Explore: Antigua & Barbuda - Formalities
Clearance
COVID-19 coronavirus: New procedures are in place for arriving yachts with restricted clearance ports – see Biosecurity for details.
PRE-ARRIVAL
Antigua & Barbuda is currently the only country using the eSeaClear system for pre-arrival customs notification. This service allows the Captain to submit an electronic notification to Antigua Customs Officers, which aims to speed up the process of clearing into the country by around 75%. In actual fact, cruisers have reported that as well as entering information electronically, forms are then printed, need to be signed and then processed by each department. The process is still cumbersome.
The eSeaClear website can be found at www.eseaclear.com. eSeaClear now have offices in English Harbour.
For a full explanation of eSeaClear’s service and other web clearance services in the Caribbean see report Eastern Caribbean Cruising: Clearance Procedures Simplified
Clearance in Barbuda:
Barbuda is listed on the Antigua & Barbuda Government website as a Port of Entry. However it is advisable to check with Customs and Immigration in Barbuda before arriving. They can be contacted on +1-268 460 0085 and +1-268 460 0354.
The Barbuda Immigration Office operates for limited hours on Saturdays and Sundays. However if there are circumstances where service is required, Immigration can facilitate in conjunction with the assistance of Customs and Port Authority. Contact can be made by telephoning + 1-268-764-2161.
ARRIVAL FORMALITIES:
There are certain clearance procedures common to all ports for vessels clearing into any port in Antigua.
The unique EseaClear ID number must be presented to Customs for collection of clearance documents, before proceeding to Immigration.
If EseaClear is not available then the following must be presented to the Immigration Officer:
- Crew/passenger lists
- Passports
- Vessel registration
General Process:
1. The Q flag must be flown and the Antigua courtesy flag. All crew must remain on board until clearance is completed by the Captain. Be sure to clear in within 24 hours of your arrival.
2. The Captain of the boat must clear into Antigua in person with Customs and Immigration, with all ship’s papers including eSeaClear documentation, passports, clearance certificate (zarpe) from last port, as well as airline tickets for any crew disembarking in Antigua.
3. If a vessel arrives after hours, the captain must ensure that no crew goes ashore until clearance has been completed at the first opportunity (i.e., immediately the next morning).
4. Crew leaving a boat by plane must have a valid airline ticket to a country that will accept them without question (no chance of being refused entry). This ticket must be presented to the Immigration official at the time of arrival to Antigua.
5. Captains wishing to exchange crew members with another vessel must do so in the presence of an immigration official.
Note: Heavy fines have been levied in both Jolly Harbour and English Harbour ($5,000 EC), against yachts whose crew leave the boat before Customs clearance, or against Captains who send a crew to complete clearance.
Domestic Cruising:
Every vessel in Antigua & Barbuda’s waters must carry a valid cruising permit. Vessels anchored in English Harbour or Falmouth Harbour or berthed at Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua Slipway, Antigua Yacht Club Marina, Falmouth Harbour Marina and Catamaran Marina are subject to National Parks Authority fees in addition to Port Authority Fees.
CLEARING OUT
International Clearance:
Every vessel clearing out of Antigua and Barbuda must prepare and present a Customs Outbound declaration form and must depart within 24 hours of completing the clearance procedures.
All departing vessels will be obliged to pay harbour dues before departing. Receipts for all Port and National Parks fees must be shown even if clearing out through a different port from the original Port of Entry.
If a vessel arrives after hours and there are crew/passengers who are leaving the country by air, then special arrangements can be made to facilitate this. Departure of crew/passenger will not be facilitated without entry clearance of the vessel. In the case of a departing vessel awaiting crew or passengers, passports/IDs must be seen along with other requited documents, by Immigration to facilitate the clearance.
Note: Customs and Immigration must be notified of the impending arrival and changes in arrival times.
