| Site Sponsors |
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||
World Cruising Handbook Corrections and Updates 9: Pacific Islands
Created by
doina.
Last modified on 2007-01-09 21:42:43
P363 Guam Increased security measures means that visiting yachts are required to notify the U.S. Coast Guard two weeks before their planned arrival. Immigration: US visa regulations are in force, and all nationals except US citizens are required to have a visa in advance. It has recently been reported that an automatic 30 day visa is not granted to persons on yachts that would otherwise get one if arriving by air. Those arriving without a visa may only be granted a few days stay at most, and have to remain onboard. There is a $190 fine for arriving without a visa. P366 Hawaii Clearance –add - Hawaiian entry regulations are basically the same as the rest of the United States, but there are slight differences and regulations are usually applied in a more detailed manner. This is partly due to the fact that to arrive in Hawaii from the US mainland, yachts must leave US territorial waters. Immigration - Canadians need proof of citizenship only, unless they are arriving from outside of North America, when they must present a valid Canadian passport. NOTE: This is due to change by the end of 2007 when a passport will always be required. P373 Marshall Islands Immigration – add - Visas are not required for citizens of the United States, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. P376 Northern Marianas Visas are not required for stays of up to 30 days and an entry permit of up to 30 days' stay is given provided the onward passage of the yacht is assured and the crew are in possession of visas for the next destination if required. Extensions of up to 30 days can be applied for from the Director of Immigration, CNMI Division of Immigration, Office of the Attorney General, Caller Box 10007, Saipan, MP 96950. Telephone No. 670-236-0921/0922, Facsimile No. 670-236-0993. P378 Palau Immigration – add - A new development is that US citizens can now stay in Palau for one year before needing to apply for a visa, and should be exempt from fees. P386 Australia Clearance: By law the captain must give 96 hours notice of arrival. Penalties may apply for failure to do so. This can be done by: sending an email to yachtreport@customs.gov.au; sending a fax to +61 2 6275 6331; phoning Australian Customs National Communications Centre on telephone number +61 3 9244 8973. You will need to provide the following information: yacht's name; intended first port of arrival; estimated arrival time; last four ports; details of people on board including name, date of birth, nationality and passport number; details of any illness or disease recently encountered; if you have any animals on board; if you have any firearms on board. Immigration: All nationalities, with the sole exception of New Zealanders, must obtain a visa in advance. There are Australian diplomatic missions in American Samoa, Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and Western Samoa, where visas can be obtained. A multiple entry visa valid for the length of the passport's validity can be obtained. New Zealand citizens must now obtain a visa in advance before entry to Thursday Island as the Torres Strait area has been declared an excised migration zone. Yachts travelling to or from Cocos Keeling and Christmas Island and the mainland of Australia are deemed to have not left Australia if their trip is within 30 days of departure from the mainland Australia or these islands. Persons on board these yachts must ensure that their visa covers the entire period of their stay including travel time between the mainland of Australia and these islands. Persons travelling to Norfolk Island are immigration cleared both on arrival and departure on the mainland Australia and Norfolk Island. Therefore, they must have a multiple entry visa for return to the mainland Australia. Customs and Quarantine clearances are required on departure from and arrival to the mainland Australia. A multiple visa must be obtained by those wishing to stop also at one of Australia's territories (Cocos Keeling or Christmas Island). A single entry tourist visa is valid for up to six months within a 12 month period. Visa extensions up to one year can be applied for from the Department of Immigration, but the application itself costs Aus$200 and takes some time. When applying for an extension one will be required to show proof of funds and possibly also adequate medical insurance. A total stay of more than 12 months will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) visas can be applied for through many travel agents and also the Immigration Department's website, www.eta.immi.gov.au/ ETA visas are valid for multiple visits within 12 months from date of issue; the maximum length of each visit is three months only. For visits exceeding 3 months, a full visitor's visa must be obtained. This can be done at www.ecom.immi.gov.au/visas/jsp/index.jsp?visaType=VSS Fees – replace 1st para. Quarantine clearance fee is A$160. If the inspection exceeds one hour, further fees will be charged. This fee is charged even during normal working hours, when no other official fees are applicable. Quarantine also has overtime charges in addition to the charges noted above (these charges are for yachts under 25 m; over 25 m charges are $800 for the first 2 hours of clearance). P390 Cook Islands