The Ministry of Tourism for Indonesia has apologised for any inconvenience premature notification of this new procedure may have caused.
Arranging to visit Indonesia with your yacht should now be as simple as the following 4 steps:
- Choose from the list of 18 approved ports of entry as to where you want to enter Indonesia.
- Up to 24 hours prior to your arrival in a Port of Entry, log-in to the new Yacht Electronic Registration System at https://yachters-indonesia.id. Complete the Cruising Declaration Form (for the Harbourmaster).
- Also log-in to http://yacht.beacukai.go.id/ and complete a Temporary Importation Declaration Form (for Customs).
- Print both forms out and present them to the authorities at your first port of entry (make several copies).
Martins Rijkuris (Capt Marty) involved with the recent visit of the Neptune Regatta to Nongsa Point Marina in Batam Province, Indonesia, told noonsite, “the Regatta was the first mass exercise for the new Indonesian cruising system. It has taken a while to implement and went relatively smoothly for 20 participating yachts. After 40 years of sailing through Indonesia, I still don’t believe it has finally happened. We wish them well implementing it in other provinces and congratulations on making the single most, game-changing move, for the SE Asian Marine Industry, in many years…”
That said, there was clearly an awful lot of involvement from the authorities to process an event the size of the Neptune Regatta, and sadly, in reality, the new procedures are not quite so simple (see comments at bottom of this report from cruisers who have tried).
New regulations for visiting yachts in Indonesia have historically taken a long time to trickle down to the multitude of port authorities throughout Indonesia, and whilst some ports do seem to be aware of the new system (for example Tanjung Pandan, Belitung), there are others that have still not received official notification (for example Kumai).
SY Migration told noonsite last week, “We just visited Immigration, Customs, and Port Captain here in Belitung. We asked each of them if they had got the message that a CAIT is no longer required for visiting yachts. They all gave an enthusiastic yes. In fact, the port captain made a copy of the memo stating the fact”.
Sabang Customs from Sumatra Province have also contacted noonsite with confirmation of the new system.
Noonsite has been assured by the authorities concerned with developing the new registration system that completion of the two online forms and presenting of the printed-out documents at the first port of entry is sufficient. However, you may prefer to contact an agent for advice prior to your visit, and it is definitely recommended to go armed with a copy of the official notification memorandum (in Indonesian). Some cruisers continue to follow the old system by acquiring a CAIT,
For the full details of the NEW Indonesia Formalities for visiting yachts go to http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Indonesia/?rc=Formalities.
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Reported by Matt TenEick of SV Perry – 8 July 2017:
Just a quick note to alert folks of an issue with the Indonesian Online Yacht Electronic Registration System that’s been frustrating to us and a number of others we’ve talked to. Some versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer will not work with the system and will not allow you to create an entry for your vessel.
After filling in all the info and pressing the “save” button the system just sits there. It never reports an error, but your info will not be saved and you will not see the data the next time you log in. The solution to this is to use Google Chrome (perhaps some browsers will work too). After switching browsers, everything worked smoothly.
Also, with regard to some of the comments about the need for a sponsor letter to obtain a 6-month social visa, we emailed the Indonesian consulate in Vanimo PNG and were told in no uncertain terms that we still needed a sponsor letter for them to issue a social visa. This may be contrary to the actual law, but it seems to still be the process they are using at that particular consulate.
June 2016:
This new process appears to now be filtering down through the islands and working much better. The two websites have now been combined into one and registration is straightforward. See this report –
http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/Indonesia/papua-sorong-clearing-into-indonesia-here – for more details.
We are heading southbound from the Malacca Straits and decided to clear in at Batam so we could make “legal” stops along the way through Indonesia. We didn’t go with the CAIT and instead tried the new system.
Unfortunately, this meant having to use an agent as Nongsa Point Marina is the only one of the 3 ports with the new system at Batam. We didn’t want the additional cost of an agent, and since we had done our own clearance when we first visited Indonesia in 2013, we felt confident that we could handle it on our own again. BUT the cost of the CAIT (so we could do our own clearance) vs the cost of clearing in with the new system at Nongsa Point won out in the end for us.
After corresponding with Prakash at the marina we felt fairly confident things would work out. And they did…or have so far.
We arrived 4 pm at the marina 22/3/16, handed in our papers (which were incredibly minimal – no need for any of those “hundreds” of copies I had made), and received everything back by 1 pm next day. Our costs were IDR 400,000 for the night in the marina (minimum fee)and 250,000 CIQP fees, with receipt. This cleared us into Indonesia and then out of Batam and onto Bali.
While waiting for the paperwork to be returned we washed down our boat, did handwashing and topped up the fuel tanks then lounged around the pool – so much easier than the 4 hot frustrating days it took to clear into Maumere (during Ramadan)in 2013.