Last updated: November 2019
Immigration
Immigration Procedure:
Everyone arriving in Antigua and Barbuda must have a passport or some other valid document establishing their identity and nationality or place of permanent residence. This should be valid beyond the date of their return ticket. For citizens of the OECS countries, travel documents may include a photo Identification that carries the nationality/citizenship of the bearer and birth certificate
On arrival, Immigration will issue a visa for the duration of one’s stay (maximum of six months). It is advisable to request more than the intended time, as extensions must be obtained from the capital of St John’s and can cost as much as US$100.
After Immigration processing has been completed, return to Customs to have clearance made official and then to the Port Authority for payment of Harbour fees and Cruising Permits
Other Visa Information:
All visitors require a passport valid for at least six months beyond their departure date.
No visas are required by nationals of most European countries, USA, many South American, Caribbean, or Commonwealth countries (except nationals of Bangladesh, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Sri Lanka who do require a visa).
For current information on countries that do not require Visas, visit the Department of Immigration website.
Incoming Crew and Guests:
If crew leave the boat in Antigua, they must have a valid airline ticket out of the country; it is the captain’s responsibility to provide this ticket for all persons leaving and to ensure that they sign off the ship’s crew with immigration. Crew arriving to join a yacht by air must show to Immigration on arrival, a copy of a letter signed by the captain, together with a copy of the ship’s papers. Immigration must be notified of any crew departures or changes.
Last updated: November 2019
Related Businesses
Department of Immigration – Antigua & Barbuda
Address: Long & Thames Street, Ground and 2nd floors, St. Johns, Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda,
The focus of the Immigration Department is the building of an integrated border management system, which is universally accepted.Apply for an eVisa through the Department... Read More
Customs
Arriving by yacht:
Every Vessel arriving in Antigua and Barbuda territorial waters must prepare a Customs Inbound declaration form and must clear Customs within 24 hours of arrival.
There is a zero tolerance of illegal drugs and the penalties are very severe.
The importation and wearing of camouflage clothing are prohibited in Antigua and Barbuda.
Do not unload any ship’s stores or equipment.
There is a range of fruits (in particular citrus and coconut) which may be prohibited. Make sure you declare all plants, fruit and vegetables.
See http://customs.gov.ag/customs-procedures/private-yachts for full Customs information.
Other Items:
Firearms must be declared and if Customs officers are satisfied that they are safely secured, you may be allowed to keep them on board.
Importing Spares/Parts:
Items for a yacht-in-transit arriving on the island by courier will be delivered directly to the Bonded Warehouse at the Customs Office in Falmouth/English Harbour. The Captain will need to visit the warehouse with their Ship’s papers and open the packages. In instances where there is a dutiable item, the Customs Officer will collect duty using the simplified form currently in use at the General Post Office.
Other packages will be delivered to the Post Office in St John’s where they can be collected after clearance by a visiting Customs agent. If, unusually, the agent is not present collecting the package will require several journeys between the Post Office and Customs before finally taking delivery.
St John’s, Antigua & Barbuda Customs and Immigration office
Closes 3PM
Phone: +1 268-562-8755
Last updated: November 2019
Related Businesses
Customs and Excise Division – Antigua and Barbuda
Address: Customs Department, Church & Thames Streets, St. John's, Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda,
In order to facilitate speedy customs processing, the Customs Department suggests that yachtsmen fill out their clearance document using the online eSeaClear system.COMPTROLLER OF CUSTOMSSt.... Read More
BioSecurity
While the protocols below are as accurate as per the last date recorded, the situation is constantly changing with regards to Covid-19 protocols for yacht arrivals and skippers should always check with their intended port of arrival before getting underway to be 100% certain of what is required.
COVID-19: OPEN
Yachting Protocols:
Extension of Stay Procedure for the Yachting and Cruising Community (Feb 2021)
03 March, 2021
- Antigua is open to international yachts.
- A new Travel Advisory was issued 10 February, 2021.
