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World Cruising Handbook Corrections and Updates 10: South East Asia and Far East
Created by
doina.
Last modified on 2007-07-17 13:41:03
P447 Brunei Immigration: No visa required by citizens of the following countries: For 90 days, USA; for to 30 days, U.K.,Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, Singapore and United Arab Emirates: For 14 days, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Maldives, Norway, Peru, The Philippines, Switzerland, Thailand and Vietnam. Nationals of other EU countries do require a visa. Nationals of Australia are advised to obtain visas before arrival although it is possible to obtain one at Brunei International Airport for a stay of maximum 14 days (a visa is required for longer stays). Nationals of these countries will require a visa if they plan to stay longer. Proof of sufficient funds may be required. Passports must have a validity of at least 6 months. All other nationalities require a visa in advance, which can be obtained from Brunei or British consulates. Nationals from countries requiring a visa and arriving without one will receive a 72 hour Transit Pass. A transit pass requires that you are moving from one place to another via Brunei. A Transit Pass will not be issued if you intend returning to the place you arrived from. It is possible to apply for a Visit Pass or Transit Pass extension at Brunei Immigration once admitted to Brunei. Nationals from Israel are not normally granted a Visa for Brunei. Information on Brunei Embassies and High Commissions can be found at http://www.mfa.gov.bn/consular/f_aust.htm P452 East Timor Immigration - Visas are not required for entry into East Timor. An Entry Permit costing 30 US Dollars for a visit of not more than 30 days is normally issued to valid passport holders on arrival (provided entry into East Timor is regarded by local authorities as being for a legitimate purpose). 30 day extensions cost 30 US Dollars and should be obtained in advance. US$10 departure tax. P458 Indonesia Immigration - Passports must be valid for more than six months after date of entry. The following nationalities will not require a visa for short visits (30 days) to Indonesia: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macao, Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam. The citizens of certain countries can obtain a visa on arrival but these are only issued at a limited number of international ports, such as Benoa (Bali), Batam, Jayapura, etc and at some international airports: Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali), etc. This visa type of visa will only be issued for 30 days, with no extension. Those who plan to spend longer are strongly advised to obtain their visas in advance from an Indonesian diplomatic mission. These will be valid for a maximum period of 60 days. Matters are greatly simplified if one arrives with a visa, especially if planning to clear in at a smaller place. A good place to obtain them is at the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin For yachts arriving without the compulsory cruising permit (CAIT) and without a visa, the authorities in Benoa (Bali) still allow a 3 day stopover in cases of genuine emergencies. Longer stops can be very difficult to obtain and also quite costly. Portuguese nationals will be refused entry. Israelis require special permission. One should carry a large quantity of photocopies of documents, especially the cruising permit and yacht registration document, enough to be given to officials at all ports of call. Crew wishing to join a boat or to leave Indonesia by air may find that immigration officials may want them to leave by the same means that they arrived. Their intentions should be made clear on the visa application and again on entry into the country. Crew arriving by air should have a copy of the cruising permit so as to avoid the need for a return ticket. It usually simplifies matters, if the skipper intends to temporarily leave the boat, to sign himself on as crew. Crew that needs to be signed off the boat while in Bali, must leave Bali on an international flight. Those who need to fly via Jakarta, thus leaving Bali on a domestic flight, need to be accompanied by an immigration officer, the person who leaves being responsible for the return fare to Bali of the immigration official. See http://www.indonesianembassy.org.uk/consular_visa_type_free.html for the latest regulations. P461 Japan Clearance – replace 1st sentence: The JCG (Japan Coastguard) requires all vessels to report at least 24 hours before arrival with the following details: name, type and flag of vessel, port of registry and gross tonnage, details of captain and crew, port of entry and ETA, subsequent ports within Japan, previous 4 ports of call with dates and details of radio call signs, and phone numbers for communication with JCG. This should be done preferably by phone or fax. The form can be downloaded at http://www.