We wish you a warm welcome to Antigua and Barbuda! It is the objective of the Antiguan Government and the Departments of Customs and Immigration to make procedures for entry by sea as quick and simple as possible. The main ports of entry include English Harbour, Jolly Harbour, Deepwater Harbour and Heritage Quay. Yachts wishing to visit Barbuda must clear in at one of the official ports of entry in Antigua prior to proceeding to Barbuda. As part of the clearance process, a Cruising Permit for Antiguan and Barbudan waters will be issued which is valid for a period of one month. If you plan to remain for longer than one month, it will be necessary to renew the Permit when it expires.
Upon arrival in Antigua, the Captain must proceed to Customs and Immigration as soon as possible while all passengers and crew remain on board the vessel until clearance procedures have been completed. When arriving after hours, the Captain must also remain on board until the port offices open and he/she has been able to clear in. If you plan to spend any time in the English/Falmouth Harbour areas, please be aware that your vessel will be subject to nominal National Parks fees in additional to regular cruising fees.
In its ongoing efforts to simplify procedures, two fillable online forms have been developed which will allow you to do most of the necessary paperwork prior to arriving at a port of entry. The online forms consist of an Official Crew List and an Official Passenger List . Both forms must be completed with all of the required information and signed by the Captain of the yacht prior to entry.
Simply complete the forms online, print out three or four copies each (multiple copies will be required) and have them ready to present to officials at the port office. Be sure to take ship’s papers, passports and other documents relevant to everyone on board. You will also be required to complete a self-carboning Customs form (not yet available online) as part of the entry process.
If you will have passengers or crew arriving by air without an outbound airline ticket, they will be required to produce a letter signed by the yacht’s Captain or agent explaining that they are joining the vessel and it will be necessary to have them signed onto the ship’s papers at the port closest to the vessel’s location. For passengers or crew leaving a yacht in Antigua, they will have to be signed off the vessel by an Immigration official upon presentation of an airline ticket for outbound travel. If they are transferring to another yacht, both Captains will have to present ships’ papers to enable the transfer.
Thanks for visiting Antigua and Barbuda and please enjoy the exceptional variety of experiences that local yachting has to offer!!
