HMP Belmarsh

The booking lines are open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 3pm Find out about call charges

You can arrive up to 1 hour before the time of your visit to go through security and check in.

Parking is limited so please arrive with plenty of time to park or use local transport.

All visits must be booked in advance. Only those visitors whose details have been listed on the Prisoner’s Authorisation Contact List (as provided by the prisoner) and those who are named on the booking will be allowed entry into the prison.

Prison staff cannot add visitor(s) to a Prisoner’s Authorisation Contact List without the consent / authorisation of a Prisoner.

To arrange an official video visit you can email [email protected].

All category A prisoner bookings will require photo ID of all attendees when booking and attending the visit. Booking must be through a CJSM email account.

To book official face to face visits, email [email protected].

Any authorised electronic equipment such as laptops, must have a visible factory printed serial number for entry. Please query any issues with the booking team.

Find Belmarsh on a map

The closest railway stations are Woolwich Arsenal and Plumstead. From Plumstead, you can walk to Belmarsh, or from Woolwich Arsenal you can take a bus.

There is a visitors car park with spaces for Blue Badge holders.

All visitors, aged 16 or older must prove their identity before entering the prison. Read the list of acceptable forms of ID when visiting a prison.

Visitors coming for the first time must bring a proof of address.

Photographic ID is required for every visit.

All visitors will need to be given a pat-down search, including children. On your first visit, you will have your photo taken. You may have your fingerprints taken and an eye scan. You may also be sniffed by security dogs.

Belmarsh has a strict dress code policy, which means visitors should wear smart, family-friendly clothes (no ripped clothing, no vests, no low-cut tops, no shorts, no short dresses, no sports team clothing, no watches, no hoodies, no stiletto style shoes, only minimal jewellery, no offensive slogans and no headwear, other than that worn for religious reasons).

Refreshments are available during your visit.

There are strict controls on what you can take into Belmarsh. You will have to leave most of the things you have with you in a locker (you will need a £1 coin) or with security. This includes pushchairs and car seats.

You will be told the rules by an officer at the start of your visit. If you break the rules, your visit could be cancelled and you could be banned from visiting again.

There is a family-friendly visitors centre run by the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT).

Visitors should arrive to the visitors centre to book in for a visit. There is a tea bar in the visitor’s centre outside the prison and a full tea bar inside the main visits hall. Only cash will be accepted as payment within the main visits hall.

Currently we can only accept cash payment within the main visits hall for items purchased from the tea bar.

There is also a small play area in the visits centre and a larger staffed creche area in side the main visits hall.

Prisoners’ property can be handed in on a visit by application.

PACT telephone: 0208 317 4682 (Visitors centre - open when visits are running) Email: [email protected]

Belmarsh is running 1 family day session per month.

How to book a secure video call

You can request a secure video call with someone in this prison via the Prison Video app.

You will receive a notification when your request has been accepted.

Read more about how the Prison Video app works

Prisoners have phones in their cells but will always have to call you. They have to buy phone credits to do this. The phones are inactive after 10pm, but available at many times during the day.

They can phone anyone named on their list of friends and family. This list is checked by security when they first arrive so it may take a few days before they are able to call. This can take longer depending on individual cases.

You can also exchange voicemails using the Prison Voicemail service.

Officers may listen to phone calls as a way of preventing crime and helping keep people safe.

You can send emails to someone in Belmarsh using the Email a Prisoner service.

You can write at any time.

Include the person’s name and prisoner number (or date of birth) on the envelope. You must also write your own name and address on the back of the envelope.

All post, apart from legal letters, will be opened and checked by officers.

National Prison Radio broadcasts into prison cells across England and Wales 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Family and friends can stay connected with their loved ones in prison by sending song requests, written messages and voice recordings. They are then read and played out on weekly episodes.

You can send in a message, and hear the show, at nationalprisonradio.com