Clearance: For clearance, the captain must present the passports, clearance from the last port, crew list, as well as a general declaration and details of the yacht. Yachts may not visit any other islands in the Cooks than those mentioned as ports of entry without permission from customs and immigration. At all these islands, the captain should check in with customs and the resident administrator, if present. P393 Easter Island Clearance: Call the port captain before arrival on VHF 16. He will contact the different authorities (customs, immigration, health dpt & agriculture) and arrange a meeting: either you will meet everyone in his office or they will visit you on your boat. Depending the weather conditions, the officials may visit you at other places than Hanga Roa. Immigration: Visas are not required for North Americans, Australians, and most Europeans (but New Zealanders do need a visa, which costs US$90 and which must be obtained beforehand). P397 Fiji Immigration – add Crew flying into Fiji to join a yacht, must have a letter of approval from the Immigration Department prior to their flight departure. P430 French Polynesia Residents of France and citizens of the EU, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Hong Kong, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Argentina, Bolivia, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Korea (Rep), Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Singapore and Uruguay for stays of between 1 and 3 months (depending on nationality), do not require a visa. All visitors need a passport valid for at least 3 months (except French nationals). All other nationalities need a visa in advance, which can be obtained from French diplomatic missions, for example in Panama City. EU citizens can apply to extend their 3 month stay by writing to the High Commissioner's office in Papeete (Direction de la Reglementation et du Controle de la Legalite - DRCL, BP115, Papeete, Tahiti, Tel. (+689) 54 27 13) at least 1 month before the end of the 3 month period, and apply for a "Carte de Sejour" resident card (up to 10 years). Only a special committee can deny an application and has to notify the applicant of the reason his demand was denied. Non-EU citizens can apply to stay for up to 3 months by contacting the PAF (Police de l'Air et des Frontieres) or the Gendarmes. Note: the High Commissioner's Office in Papeete (DRCL) has nothing to do with stays of less than 3 months. Such extensions are NOT guaranteed, and depend on the decision of the authorities in Papeete, a better alternative is to obtain a 3-month tourist visa (not extendable) in advance from a French consulate outside of Polynesia. Formalities are much simplified if the visa is obtained in advance. If one flies out of French Polynesia and then back in again, one can obtain a new one month stamp which is extendable for another 60 days. For non-EU citizens wishing to stay longer, they can contact a French consulate and follow the procedure to obtain a "Carte de Sejour" (temporary resident card) to stay more than 3 months in French Polynesia. Reasons will have to be provided as to why you wish to stay longer, as well as having to give an idea of what you plan to do during your stay, submit proofs of financial independence, etc. The consulate will transmit your demand to the High Commissioner in Papeete. The procedure is lengthy but legitimate requests are often granted. Proof may be demanded of sufficient funds for one's stay in French Polynesia, especially for those arriving without a visa. Crew arriving by air to join a boat should make this clear on their visa application, also to immigration on arrival at the airport, who should give them both an entrance and an exit stamp in their passport. The exit stamp is needed to clear out by boat. P400 Galapagos Islands Clearance: Yachts which arrive from a foreign destination (i.e. not from mainland Ecuador) with less than 10 people onboard will be allowed to spend up to 20 days in one of the four official ports. These are the provisions of Article 50 of the Galapagos Law. Using an agent in either San Cristobal or Puerto Ayorra to obtain permits and clearance can be very worthwhile. In any case, cruising boats arriving in Galapagos should mention Article 50 and ask to be granted permission for an "emergency stop" of at least 72 hours. This is needed to reprovision the boat, etc. The initial 72 hours can be extended by the Port Captain up to the maximum 20 days (but may not be). Foreign boats that stop first in one of the ports on mainland Ecuador (Manta, Esmeraldas, Salinas, Guayaquil, etc) will not be able to obtain a departure permit (zarpe) for the Galapagos Islands and should instead ask for the permit to be issued for a further destination, such as the Marquesas. They can then make an "emergency" stop in one of the ports in Galapagos, as stipulated by Article 50. However, foreign boats that are in mainland Ecuador and intend to stop longer in the Galapagos Islands may obtain a special permit by applying to the Ministry of Defence in Quito. This is a lengthy process that may take several weeks so the above procedure is probably more convenient. Boats must proceed directly to one of the two official ports of entry: Baquerizo Moreno or Puerto Ayora. These are the only ports where boats may clear in. Yachts should not stop anywhere but a port of entry nor must anyone go ashore without an official guide. Yachts may be boarded