About the Borders Authority
The Borders Authority of the Velocity Interoperability Network is responsible for the crossing points at the boundaries of the Velocity Interoperability Network, for the perimeter infrastructure that marks and secures those boundaries, and for coordinating the checks carried out at the boundary by the departments and offices of the Network. It is a service of the Network rather than a department: it does not make the rules that apply at the boundary, but applies, in one place and to one standard, the rules made by others.
The Authority was established on 6 September 2026. Before that date the boundaries of the Network were kept by member organisations and by the sites themselves, each under its own arrangements, with the result that a traveller might be checked twice at one crossing and not at all at another. During a transition period of four weeks, from 10 August to 5 September 2026, the member organisations transferred their boundary functions, 286 staff and their records to the Authority. Five of the eight crossing points are staffed by the Authority from Monday 7 September 2026, and the remaining three by 14 September; the dates for each crossing are set out on the Crossings page.
The principle of a single check. At a crossing point the Authority checks identity documents to the standard set by the Immigration Department, receives declarations of goods on behalf of the Customs Service, and applies the permit requirements of the departments concerned for weapons, hazardous materials, animals and plants. The traveller deals with one officer and is checked once. Where a matter needs a decision that is not the Authority's to make, the Authority refers it to the department concerned and tells the traveller what has been referred and to whom.
Responsibilities. The Authority's work falls into five areas.
- Crossing points
- Staffing the eight crossing points at the boundaries of the Network, keeping the register of crossings and their opening hours, and carrying out the check on persons and goods at each of them.
- Goods crossing the boundary
- Receiving declarations of goods, clearing commercial consignments at the two crossings equipped for cargo, and refusing goods that may not be carried without a permit.
- Perimeter infrastructure
- Keeping the 41.3 kilometres of boundary fencing, lighting, signage and camera coverage in repair, and carrying out the works programme published at establishment.
- Coordination of checks
- Acting at the boundary on behalf of the departments and offices of the Network, so that a traveller is checked once, and referring to each of them the matters that are theirs to decide.
- Notices and reporting
- Publishing notices of closures, changes to hours and works before they take effect, and publishing statistics on crossings, declarations and check durations every quarter.
Organisation. The Authority is organised in three directorates and a secretariat, under a Director. Its staff at establishment numbers 328, of whom 286 transferred from member organisations and 42 were recruited during the transition period. The great majority are officers on duty at crossing points.
| Directorate | Responsibilities | Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Crossings Directorate | Operation of the eight crossing points; checks on persons; the register of crossing points and hours | 228 |
| Goods Directorate | Declarations, consignment clearance and the holding areas at Westbrook Freight Gate and Southbank Quay | 46 |
| Perimeter Directorate | Inspection and repair of the boundary; the register of boundary sections; the works programme | 31 |
| Coordination Secretariat | Liaison with departments and offices; referrals; the Boundary Coordination Board; notices and statistics | 23 |
The Authority is accountable to the Network for the conduct of its officers and for the condition of the boundary. Its statistics are published quarterly on the Statistics page, and its arrangements with other departments are described under Coordination. For the Authority's origins and the milestones since its establishment, see History. General enquiries may be sent to contact@borders.gov.vin.