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/01kanku/solas/english.pdf and faxed or emailed to the relevant JCG office. JCG numbers: Ishigaki, Tel. 0980-83-0118 , Fax. 0980-83-0135, Naha (Okinawa), Tel. 098-867-0118, Fax. 098-869-1167, Kagoshima, Tel. 099-222-6681, Fax.099-222-6712, Fukuoka, 092-281-5865, Fax. 092-281-5889. The fine for entering a port without prior 24 hour notice is $5000 US. Immigration - Almost all nationalities will be given a 90 day visa on arrival, which can be extended within Japan for a further 90 days. It is possible to obtain a multiple entry visa. One may be able to leave the boat in Japan and re-enter for another period. It may be difficult under reciprocal immigration agreements for US citizens to extend the 3 month immigration visa. You can fly to Taiwan or South Korea to restart the clock. UK citizens get an additional 3 months then no more. P464 Macao Immigration: Almost all nationalities will be given a 90 day visa on arrival, which can be extended within Japan for a further 90 days. It is possible to obtain a multiple entry visa. One may be able to leave the boat in Japan and re-enter for another period. It may be difficult under reciprocal immigration agreements for US citizens to extend the 3 month immigration visa. You can fly to Taiwan or South Korea to restart the clock. UK citizens get an additional 3 months then no more. P467 Malaysia Immigration – replace paragraph - Citizens of Israel and Serbia and Montenegro have to apply for special permission. See website http://www.imi.gov.my/eng/perkhidmatan/im_HapusVisa.asp for the latest information. P469 Myanmar Clearance – add - A cruising permit must be obtained in advance: a personal visit must be made to Yangoon to pay the fee for a two year permit that can cover three yachts. Details of the yacht(s) must be given along with a photo. The department handling yachts in Yangoon is MTT. The General managers name is Mr. Htay Aungs and the email is mtt.mht@mptmail.net.mm There are two agents in Phuket that can arrange entry permits, Yacht Solutions and South East Asia Liveaboards. Before arrival one must email a full crew and passenger list to MTT at Yangoon and a photocopy faxed to the agent at the port of entry Kwantaung. Also on arrival one must hand over 20 copies of the crew and passenger list plus pay a further 4500 Baht entry fee. Also required is a Burmese Guide on the boat at 1500 Baht a trip. P472 Philippines Immigration – replace 1st 2 paragraphs - No visa is required for stays of up to 21 days for most nationals provided their onward passage is assured, except for nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Belize, Bosnia & Herzegovina, China (PR), CIS, Croatia, Cuba, East Timor, Egypt, Estonia, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Korea (Dem Rep), Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Sudan*, Syria, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Yemen. P475 Singapore Clearance - All approaches are well buoyed and lit, but due to the large amount of shipping, night arrivals should be avoided. All yachts requiring clearance must call at either the Western Quarantine & Immigration Anchorage (Grid ref 4913D), this is just to the north of the Sister Islands, or Changi General Purpose Anchorage (Grid ref. 0319A). The Immigration craft can be contacted on VHF ch. 74 or numeral pendants 2 & 5 flown during daylight or 2 green vertical lights at night. The Immigration Officer will conduct a face to face check on all persons on the yacht. The following documents are required:- Passports (with Immigration white card for foreign passport holders), 4 copies of the crew list and Crew Security Bond (from 20) for visiting yachts. One copy of the crew list will be stamped and is to be retained. Within 24 hrs of arrival, the skipper must report to the One-Stop-Document-Centre at the Maritime Port Authority to complete inward clearance. The previous Port Clearance Certificate, together with 2 copies of the General Declaration (GD) form are required. A copy of the GD form and a GDV no. will be issued. On departure, port clearance is completed first (at the same office as inward clearance). The 2 copies of the GD form, the GDV no., boat Registration document, 2 copies of the crew list, the stamped copy of the arrival crew list, the arrival GD form and cash for payment of Port Dues and Maritime Welfare Fee are all required here. Next, the yacht must proceed to one of the 2 arrival anchorages to clear Immigration. Here the passports (with retained white card portion), 3 copies of the crew list, the arrival crew list and the Singapore Port Clearance Certificate are needed. If you plan ahead for your next trip out of Singapore you can notify immigration of your intended departure and return to the