- While this new travel advisory is rather vague for yacht arrivals, all previous requirements for maritime entry into Antigua outlined below remain in effect.
- All travelers must arrive with a negative PCR test taken no more than 7 days prior to arrival in Antigua (for ages 12 and over). PCR tests must be taken by a healthcare professional and a lab certificate provided (“at home” tests are not valid).
- The CARICOM travel bubble has been suspended.
- Inbound notification to Antigua must be made using eSeaClear (although this does not cover Health – see below).
- There are now just two clearance ports available for inbound traffic
(Crabbs Peninsula has now closed): Nevis Street Pier in Deep Water
Harbour (St. Johns) and English Harbour. - English Harbor is small boat friendly with facilities close to the water and is the recommended harbor for entering. St. Johns is a commercial port. Follow the link to each clearance port to read the protocols pertaining to that port.
- Outbound clearance can be from any normal clearance port. Outbound notifications should be made again through eSeaClear.
- All marine pleasure craft entering the waters of Antigua and Barbuda officially should contact the Antigua Port Authority, using VHF Channel 16, at least six (6) hours prior to arrival at the chosen port of entry. In reality this is not an easy task as both St. Johns and English Harbor are surrounded by hills and it’s highly unlikely you will get an
answer. - The Captain or crew must not go ashore to clear-in with Customs and Immigration until authorized to do so by the Health Authority. The first point of contact must be with Health via radio, as per the instructions.
- The English Harbour Immigration office now closes at 3:30pm and it’s safe to assume it might be difficult to get a VHF response from St. John’s port authority much beyond that.
- Vessels attempting to enter, but receiving no response should do the traditional things; find a safe place to anchor, hoist a Q flag, and try and make VHF contact in the morning. No one can attempt to physically land until authorized to do so. For those who have entered at English Harbour in the past this is new, do not land or approach the immigration office until specifically told to do so. In English Harbour only one boat is being processed within the office at a time so expect delays.
- There has recently been some concern by officials on Barbuda that private yachts are coming to Barbuda improperly (i.e. prior to clearing into Antigua). Any vessel wishing to go to Barbuda after clearing successfully through Antigua should confirm what the requirements are for transiting from Antigua to Barbuda and the protocols on arrival in Barbuda.
- There will be a health inspection on arrival on board. Wait on board the boat and do not attempt to go ashore until you have been visited by Health officials. Be sure to fly your yellow Q flag so that health officials see you in the anchorage.
- All crew will have to complete a Ministry Of Health, Wellness and the Environment Health Screening Questionnaire, one for each person on board.
- Health officials will decide on quarantine.
- If all on board have valid PCR tests, there were no stops at other ports since the port of origin, and the logged data indicates no covid-19 signs or symptoms of any member during the journey, then the time at sea shall be deemed valid as quarantine time. If less than fourteen days, then the remaining days of quarantine MAY have to be done on arrival. Yachts arriving from long offshore passages (i.e. transatlantic), report there was no requirement to arrive with a negative test result.
- Once cleared by Health on board – and given a pass to say you have been cleared -, Customs and Immigration should be visited. See Clearance for details.
- Wear a mask at all times on shore and when anyone visits the boat, sanitize hands when available etc.
- Once cleared, there are no sailing restrictions around the island.
- New rules for tourists arriving by air can be found in the latest travel advisory, but in brief a negative PCR test taken within 7 days of the flight and quarantine is likely.
- Curfew hours have been extended (6:00pm-5:00am) until 15 March – at least. Businesses, unless otherwise exempted, cannot operate during the curfew hours. Bars are closed and restaurants are limited to carryout orders only.
- The vaccination programme began 1 March. The first 2 days expats were able to be innoculated if they queued long enough. How long this will last is unclear.
Notes:
- 90 day visas are being issued on arrival. Extensions are complicated to obtain and expensive. Bear this in mind with limited onward cruising at this time from Antigua.
