Tlemcen, Tunis, Yaoundé), seasonal scheduled flights (Antalya, Bodrum, Izmir, Montreal–Trudeau, Split, Yerevan) and charter flights (Burgas, Dubrovnik, London Luton, London Stansted, Shannon, Varna)
Marseille Provence Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights (Agadir, Algiers, Annaba, Antalya, Antananarivo, Batna, Béjaïa, Biskra, Bodrum, Casablanca, Chlef, Constantine, Dakar, Djerba, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Marrakech, Monastir, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Oran, Sétif, Sfax, Tlemcen, Tozeur, Tunis, Yaoundé) and seasonal scheduled flights (Bristol, Dublin, Montreal–Trudeau, Quebec City, Toronto-Pearson, Yerevan)
Metz–Nancy–Lorraine Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (Algiers), seasonal scheduled flights (Constantine, Oran) and seasonal charter flights
Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (Casablanca, Fez, Nador) and seasonal scheduled flights (Algiers, Leeds/Bradford, London Luton, Oran)
Nantes Atlantique Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsOn request outside peak seasonRegular scheduled flights (Agadir, Casablanca, London City, Marrakech) and seasonal scheduled flights (Djerba, Dublin, Larnaca, London Gatwick, Manchester, Monastir, Montréal-Trudeau, Shannon, Southampton, Toronto-Pearson, Tunis)
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights (Algiers, Agadir, Bucharest-Henri Coandă, Casablanca, Constantine, Djerba, Doha, Dubai, Dublin, Istanbul-Atatürk, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted, Marrakech, Monastir, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, St Petersburg, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, Tunis) and seasonal scheduled flights (Belfast-International, Beirut, Birmingham, Cork, Djerba, Nottingham/East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kyiv-Boryspil, Larnaca, London City, Manchester, Monastir, Montréal-Trudeau, New York-JFK, Newcastle, Olbia, Praia, Shannon, Southampton, Toronto-Pearson, Tozeur)
Nîmes–Alès–Camargue–Cévennes Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (London Luton) and seasonal scheduled flights (Liverpool)
Charles de Gaulle Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights
Paris Orly Airport Police aux frontièresCustomsPermanentRegular scheduled flights (Abidjan, Agadir, Aleppo, Algiers, Annaba, Antananarivo, Bamako, Batna, Béjaïa, Biskra, Bodrum, Constantine, Dakar, Damascus, Djanet, Djerba, Essaouira, Fes, Havana, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen, Izmir, Kayes, London City, London Heathrow, Luxor, Marrakech, Mauritius, Miami, Monastir, Montréal–Trudeau, Newark, Oran, Ouagadougou, Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat, Santiago de Cuba, Sétif, Sfax, Southampton, Tamanrasset, Tangier, Tehran-Imam Khomeini, Tlemcen, Tozeur, Tunis)
Pau Pyrénées Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (London City) and seasonal scheduled flights (Dublin)
Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (Birmingham, Dublin, London Stansted, Southampton)
Poitiers–Biard Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (Edinburgh, London Stansted, Manchester)
Quimper–Bretagne Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestSeasonal scheduled flights (London City)
Rennes–Saint-Jacques Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (Southampton) and seasonal scheduled flights (Cork, Dublin, Exeter, Manchester, Shannon)
Rodez–Aveyron Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (London Stansted) and seasonal scheduled flights (Dublin)
Rouen Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Saint-Brieuc–Armor Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights
Saint-Étienne–Bouthéon Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestRegular scheduled flights (Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen)
Saint-Nazaire Montoir Airport CustomsCustomsOn requestInfrequent charter flights

Land borders

A passport stamp issued by the Police aux Frontieres at the juxtaposed controls at St Pancras railway station. 'LFT' stands for 'Liaison fixe transmanche' (literally Fixed cross-Channel link). French entry passport stamp (London St Pancras station).jpg
A passport stamp issued by the Police aux Frontières at the juxtaposed controls at St Pancras railway station. 'LFT' stands for 'Liaison fixe transmanche' (literally Fixed cross-Channel link).

Metropolitan France's only land border with a non-Schengen country is with Andorra, while the Channel Tunnel forms a railway link with the United Kingdom. The overseas departments and territories of France are not part of the Schengen Area. French Guiana borders Brazil and Suriname, whereas Saint-Martin borders Sint Maarten.