clearing anchorage by submitting the completed Arrival/Departure Advice Form which is available from the Marine Office. This form needs to be faxed to the Immigration Office (Fax No: 6293 67543) at least 6 hours before your intended departure or arrival. By using this service you ensure that the Immigration Officers who are on the station at the anchorage are informed in advance and will be expecting you. This will help speed up the process of clearing. Customs do not usually visit yachts, but random spot checks are made from time to time. It has been reported that Changi Sailing Club has charged a fee to yachts to act as their agent on entry and exit. P478 South Korea Immigration - Visa regulations change frequently and it is recommended that anyone planning to visit South Korea should obtain a visa in advance. There are South Korean embassies in most capitals and also consulates in neighbouring countries, such as Japan, where there are consulates in Kobe, Shimonoseki and Fukuoka, the latter being reported as the most efficient in granting a visa. Check the following web site http://www.travisa.com/travelvisa.htm to establish if a visa is required. For those whose passports contain evidence of visits to North Korea, special permission is needed to visit, and one should apply for a visa at least one month in advance. Extensions are difficult to obtain. If longer than a 90-day stay is planned, a special long-term visa must be obtained in advance and one will have to apply for a residence certificate at the local immigration office. P483 Thailand Immigration - Recently Thai regulations have been relaxed for visiting yachts. Under the new regulations foreign vessels are now allowed to stay for twelve months with six months given immediately and the other six month extension given if required. Usually a letter from a marina is involved with the extra six months but this can be got around. Import duties have also been relaxed and now stand at around 45% including all costs. A further reduction has been discussed but no new decisions have been taken. A 30 day visa is granted to all nationalities except those of Afghanistan and Iraq, on arrival. The captain/owner of a yacht arriving without a visa as well as any crew will be granted a 30 days stay on arrival (a "yacht visa"). This can be extended for up to 90 days for a valid reason i.e. either medical or mechanical, in which case the request for extension must be accompanied by a letter from the doctor or repair company and a letter from the marina or yard where the yacht is located. A yacht visa extension costs Tb 1,900. Alternatively the captain can declare all other people on the yacht to be passengers and they will receive a visa on arrival, VOA, valid for 30 days. This VOA can be extended twice for 30 days up to a total of 90 days by exiting and then re-entering Thailand on a VOA. As of 1 October 2006 this can be done for a total stay of 90 days and then no VOA will be issued for a further 90 days. For captain, owner or crew with a 30 day yacht visa that wishes to sign off the yacht a bond of 20,000 baht is required for each individual, to allow him/her to sign off the yacht and exit Thailand. The bond is refunded when he/she returns to Thailand. In Phuket the bond is paid directly to the Phuket Town Immigration/Yacht section. The money will be repaid by cheque but the procedure may be drawn out as the cheque requires two signatures and the people to sign are not always there. After paying the bond, the customs office will allow the captain to exit the country whilst leaving the boat here. Upon return the captain gets another 30 days visa. On placing the bond you get a "white card" which allows you to travel out of Thailand. There are presently many minibus taxi companies who offer 1 day "visa trips" to Myanmar (Burma) for approx B1000 per person. You get a longtail across the river to Burma, pay the local official US$5 and go then back to Thailand to collect another 30 days. Passengers arriving with the yacht are charged B10 each at immigration for checking in and get a 30 day visa with a "white card". This visa allows you to travel out of Thailand without placing a bond. If the captain/owner and the crew arrive with visas issued by Thai missions abroad the captain/owner will be given the "yacht visa" as outlined above while the crew may present themselves as passengers and use their visa as issued outside Thailand. The captain/owner may then exit Thailand using the bond and return, this time on the visa he obtained earlier outside of Thailand. Visas for longer stays issued are accepted if one has been signed on as a passenger, not crew. It is therefore preferable to obtain a visa abroad and arrive as a passenger. There are a number of different visas issued by various Thai embassies or consulates. Yachts are advised to check with their nearest Thai embassy or consulate for