Visiting Information

Social visits

Mon - Sun: 14:00 - 16:00

Visits may be booked by email: visitsbookingswaleside@hmps.gsi.gov.uk.

Booking information: The Visitors Centre will take all bookings by telephone only on 01795 8041 77 or 01795 804 187. The booking line is open 09:00 - 12:00 & 12:30 - 16:00 seven days a week. All visits must be booked by 11:00 the previous day in advance.

Additional information: All visitors will be required to provide proof of identification as follows: two forms of identification, one of which must be photo ID, with one or both showing the current home address. Acceptable forms of ID are as follows:

• Passport
• Driving Licence
• Citizencard

All visitors will be required to enroll on the visitors registration system, prior to entering the establishment. The Governor reserves the right to extend the visitor recognition system to all visitors.

Visitors will be limited as to what they are allowed to bring into the prison as follows:

• Visitors will be limited as to what they are allowed to bring into the prison as follows:
• Personal clothing as worn
• £20.00 per adult visitor for the purpose of purchasing refreshments (notes or coins)
• Medical items eg crutches and wheelchairs
• Baby's dummies, feeding bottles, baby food, change of nappy

Bag provided for personal items. Lockers will be provided for the retention of items not allowed into the prison (£5 refundable).

All property transactions will be conducted in the Visitors Centre. All incoming property will be sealed in a bag and a receipt given to the visitor, recording the sealed bags own unique seal number. It is permissible for this receipt to be passed to the prisoner on the visit. Property will only be accepted if an application has been submitted by the prisoner to reception and the application has been granted.

All outgoing property will be collected by the visitor before the visit. The property will be sealed in a bag with a receipt attached for a signature by the recipient.

All visitors will pass through a metal detection point, any detection will be investigated until the searching staff are satisfied that this reading can be accounted for.

All bags and overcoats will be passed through an x-ray machine. All visitors will be subject to a rub down search.

Periodically drug detection dogs operate and visitors maybe subject to routine screening by a passive drug detection dog.

You may be entitled to help with your travel expenses. Please visit the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme page for more information.

Official visits

Mon - Sun: 14:00 - 16:00

Booking information: Visits can be booked on 01795 8041 77 or 01795 804 187. The booking line is open 09:00 - 12:00 & 12:30 - 16:00 seven days a week, and can also be booked by fax on 01795 804 123.  Visits must be booked by 11:00 on the day before the visit.

Visits may be booked by email: visitsbookingswaleside@hmps.gsi.gov.uk.

How to get there:

Swaleside is near Sittingbourne, Kent.

• Bus: From Sheerness railway station there is one bus per hour to the prison. Jaycrest Coaches (Tel 01795 438400) run a coach leaving Sittingbourne railway station at 11:40 am Monday to Friday, arriving at Standford Hill/ Swaleside at  12:03 and Elmley at 12:06.  The return service leaves Elmley at 16:15, arriving at Sittingbourne at 16:41.

• Train: From Sittingbourne take a train to Sheerness (there are three trains per hour), then take a bus to the prison (there is one bus per hour).

• Car: Via M20, follow A249 (signposted to Sittingbourne & Sheerness). After 5 miles pass under M2 - stay on A249 to Sittingbourne & Sheerness.

  Via M2, follow A249 (signposted to Sittingbourne and Sheerness) for 2 miles. At roundabout cross the A2 (to Sittingbourne/Gillingham) and stay on A249 to Sheerness. Follow A249 for about 5 miles, cross over bridge onto Isle of Sheppey. About 2 miles after bridge you come to a roundabout - turn right to Minster & Eastchurch. Continue for 4 miles to next roundabout which bypasses Eastchurch village, take 2nd exit (HM Prisons are signposted). You will cross three 'traffic calmers' and see signposts showing Elmley Prison straight on - Standford Hill to the right and Swaleside to the left.

• Ample car parking space is available in car park.