The government of French Polynesia is working towards streamlining the entry procedure for foreign pleasure yachts. A new system for cruisers will shortly be implemented whereby completion of a single online form is all that will be required – available from March 30th.

Published 1 year ago

Source:  Haut-Commissariat de la republique Polynésie Française 

All boaters arriving in French Polynesia are required to make an entry and exit declaration with the Border Police (Immigration) and Customs. This can be time consuming and involves a great deal of form-filling at each office, both on arrival and departure.

At the initiative of the French Polynesia Regional Customs Directorate (DRPF), all organisations (including the Territorial Directorate of the National Police (DTPN) and all State services, the National Gendarmerie, the Air-Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC), the Maritime Information Fusion Center (CFIM), the Maritime Action Office (AEM) and the French Navy) have worked together to improve, simplify and speed up access to a new mandatory declaration procedure when entering and leaving Polynesia.

In this context, a Single Pleasure Declaration has been put in place to replace the many paper forms that were sent to each of the sovereign administrations. Paperwork has been simplified and is easily accesible for all sailors, online and available at all times.

• Simplified: a common form made available to boaters to meet reporting obligations to State administrations. The form can be completed or modified by the yachtsman during his stay (boarding, disembarkation of people, date of departure, movements, etc.).
• Accessible: the declaration form will be accessible online at any time to boaters to pre-fill and request validation of their declaration. The yachtsman will be able to complete the form in advance of arrival in French Polynesia and will have, as soon as the validation by the State services, the authorization to enter the Territory.
• From March 30th, 2023, the form will be available at: www.polynesie-francaise.pref.gouv.fr

It is not yet known whether in-person visits to authorities will still be required, however it’s likely they will be, at least for the purpose of inspecting/stamping passports.

Win-Win

“Boaters will indeed be able to anticipate the validation of their arrival by the State services. A win-win” as explained by General Frédéric Saulnier, commander of the Gendarmerie in French Polynesia, “because these formalities will give access to a database for the administrations of the State within the framework of their sovereign missions”.

The JRCC sees the opportunity to get to know the boats and their passengers better in the event of rescue at sea. For Admiral Geoffroy d’Andigné, the commander of the Asia-Pacific zone and the armed forces, it is also an opportunity to better control who comes in and who goes out: “We are still improving safety at sea.”

General Saulnier even wants to sell this “innovative project”, which does not yet exist anywhere else in the Pacific, because it perfectly meets the roadmap of simplification services requested at the national level. For Director of Customs M. Jean-François Tanneau, “this very efficient, simple and modern site will make life easier for users and State services”. Between 400 and 600 boats (boaters) enter Polynesian territorial waters per year: “It is therefore a far from negligible axis of penetration.”

Quotes translated using Google Translate

Our thanks to Jan Alexander (in French Polynesia) for advising Noonsite of these new procedures.

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Related News:

Implementation of the Unique Plaisance Declaration (DUP) “Tell us once” – Haut-Commissariat

The single boating declaration: facilitating procedures for boaters – Radio1.FP

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Noonsite has not independently verified this information.