at any time to check if one has a guide. The penalty is a fine for stopping at outer islands without permission. All the local boats have guides on board who are in radio contact with the port authority and will immediately report any yacht breaking the regulations. It is also possible to stop at Isabela but only in an emergency. One should not mention wishing to stop at Isabela when clearing out from Puerto Ayora for the Marquesas. The port captain will allow up to 20 days. (Reports from 2004 suggest that it may now be possible to obtain advance approval from Puerto Ayora to visit Isabela). On arrival the captain must go to the port captain's office, which is close to the dock in both Puerto Ayora and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The port captain will grant permission for a stop, the length of which is at his discretion. It appears that the length of stay may depend on the number of yachts already anchored in the bay. As the Galapagos become an important stopover for yachts on passage, the length of stay applied to individual yachts may have to be reduced to allow for the limited anchoring space and facilities, and the ever-increasing number of yachts. A fee is payable based on tonnage. The immigration office must be visited next. Office hours are quite flexible and permits are difficult to obtain at weekends or on public holidays, so boats arriving at such time may wait to complete formalities on the first working day. The port captain will issue a domestic zarpe for the next port. P405 New Caledonia Clearance: Port Moselle is the main entry port of Noumea and is reached through the harbour entrance. There are green leading lights on the cathedral for the seawall entrance of Port Moselle. On approaching Noumea one should call Port Moselle Marina on Channel 67. Officials will come to the visitors' dock for clearance. Customs clearance can now be carried out at the following ports: Hienghene (East side of the main island), Pandop Marina (Koumac), We on Lifou Island (Loyalty Islands), Noumea and Touho (east side of the main island). At these ports yachts should report to the Port Captain (Capitaine de Port) on arrival. Immigration formalities will still have to be carried out in Noumea for entry formalities to be completed. It would appear that Quarantine can also only be carried out in Noumea, in which case it may not be possible to clear into the country at a port other than Noumea. Permission to visit the outer islands must be obtained in Noumea. It is now possible to request a stop at one of the Loyalty Islands or Isle of Pines by boats sailing on to Vanuatu, Fiji or Wallis & Futuna. It is no longer necessary to apply for a permit to visit the Loyalty Islands. On making outwards clearance in Noumea, you must state that you wish to visit the Loyalty Islands and the clearance will be stamped. It is not clear the maximum stay permitted, but there are reports of yachts staying up to two weeks. It is also now possible to clear out of any port that has a customs office (ie any port where they ship minerals), although you would have to pay for an immigration official to fly to where you are. This includes We in Lifou (Loyalty Islands). Immigration: Citzens of the EU (except Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Norway, Argentina, Switzerland, New Zealand and Australia do not need visas for stays of up to 3 months. No extension can be granted beyond the three months maximum stay in New Caledonia. Nationals of Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, Chili, South Korea, Croatia, United States, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Uruguay can stay for up to 1 month without a visa. No extension can be granted beyond the one month maximum stay. All other visitors require a visa in advance. Contact a French Consulate General at a consular section or embassy. Applications must be made in person and can take from 1 day to 3 weeks and cost 35 euro. P409 New Zealand Clearance: You can obtain a copy of the New Zealand Border Agencies Information Pack for Yachts and Small Craft from Customs & yacht clubs around the Pacific. Every yacht arriving from overseas must inform customs and agricultural quarantine officers by radio or telephone of one's intended ETA. This must be done at least 48 hours before arrival. Note: Text versions of the arrival notification form can be accessed through www.customs.govt.nz Immigration: Passports must be valid for at least three months beyond departure date. Australian citizens do not need visas. A three month visitor's permit is granted on arrival to nationals of most countries. Visas can be renewed through the Ministry of Immigration. British citizens may stay for up to six months on a visitor's permit. Pemission to stay beyond the maximum permitted period may be granted if the yacht need to undergo refitting or major repairs, or if crews wish to wait out the South Pacific hurricane season (October to April). Maximum length of stay is 12 months. All crew are required to show evidence of funds of $400 NZ per month if living on the yacht. Anyone leaving the vessel in New Zealand may also be required to show an onward ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase one. The owner of the yacht must show evidence of owership and of adequate 3rd party insurance. To contact an Immigration officer: phone the New Zealand Immigration National Contact Centre on +64 9 914 4100 and dial "0" on receipt