Dover Dunkirk ferry checklist: documents, pets, car, customs

Weeks ahead

Passports for everyone, including children: issued less than 10 years before you enter the EU and valid 3 months beyond the day you leave.
Ticket booked with the right vehicle dimensions, including roof box and bike rack. Flexi if your plans are tight. Compare fares.
Pet: microchip, rabies jab at least 21 days old, animal health certificate from an official vet within 10 days of travel. Book the vet for the tapeworm treatment on the way back, 24 to 120 hours before you land in the UK.
Insurance and breakdown cover checked for France and any other countries you cross.
Headlamp beam deflectors bought, or the car’s switch found. UK sticker if your plate does not show UK with the Union flag.
Warning triangle and hi-vis vest in the car, within reach of the driver.
Crit’Air sticker ordered online if you will drive into Lille, Paris or another French low-emission zone; allow ten days for delivery.
First night booked if you arrive late: the coast between Dunkirk and Bruges fills up in summer.

The night before

Booking confirmation on your phone and printed; the booth asks for the reference.
Departure time worked out: driving time plus 30 minutes margin, at the booth 75 to 90 minutes before departure, in the holidays 120. See Dover port.
Sat nav set to Eastern Docks, CT16 1JA. For the way back: Loon-Plage or 51.0205, 2.1921, not “Dunkerque”.
Tank full or planned on the A20 outside Dover; there is no fuel inside the port.
Gas cylinders closed and secured (motorhome, caravan); no loose jerrycans.
Weather checked on the weather page; above force 8 keep an eye on sailing updates.
Euros: a few for small car parks and bakeries; cards work almost everywhere.

At the port

Passports to hand, not in the boot: DFDS booth first, then UK exit and French entry checks.
Hanger on the mirror; remember the lane.
Dog walked at the exercise area by the lanes; windows open a crack, water in the car.
Bag for on board packed: coat, phone and charger, medication, something to eat and drink. The car deck is closed for two hours.
Mirrors in, handbrake on, in gear once parked. Remember the deck and the stairs.

The DFDS hanger with lane and sailing time — The hanger with your lane and sailing time. On the mirror, and remember the lane.

Cars parked closely on the car deck — On the car deck: mirrors in, handbrake on, everything upstairs with you.

Arriving in France

Drive on the right: from the ramp onwards. Roundabouts anticlockwise, and look left when joining the A16.
Speed in km/h: 130 on autoroutes (110 in rain), 80 on single carriageways, 50 in towns.
Clock forward an hour; your phone usually does it itself.
Fuel at a supermarket, not the autoroute: Auchan Grande-Synthe is 8 km from the terminal.

Road signs for the A16 towards Calais and Car Ferry at the terminal — Leaving the terminal: on the right, A16 east for Belgium, A25 for Lille.

For the way home

Check-in at Dunkirk: an hour before departure is enough; UK Border Force checks you there.
Customs allowance into the UK: 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of wine, 4 litres of spirits or 9 litres of sparkling wine, 200 cigarettes, other goods up to £390 per person.
No meat or dairy from the EU into Great Britain for personal use since 2025, including sandwiches and cheese; check the current rule before you shop.
Dog: tapeworm treatment entered in the animal health certificate, 24 to 120 hours before arrival.
Headlamp deflectors off once you are back in Dover.

Questions

Do I need to print anything?

Not required; the confirmation on your phone is enough. A printout helps if your phone is flat or has no signal at the booth.

What if my passport was issued more than ten years ago?

France will refuse entry at the border in Dover, whatever the expiry date says. Renew it before you travel.

Can I bring food into France?

Not meat or dairy from the UK, including sandwiches with ham or cheese. The other way, into Great Britain, the same ban applies to EU meat and dairy since 2025.