The Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency that remains in a customs and tax (VAT) union with the United Kingdom but outside the European Union. In practice this means that goods from Poland clear customs just as for export to Great Britain, while the leg between Great Britain and the island is treated as internal UK carriage. The transport ends with a ferry crossing to Douglas. OTSL arranges the whole chain: road, customs and the ferry booking.
How the route from Poland looks
The goods travel by road across the continent to one of the British ports, clear customs on entry to Great Britain and then head for the ferry port. Sailings to the Isle of Man run among others from Heysham and Liverpool to the island capital, Douglas. Because the formalities arise at the British border, the same documents apply as for ordinary export to the islands, described in the text on export documents to the UK.
What to keep in mind
- The crossing booking: the number of sailings to the island is limited, so we plan the ferry date well ahead, as with other crossings to the UK.
- One set of clearance: clearance concerns entry to Great Britain; from there the goods travel on with no further customs border.
- Delivery time: the standard run to the islands is joined by the wait for a sailing, which is worth allowing for when planning, as in the guide on how long transport to the UK takes.
Sending goods to the Isle of Man? Describe the consignment in the contact form and we will set the route, the crossing and the scope of clearance. The full picture of the island destinations is in the guide to the islands of Britain and Ireland.