In the 1991 Sangatte Protocol, France signed an agreement with the United Kingdom to introduce 'juxtaposed controls' (in French, des bureaux de contrôles nationaux juxtaposés, or 'BCNJ') at Eurostar and Eurotunnel stations.

This means that, when travelling from the UK to France by Eurostar, French immigration checks are carried out by the Police aux Frontières on British soil before boarding the train, whilst French customs checks take place upon arrival on French soil. When travelling in the reverse direction from France to the UK by Eurostar, French immigration exit checks and British immigration checks both take place on French soil before boarding the train, whilst British customs checks take place upon arrival on British soil. The exception is at Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy, where the UK Border Force no longer maintains a full presence and passengers boarding the Eurostar there clear immigration and customs on arrival in the UK.

When travelling from the UK to France by Eurotunnel, French immigration and customs checks both take place on British soil before boarding the train. When travelling from France to the UK by Eurotunnel, after French immigration exit checks, British immigration and customs checks both take place on French soil before boarding the train shuttle.

Border crossing pointFrench agency responsible for checksNature of presenceTrains to/from outside the Schengen Area
ImmigrationCustoms
Bourg-Saint-Maurice railway station CustomsCustomsSeasonal
(beginning of December to mid-April)
Seasonal Eurostar ski service
Calais Fréthun railway station Police aux FrontièresCustomsPermanentUp to 3 Eurostar trains per day to/from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
Eurotunnel Calais Terminal, Coquelles Police aux FrontièresCustomsPermanentFrequent Eurotunnel Shuttle services to/from Cheriton, Kent.
Lille-Europe railway station Police aux FrontièresCustomsPermanentUp to 10 Eurostar trains per day to/from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy railway station Police aux FrontièresCustomsPermanentUp to 1 Eurostar train per day to/from London St Pancras.
Moûtiers–Salins–Brides-les-Bains railway stationCustomsCustomsSeasonal
(beginning of December to mid-April)
Seasonal Eurostar ski service
Paris North railway station Police aux FrontièresCustomsPermanentUp to 16 Eurostar trains per day to/from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
El Pas de la Casa Andorra road crossingPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent

Maritime borders

In 2003, France signed an agreement with the United Kingdom to introduce 'juxtaposed controls' (in French, des bureaux de contrôles nationaux juxtaposés, or 'BCNJ') at Dover on the British side and at Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne-sur-Mer on the French side.

This means that, when travelling from Dover to France by ferry, French immigration checks are carried out by the Police aux Frontières on British soil before boarding the ferry, whilst French customs checks take place upon arrival on French soil. When travelling in the reverse direction from Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne-sur-Mer in France to the UK by ferry, French immigration exit checks and British immigration checks both take place on French soil before boarding the ferry, whilst British customs checks take place upon arrival on British soil.

Border crossing pointFrench agency responsible for checksNature of presenceFerries to/from outside the Schengen Area
ImmigrationCustomsCompanyForeign port(s)
Caen portCustomsCustomsPermanent Brittany Ferries Portsmouth
Calais portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent DFDS Seaways and P&O Ferries Dover
Carteret portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanentManche Îles Express Guernsey and Jersey
Cherbourg portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent Brittany Ferries
Irish Ferries
Poole and Portsmouth
Rosslare
Diélette portCustomsCustomsPermanentManche Îles Express Alderney and Guernsey
Dieppe portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent DFDS Seaways Newhaven
Dunkirk portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent DFDS Seaways Dover
Granville portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanentManche Îles Express Jersey
Le Havre portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent LD Lines Portsmouth
Marseille portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent Algérie Ferries Algiers, Béjaïa, Oran and Skikda
Roscoff portCustomsCustomsPermanent Brittany Ferries
Irish Ferries
Cork and Plymouth
Rosslare
Saint-Malo portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent Brittany Ferries
Condor Ferries
Portsmouth
Guernsey, Jersey, Poole, Weymouth
Sète portPolice aux FrontièresCustomsPermanent Comarit Nador and Tangier

References

  1. Center for the Study of Democracy: Study to identify best practices on the cooperation between border guards and customs administrations working at the external borders of the EU
  2. "Circuler en sécurité en Europe : renforcer Schengen" (in French). Senate (France). 29 March 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2020. la PAF a-t-elle vocation à se voir attribuer les PPF au « trafic permanent significatif en provenance de pays sources d'immigration ou qui possèdent une importance justifiant une présence policière et douanière permanente »