Crossings

The Borders Authority of the Velocity Interoperability Network maintains eight crossing points at the boundaries of the Network. Every person and every consignment of goods entering or leaving the Network passes through one of them. At each crossing the Authority checks identity documents, receives declarations of goods and records the crossing, acting on behalf of the departments and offices of the Network so that a traveller is checked once.

The crossings differ in the traffic they admit. Four are road crossings, one of which admits local traffic only. Southbank Quay handles passengers and cargo arriving by water, Meridian Rail Crossing handles rail passengers, Westbrook Freight Gate handles goods vehicles only, and Hollowmere Lane Crossing is for pedestrians and cyclists. Travellers should choose the crossing appropriate to their journey; a goods vehicle presenting at a road crossing will be directed to the freight gate.

The register of crossing points. The register below is maintained by the Authority and updated as arrangements change. Outside the published hours a crossing is closed. Temporary closures, changes to hours and works affecting a crossing are published as notices before they take effect wherever possible.

Capacity at each crossing. The table below records the lanes, berths or platforms available for traffic at each crossing, the number of pedestrian positions, and whether the crossing has a secondary inspection area. Crossings without a secondary area refer any further check to the nearest crossing that has one.

What to expect at a check. The procedure is the same at every crossing point, whatever the type of traffic.

1. 1

   Step 1: Approach the crossing

   Follow the signs to the lane for your type of traffic. Vehicles with goods to declare use the marked declaration lane; pedestrians and cyclists use the covered walkway. Keep to the published hours: a crossing that is closed cannot admit travellers, and the nearest open crossing on the same boundary section is shown on the closure notice.

2. 2

   Step 2: Present your documents

   Have ready an identity document accepted by the Network for every person travelling, and the vehicle's registration document if you are driving. Where a member of your party is travelling on a permit issued by the Immigration Department, present the permit with the identity document.

3. 3

   Step 3: Declare any goods

   If you carry goods that must be declared, hand the completed declaration form to the officer. Forms are available at the crossing and on the Carrying Goods page. Commercial consignments are declared in advance by the carrier and use Westbrook Freight Gate or Southbank Quay only.

4. 4

   Step 4: Complete the check

   The officer records the crossing and returns your documents. Most checks on persons are completed within ten minutes. If a further check is required you will be directed to the secondary inspection area, where an officer will explain what is needed and how long it is expected to take.

Enquiries about the register, including errors in a crossing's entry, may be sent to contact@borders.gov.vin. For the rules on goods, see Carrying Goods; for the condition of the boundary at each section, see Perimeter Infrastructure; for crossing volumes and check durations, see Statistics; for answers to common questions, see the frequently asked questions.