of the automatic response message for an Immigration officer, or fax the New Zealand Immigration National Contact Centre on +64 9 914 4119. P413 Niue Clearance: Niue is free from most of the world's major pests and diseases and is most anxious to keep it that way. No person or goods must land or go ashore until clearance is granted by a Quarantine Officer. Arrival must be notified to Telecom via VHF radio. Contact Niue Radio on VHF16. "ZKN Niue Radio" keeps a 24hour watch on VHF and SSB. Immigration, Customs, Agriculture and Port Authorities are available for clearance during daylight hours weekdays, Saturday 10am-4pm (no clearance on Sunday). Clearance must be completed before going ashore. All animals, food stuff, fruit, vegetables, plants and garbage must be secured until clearance has been granted. P417 Papua New Guinea Immigration: Anyone arriving in Papua New Guinea must be in possession of a valid travel document properly visaed with an entry permit. However, if an entry permit has not been obtained prior to entry, application must be made at the first port of call. Visa applications require a passport, two passport-sized photos, an itinerary and the appropriate fee. This will be in the region of $140 US for the skipper and $35 US for each crew member. There are PNG diplomatic missions in Canberra, Brisbane, Suva, Vila, Honiara, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Wellington, Manila, Washington, Tokyo, London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels. Usually visas are valid for 60 days, after which the passports have to be sent to Port Moresby for an extension. Extensions are for 30 days, at a cost of 200 kina for the captain and 50 kina for each crew member. Occasionally passports have been reported lost, but they have invariably turned up later. Even if an extension has not been granted, people have been allowed to stay while the search for the missing passports is in progress. It is recommended to send passports by courier. Proof of sufficient funds to support one's stay in PNG is necessary, otherwise one has to place an immigration landing bond of about US$1000, which is refundable. Passports must have a minimum one year validity from proposed date of entry. P420 Pitcairn Island Immigration: Brief visits from passing yachts are permitted and the Island Magistrate is empowered to issue written permits to members of the crew. Longer stays require permission from the Pitcairn Island Council (via admin@pitcairn.gov.pn). Allow plenty of time as it will take about six months for the application to be considered. These regulations apply to all except residents of the Pitcairn Islands Group. P422 Samoa Clearance – add - Permission must be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Apia if you wish to sail to other islands in Samoa. If arriving at the weekend, clearance will take place on Monday. There is a one-off harbour fee of US$25 and no other clearance fees. Immigration : Immigration grant 30 days on arrival and there is a fee if one wishes to apply for an extension. P424 Solomon Islands Immigration: Visas are not required for up to a three month stay but there is an extensive list of nationals from various countries who require prior approval before visiting the islands. See the website http://www.commerce.gov.sb/Divisions/Immigration/Immigration_Requirements.htm Nationals of these countries require the prior approval of the Director of Immigration which may be obtained by contacting the Director direct by Email: immigration@commerce.gov.sb Phone: (677) 22243 or Fax: (677) 22964 or by via P O Box G26, HONIARA, Solomon Islands. A visitors permit will be issued for a period not exceeding three months in any period of twelve months. Extensions can be obtained for up to another 3 months if there are special circumstances, for which there is a fee of SBD$30 per month. P435 Tonga Immigration: No visas are required for citizens from the EU, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cook Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia ( New Caledonia, Tahiti, Wallis & Futuna), Japan, Kirabati, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lusia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United States of America and Vanuatu for stays of up to 30 days. All other visitors require a visa in advance. Applications for visa extensions can be made at the Immigration Department, Nuku'alofa, Tonga (tel: 26969 or 26970; fax: 26971; e-mail: visatonga@gmail.com). P441 Vanuatu Clearance: There are four ports of entry into Vanuatu; Port Vila on the island of Efate, Luganville on Santo, Sola on Vanua Lava, and Lenakel on Tanna. Yachts may not stop at any other island or anchorage in Vanuatu until first clearing in at one of these four ports. Port Vila and Luganville are the main ports of clearance and most yachts clear into Port Vila. Obtain instructions on VHF Channel 16 for inward clearance procedures in Lenakel, Luganville or Sola. The international and inter-island outward clearance will be granted only on Monday to Friday from 07:30 to 11:00 hours and 13:30 to 16:00 hours. The offices are closed on public holidays and weekends. If visiting any other islands, permission must be first obtained from the authorities. A cruising permit is issued before leaving Port Vila and this allows the boat to stop at other places before clearing out of Vanuatu at Santo. |
Send Us News/Corrections/Information | © 2000-2008 Noonsite Ltd.