- Jolly Harbor were not permitting owners to liveaboard in the boatyard in 2020. Check in advance if this is now possible.
History:
- Antigua and Barbuda closed to inbound yachts on 28 March 2020.
- A total lockdown was introduced 24 hours a day. Vessles in Antigua were only allowed to move with permission from the Coastguard.
- Antigua’s airport and seaports opened to travelers on 01 June 2020.
- In February 2021 the Director of the country’s only hospital says Covid is stressing the hospitals limits; currently 41 Covid cases are hospitalized in the 80+ bed facility. He has called for another nationwide lockdown to relieve pressure on the country’s medical establishment, however, the government has said it does not want to order another national lockdown.
- The vaccination programme began on 1 March, 2021.
Resources:
- https://covid19.gov.ag/
- https://ministryofhealth.ag/covid-19-info/travel-advisories/
- Antigua Government Media Releases including updates on infection rates
- https://eseacovid.com/
- Update on Antigua & Barbuda Travel & Entry Protocols and Procedures due to the Coronavirus by Antigua and Barbuda Marine Association.
- Antigua Cruisers Facebook Page
Reports:
- Caribbean Bound 2020/21 – Yachting Protocols
- Retreat from Paradise (December 28, 2020)
- Caribbean – Antigua: Covid19 Field Report (April 07, 2020)
Useful Numbers:
- Antigua Port Authority Marine Dept.
Contact: Chief Pilot Sam Beresford – [email protected]
Tel: 1 268 732-4157 - Antigua Port Health
Contact: Sharon Martin – [email protected] - Antigua Customs
Contact: Randy Baltimore – [email protected] - Antigua Immigration
Contact: Neigel Emanuel – [email protected]
[email protected]
Call 562-1389, 562-7883, 562-1010 - Antigua Coastguard
VHF Ch 16 or call 268 462 3206/2841/2843 and 268 462 067
Related Businesses
Ministry of Health & The Environment, Antigua and Barbuda
Address: Antigua & Barbuda,
Health
There is a large modern hospital in St. John’s with all the latest medical equipment plus large and small private medical clinics, doctors’ practices and dental surgeries where international standards of treatment is available.
However, Emergency medical care on the island is reported to be expensive and slow. See Related User Comments from cruisers about the level of medical care here and the cost.
Insurance:
It is advisable to have medical insurance for both treatment in Antigua and for emergency evacuation.
Note that the private medical clinic, Adelin, will not accept medical travel insurance in payment for treatment. Patients must pay a deposit of US$4000 via a credit card before ANY treatment will be given. If funds deposited exceed the cost of treatment, a refund will be issued. Check your insurance company is willing to reimburse the cost of treatment at Adelin.
Mosquito-borne Diseases:
The dengue fever mosquito is found throughout Antigua and Barbuda and there have been alerts for the Zika virus. You should take normal precautions against mosquito bites.
Other Concerns:
There is a high prevalence of the HIV/AIDS virus on the island. Take precautions to avoid exposure to it.
There is no hyperbaric chamber available on the island. Divers in need of treatment for decompression illness may be transferred to Saba or Guadeloupe.
Last updated: November 2019
Documents
To expedite the clearance procedures, the Customs Department suggests using the eSeaClear process.
Vessels will need the following documents to clear in:
- Clearance from the previous port
- Vessel documentation or registration
- Five copies of the crew/passenger list
All boats in Antiguan waters must have a valid cruising permit, which should be obtained on entry and enables you to go anywhere in Antiguan waters, including Barbuda. In nearly all cases, yachts must clear into Antigua first because cruising permits are not available in Barbuda.
The permit is still valid if the yacht leaves Antigua and returns within the period of the permit.
If intending to charter, one must apply for an official license from the Chief Marine Surveyor/Examiner in St John’s Harbour. Tel. +1 268 462-1273.
Fees
Port entry and Cruising Permit: US$16.
