Documents and Other Considerations when Cruising Abroad:

Clearance formalities vary greatly from country to country, being extremely simple in some and ridiculously complicated in others. The complexity of formalities is often a reflection of the nature of the regime in power and it can be safely assumed that the less liberal a country the more complicated its entry formalities.

Regardless of the country visited, or the kind of government in power there, formalities should always be taken seriously and even what look like illogical restrictions should always be complied with. Moreover, however lax or strict a country may be known to be, entry formalities must be completed as soon as possible, and the intention to do so must be indicated as soon as one enters that country’s territorial waters by flying the Q flag and contacting the relevant authorities by radio.

In the current security climate, it is now not unusual to have to advise the customs or coastguard authority of your ETA two or more days in advance. Advance arrival procedures are always outlined on Noonsite, and you clearly find them in the opening Facts section for each country too.

Formalities can easily be found in your country of choice by clicking on the “Explore Country” blue button and then selecting the “list” icon for formalities in the drop down.

Ports of Entry are easily viewed by clicking the “anchor” icon in the same drop down, or via the Noonsite Map (if you are a paid member).

See the individual Noonsite Formalities pages for each country for full details. For example:
https://www.noonsite.com/place/bermuda/view/clearance/

Each port of entry also has localized clearance information listing location of offices or if different from the overall country clearance procedures. Use the “Explore port” blue button and then the “i” icon in the drop down to find the clearance information. For example: https://www.noonsite.com/place/bermuda/st-georges-harbour/view/clearance/

Be sure to research the options for clearance ports in advance, so you can select the most suitable one for clearing into and out of the country.

Useful articles:

• Destination Planning (Article 2 for the American Sailing Association by Noonsite – July 2023)
• Taking your yacht abroad for the first time (Article 1 for the American Sailing Association by Noonsite – May 2023)
• Caribbean: A Guide to Cruising Paperwork (Cruising World August 2024)

See the sub-categories below for more details on recommended documents.