We quickly forgot about the 650,000 – and it was still better than 3 mills for a CAIT and then doing it on our own. Prakash emailed me the one form, and as noted by other cruisers I found the online temporary import not to be working properly – I was able to register, complete form and print a copy but it wouldn’t send due to an error. I emailed a copy to Prakash in advance and asked that he might forward it onto customs for me and explain the problem with the send button. Not sure if he did, but there didn’t seem to be a problem when we cleared it.
No officials came to our boat, but the marina staff visited on their behalf and took our last port clearance paper, passports and they wanted a copy of crew list from immigration.
We cleared out at Malacca (super quick and easy and free) and they did not issue any paperwork. So I just typed one up and explained to the staff.
REAIS – Be warned, the staff had to take a photo of AIS. I would imagine if customs come on your vessel they would want to inspect it, so even though it may not ask you about AIS on the CAIT, you may still need one??? Initially, when we were looking at going through an agent for a CAIT again, our agent did say that we would now require AIS to clear in.
So no one actually tested it at Batam, they just wanted the photo and we were warned to leave it on. Cruising past Bangka, water police came out to us and simply asked where we had cleared in, what country we were from and how many on board. This also happened as we were about to anchor up at Manager (East Coast Belitung). We are now as far as Jepara and these are the only 2 signs of officials we have seen, and no one has boarded or wanted more than that little bit of info.
Of course as always, especially in these parts, anything could happen to the next boat, I just wanted to share our experiences so far. We have had several patrols pass nearby, but none have called us up.
If you are heading south and want to clear in at Nongsa, I would recommend e-mailing prakash@nongsapointmarina.com He has told us to call him if we have any problems or any harbourmasters asking for “fees” along the way. Good to have that backup.
Amanda
SY Catnap
Australia
I have tried to do this online registration and it is non-operational .i have had many problems. I did manage to register. I did all the paperwork but its flawed. They want too much information that none of us will have. Like you’re sanitation form,you’re agent,you’re quarenteen documentation.
It’s a nice idea but looks like this form of cait is far from functioning. I did like the web page it had excellent features for pictures and document loading. One day this will be a fantastic way to cruise indo. But not today.
I never received any emails even though it said I was successful in my attempt.
So I got myself hooked up with an agent in Bali and she will issue me a cait .the cost is 3 million .expensive but you don’t need ais and you don’t need all the other garbage they ask for online.it takes 2 weeks from time of payment. My normal agent is on leave so I am using her recommended cait provider.
Asking this about the online registration she told me she just returned from Jakarta and the ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of navy still require a cait. Only the ministry of transportation will accept online documentation.in which the harbour masters will accept.
But you are playing with a loaded gun if you somehow to manage to be successful in online registration. You are opening you’re self up to penalties and fines and bribes cause for sure the navy won’t accept you’re an online form.
That is as of today. Maybe tomorrow I will have spent 3 million for nothing. But better safe than sorry. The cait has been exactly what the officials require in my area of cruising for 10 years so looks like this year I will give them what they are used to and avoid the balcony that would follow.
Sometimes it’s better to pay now than pay later
Also with a cait, there was no mention about ais and mmsi numbers so that’s a good thing for those of us who prefer to be last man standing on this issue of ais.
So Indonesia has no way to monitor ais and yet they are making ais mandatory. who makes up this stuff. The president wants foreign yachts to start cruising Indonesia so he makes great improvements to do this allowing online registration. Then some other entity decides ais would be really cool. Singapore and Phuket are doing it so why not.
Well because no one will be going to Indonesia unless they install ais first because now you cant register without one.
I have been going 10 years and now I must have ais. Well there you have it first Phuket loses 100 of yachts to this rule and now indo before even getting started loses at least 50 per cent of the boats that would like to visit indo.
Things were better before.you could visit Indonesia with cait.no ais.no problems.
I know lots of boats have ais anyway but the ones who will visit mostly remote Indonesia are doing so because it is so remote and to Not have big brother dictating and is now using safety reasons for ais. Any small sailing boat will tell you ais is worthless .you can’t rely on it it is only an aid. No indo boats have it. Radar, chart plotters, these are safety items.
If Indonesia would have every boat in its waters equipped with ais then we can talk safety issue.
Same with Phuket what a violation of rights and how silly is Indonesia to follow in there footsteps before their new system has even started.it’s like when NewZealand made all yachts go at 1 or they could not leave. Eventually, NewZealand realized they were losing hundreds of yachts to this rule and they receded it. Let’s hope Indonesia realizes this sooner than later. Phuket I am betting will remove this rule before next cruising season ad they lost so many boats.
I am just a cruiser who has real safety items onboard.who does not like to be told what I can and can’t have onboard.
In my cruising area, there have been about 50 boats over the past 10 years to visit in Indonesia. Only 2 or 3 have had ais.so now looks like the numbers will fall rather than increase because of mandatory ais.
I might put it on because I like to go to Indonesia a lot but I certainly won’t turn it on. Possible
Pirates knowing you position your details. now that’s a scary thought. and a real reason for not having ais on your boat.
Anonymous please cause its a small world in Indonesia