Arriving at the Dover Eastern Docks terminal, the White Cliffs above

Dover Ferry Port: checking in at Eastern Docks for Dunkirk

DFDS sails to Dunkirk from Eastern Docks, the main ferry port on the east side of Dover under the White Cliffs, postcode CT16 1JA. This page covers the approach, check-in and French passport control, the facilities and the return.

Updated 28 September 2026

Address and sat nav

Address	Port of Dover, Eastern Docks, Dover CT16 1JA
Postcode for the sat nav	CT16 1JA
GPS	51.1263, 1.3306
Roads	A20 from Folkestone and the M20 (London), A2 from Canterbury and the M2. Follow “Port” and then “Eastern Docks” and the DFDS lanes.
Navigate	Directions to Eastern Docks in Google Maps

Map: OpenStreetMap. The red marker is at the Eastern Docks check-in booths.

Check-in and the French border

Check-in closes 60 minutes before departure. Unlike Dunkirk, French passport control takes place here in Dover before you board, and the port is busy: three operators and two destinations. Outside the holidays allow 60 to 90 minutes; in the school holidays and on Friday and Saturday 90 to 120.

Follow “Port” into Eastern DocksFrom the A20 or A2 the signs take you into the port. Keep to the DFDS lanes and watch for the Dunkirk sign: DFDS also sails to Calais from here.
Check-in boothsShow your booking reference or the email. You get a hanger for your mirror with your lane and sailing time.
French passport controlThe Police aux Frontières registers your entry to the Schengen area here. Under the EU Entry/Exit System, UK passport holders give fingerprints and a photo on their first trip, at a kiosk or the booth; later trips are a quick scan. UK Border Force may carry out spot checks. Keep everyone’s passport to hand.
Lane and boardingDrive to your lane under the cliffs and wait; boarding starts about 30 minutes before departure.

The full walk-through with photos, including the return at Dunkirk, is on check-in step by step.

Check-in booths at Dover Eastern Docks below the White Cliffs — The Eastern Docks booths under the cliffs. Each operator has its own lanes.

Waiting lanes at Dover Eastern Docks under the White Cliffs — The waiting lanes; the terminal building with toilets and food is alongside.

When the M20 is congested, Kent’s Operation Brock traffic scheme is activated: port-bound lorries are held on the M20 and other traffic uses a contraflow. Allow extra time if National Highways reports delays on the M20 or A2, and check sailing updates.

Our take. For the 06:00 or 08:00 sailing in the school holidays you want to be at the booths 90 to 120 minutes before departure, so between 04:00 and 06:30. From London that is a night drive on the M20 with Operation Brock as an extra risk. A night in Dover or Folkestone the evening before removes both, and Eastern Docks is a short drive from either. Check rooms in Dover for the night before your sailing.

Documents for France

Who or what	What you need
UK passport holders	Passport issued less than 10 years ago on the day you enter and valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. No visa for stays up to 90 days in any 180.
Children	Own passport. A child travelling without both parents should carry a signed consent letter.
Car	V5C or a VE103 for a hire or lease car, insurance certificate, and a UK sticker on the back unless the plate carries the UK identifier with the Union flag. Headlamp beam deflectors, and in France a warning triangle and hi-vis vest in the car.
Dog or cat	Animal health certificate from an official vet, issued within 10 days of entering the EU, microchip and rabies vaccination at least 21 days old. For dogs returning to the UK: tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival.

The full list, with the checklist you can tick off, is on the ferry checklist.

Facilities at Eastern Docks

Toilets in the terminal building and by the lanes.
Food and drink by the lanes, and a port information desk.
Cash machines; you do not need cash on the crossing, but euros are handy in France for small car parks.
A fuel station just outside the port on the A20, the last before France; French motorway fuel is more expensive.

Coming back: arriving in Dover from Dunkirk

The ferry berths at Eastern Docks; about 15 minutes after berthing you are out of the port. There is no passport control on arrival; UK Border Force checked you in Dunkirk before you boarded. Follow the Exit signs; the A20 for Folkestone and the M20 is on the right, the A2 for Canterbury and the M2 on the left.

The ferry passing between the harbour arms at Dover, cliffs behind — Into Dover harbour, the cliffs behind the breakwater.

Blue Exit signs above the lanes leaving Dover Eastern Docks — The Exit signs above the lanes out of Eastern Docks: A20 right, A2 left.

Put your watch back an hour: the 14:00 from Dunkirk arrives at 15:00 UK time.

Dover itself

Dover Castle (English Heritage) stands above the harbour, with the Second World War tunnels. The National Trust car park at Langdon Cliffs, next to Eastern Docks, is the start of the White Cliffs path. Both are a short drive from the port.

Questions about Dover ferry port

Which postcode do I use for the Dunkirk ferry at Dover?

CT16 1JA, Eastern Docks. It brings you to the port entrance, then follow the signs for Eastern Docks and DFDS.

Is there passport control when I arrive back in Dover?

No. UK entry checks are done in Dunkirk before boarding. In Dover you drive straight off.

How busy is Dover?

Busy in the school holidays, with waits of an hour or more at French passport control. Outside the holidays 60 to 90 minutes before departure is enough.

Can I park at Eastern Docks?

Not for the crossing: you travel with your car. For dropping someone off there is a short-stay area at the entrance; long-stay car parks are in the town. See parking.

Can I sail to Calais from the same port?

Yes, with DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries, from the same Eastern Docks. See Calais or Dunkirk. Fares and operators are on calais-dover.com.