One can buy an annual cruising permit to avoid paying the charge at every entry.
Cruising tax:
21- 40 feet US$8.00
41- 80 feet US$10.00
Also a clearance fee:
US$2.60 per person.
Yacht clearance fee:
21-40 feet US$4.00
41-80 feet US$6.00
Departure fee: US$25
Mooring fees in English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour are less for anchoring than for at the dock and are calculated per foot per day, week or month. If the fees are not paid in advance the daily rate is charged.
National Parks Authority fees are payable at Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua Slipways, Antigua Yacht Club Marina, Falmouth Harbour Marina, and Catamaran Marina.
Dockyard entry is EC$5 per person, valid for the duration of stay.
No overtime fees, except at St John’s, where they are about EC$20
Last updated in January 2018.
Restrictions
Fishing:
Spearfishing is illegal in Antigua and Barbuda waters by non-Antigua nationals. The coastline between Pillars of Hercules and entrance to Mamora Bay is protected and no fishing of any type is allowed in this area.
Closed Season:
There is a Closed Season for the following species: Nassau Grouper, Red Hind and Coney until Tuesday, March 31st, 2020.
Anyone found purchasing, selling or having in their possession any of these species may be fined up to a maximum of EC$50,000. Offenders can be reported to the Antigua & Barbuda Fisheries Division.
VHF;
VHF Channel 68 is used as the calling frequency by all coastal stations, including repair companies, taxis, and restaurants, so use of this channel as a working frequency is not permitted in Antiguan waters. It is strongly advised that an alternative channel is used as soon as contact is made on Channel 68.
The Coastguard stand by on VHF Channel 68 and 16. A boat can be searched either on entry into port from foreign waters or with a signed search warrant from a magistrates court.
Clothing:
You should be aware that it is an offense for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing.
Barbuda – Blue Halo Project
http://waittinstitute.org/bluehaloinitiative/barbuda/ [BROKENLINK]
The legislation is in place now for the protection of the fishery and ecosystem of Barbuda. This means restrictions on anchoring, fishing, diving, etc. See this noonsite report for details.
Local Customs
Pets
Arrival:
To bring your dog and/or cat into Antigua, you must apply for a Veterinary Import License and inform the Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary & Livestock Division of the date and time of arrival of your pet 48 hours ahead of time.
The Country of origin will determine the procedure that is taken.
Full details please read the following document:
Import Requirements for Pets (cats/dogs) into Antigua and Barbuda.
Import Permit:
After reviewing the animal’s medical and vaccination history an import license can be issued. Only pets with a duly issued import license will be accepted into Antigua and Barbuda. The Import Permit must be obtained before arrival.
Rabies Vaccinations:
Pets must be microchipped and blood tested for rabies at an approved laboratory. An official Health certificate issued between 7 to 10 days before arrival must be produced.
Prohibited Breeds:
Dogs of the “pitbull” breed or mixes of this breed are not allowed to land on Antigua and Barbuda. Any dog which physically resembles this breed must be accompanied by certification from a recognized kennel club which verifies that the dog is not of this breed (pitbull).
Fees:
A Veterinary Inspection Fee of EC$130.00 or US$50.00 is chargeable upon inspection on arrival. Animals are classified as property for the purposes of Customs and are subject to the imposition of import duty.
Departure:
On departure, if the next island to be visited requires a health certificate (not the case if you are going to Guadeloupe, for example), then call the vet directly a few days in advance and make an appointment. They will come to the same customs office and inspect your pet and issue a health certificate.
Note: Failing to comply with any of the requirements may result in refusal of entry of the pet into Antigua & Barbuda or confiscation of the pet.
Last updated: November 2019
Related Businesses
Veninary & Livestock Division
Address: P.O. Box 1282, Frias Hill Road, St John's, Antigua & Barbuda,
Fax:(268 462-610
Apply here for an import certificate.... Read More