details on what visas are on offer. There is now a Thai consulate in Langkawi but Penang is still more convenient at the moment for visas. If a captain knows in advance that he will be leaving the country, he should perhaps declare one of the crew members staying on the boat as captain and himself as a passenger. There must always be someone who is designated to be in charge of the boat; and it is not possible for everyone to be declared as passengers. P486 Vietnam Immigration – add - Visas are required by all except: (a) nationals of Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Mongolia, Romania, Russian Federation and Ukraine. (b) nationals of Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Thailand for stays of up to 30 days; (c) nationals of The Philippines for stays of up to 21 days; (d) nationals of Japan and Korea (Rep) for stays of up to 15 days. P490 Djibouti Clearance - The Yacht Club of Djibouti has now been closed. If there is space available, visiting yachts are docked on the floating pontoons in front of the former yacht club building. Former yacht club members have formed a new association that is attempting to build a proper marina in the same area, but the project may not come to fruition for at least one year. In the meantime visiting sailors are advised to either dock on one of the existing pontoons, if there is space, or anchor close by. Larger yachts may come alongside the quay. After anchoring, the port captain (Capitainerie) should be contacted on Channel 12. All formalities are completed in the commercial harbour, which is easily reached by dinghy. Short term visas are issued to visiting sailors on arrival. The ship's papers will be retained until departure. A permit to cruise Djibouti waters is also obtained on arrival. P492 Eritrea Immigration - Visas are required by all visitors and cannot be obtained on arrival. P494 India Clearance – add - In recent years entry formalities have been simplified are officials are reported to be more cooperative; in the major ports of entry they are now more familiar with visiting yachts and therefore less troublesome. Several customs and port organisations have their own sailing clubs and are therefore welcoming to visiting sailors. However, yachts should still comply with all official requirements as several yachts, and apparently cargo ships as well, have had items or foreign currency confiscated, because they were not listed on the declaration filled in on arrival. P500 Maldives Clearance – add - New regulations state that yachts intending to cruise any other atoll other than the North & South atoll must pay a fee of Mrf.5000.00 (about USD390) to the Tourism Ministry for the cruising permit. The agent will arrange this. Yachts not obtaining permission are liable in future to be fined. When an agent has been prearranged, he should be notified 48 hours before arrival of the ETA. An ETA letter will then be sent by the agent to the Ministry of Defence and National Security, customs, port authority, immigration and quarantine. The details of the ETA letter include the following particulars: -Name of vessel
Boats needing fuel and supplies stopping in Malé for less than 72 hours can do so without an agent, but formalities will be lengthy. P504 Oman Clearance – add - Yachts can obtain a cruising permit from the Royal Oman Police (ROP) in the harbour at Mina Qaboos - it is issued from Jan 1st until Dec 31st - and costs 150 O.R. (Approx USD400). Formalities for outward clearance are complicated and sufficient time should be allowed for them. All offices must be visited in turn, starting with police and finishing with the harbour master. P505 Qatar Immigration – add - Holders of passports from the following countries are permitted a visa allowing visits to both Qatar and Oman. USA, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, The Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea. P521 Chagos Clearance - As of 1 January 2007, yachts wishing to visit must apply for a permit in advance and pay the mooring fee in advance by bank transfer. The form (Visitor Permit Request) can be obtained from BIOTAdmin@fco.gov.uk or request by fax at +44 (0) 20 7008 1589 or by post from: British Indian Ocean Territory Administration, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH, UK, Tel +44 (0) 20 7008 2961 or 2890 Fees: As of 1 January 2007 the fee to visit Chagos will increase to GBP 100 for 1 month - payable in advance. P523 Christmas Island Clearance - Arriving yachts should contact Christmas Island Police on VHF Channel 16 to arrange clearance and the Port Captain to arrange for a mooring. The police keep watch on channel 16 on a 24 hr basis, the Port Captain can be reached on Ch 16 during office hours. All persons must remain on board until the yacht has been inspected and cleared. Formalities are preferably conducted on shore by Customs and Quarantine officers. Customs will instruct where and when to land. If necessary, Customs will launch a boat and perform the necessary paperwork onboard. Immigration – add - Yachts travelling to or from Cocos Keeling) and Christmas Islands 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. P524 Cocos Keeling Clearance – add - Warning: Cocos Keeling entrance The GPS position of the entrance into the lagoon, west of Direction Island, does not accord with most charts, both paper and electronic. The GPS coordinates of the centre of the pass is 12deg 05.327 S 96deg 52.333 E. The quarantine buoy is now located in the so called inner lagoon behind Direction Island. The GPS coordinates of the quarantine buoy are: 12 deg 05.560 S 96 deg 52.864 E. The pass from the outer into the inner lagoon is marked by two floating perch type buoys. superceded Juily 2007 by: Warning: Cocos Keeling entrance The GPS position of the entrance into the lagoon, west of Direction Island, is reported not to accord with most charts, both paper and electronic. Previously Noonsite reported that the GPS coordinates of the centre of the pass are 12deg 05.327 S 96deg 52.333 E. Latest waypoints submitted by a visting yacht (July 2007) are obtained from an electronic chart and are correct as follows: (WGS84) (1) 12-05.2096S 96-52.1355E (2) 12-05.5991S 96-52.1282E (3) 12-05.7099S 96-52.3618E (4) 12-05.5118S 96-52.9142E. This will put you in the Direction Island anchorage area. The pass from the outer into the inner lagoon is marked by two floating perch type buoys. P529 Kenya Immigration - Visas are now required for nationals of most countries (including the US and UK). No visa required for nationals of the following countries:- Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Botswana, Brunei-Darussalam, Cyprus, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji Islands, Gambia, The, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe. It is recommended that visas be obtained in advance. Visas and entry permits can be extended if they are applied for in person before the date of expiry. P532 Madagascar Clearance - Officials no longer come to the yacht and one must visit the relevant offices (Port Captain, Police, Immigration, Customs and Health) for clearance. Speaking French may be an advantage. The following information will be required: point of departure; itinerary; crew and passengers; a port of call authorization issued by nearest office of Service de la Marine Marchande; date of entry in and exit from Malagasy territorial waters. P534 Mauritius Immigration - Most national do not require a visa, although the length of stay allowed varies from 15 days to 3 months, depending on nationality. Nationals of Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Liberia, must obtain a visa before travelling to Mauritius, even in transit. Travellers who arrive and depart with the same yacht, do not require a visa. If a visa is required it may be obtained abroad from Mauritius high commissions or embassies and where these do not exist from British embassies. In Mauritius one should contact the Passport & Immigration Officer, Line Barracks, Port Louis. To extend a stay beyond three months, one must apply for a visa and provide reasons which are considered justifiable. P536 Mayotte Clearance: Contact the Port Captain (Capitainerie du Port) on VHF 16 or VHF 9 upon arrival. As of Oct 2003, all clearance formalities were being done ashore - no officials were boarding yachts. Once clearance has been completed, yachts may explore the lagoon freely. Prior to departure, outward clearance must be obtained. It is acceptable to obtain clearance the day before departure. All boats, whether French or not, must clear customs, who will issue a transit log valid for one year from the date of arrival. Immigration must also be visited. Customs must be visited for outward clearance. This must be done 18 hours before the intended departure on the following day, or before 1100 if planning to leave that same afternoon. The transit log may be reused if the vessel returns during its period of validity. Immigration - add - There are some reports which indicate that all nationals arriving by yacht need a visa. P538 Mozambique Immigration: On arrival immigration officials will stamp your passport and then issue embarkation cards or shore passes to yachts in transit, instead of issuing visas. This is now standard practice up and down the coast. These shore passes usually have a limit of 30 days, but can be extended. It is important to get an extension before the expiry date. Special permission may be necessary to travel inland outside the Maputo province if the security situation is bad. A permit is needed from Ministerio de Cultura e Educacão to take anything out of the country that has been bought there, so all receipts should be kept. |
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