Bermuda - Clearance
PRE ARRIVAL
See Bermuda Guidance Document for Visiting Pleasure Craft.
A Yacht Pre-Arrival Information Questionnaire needs to be completed online at http://www.marops.bm/of_visitingyacht.aspx, or downloaded and emailed to dutyofficer@marops.bm or faxed to Bermuda Maritime Operations on fax no +1 441 297 1530. This form links to a Maritime Declaration of Health, which must also be completed in advance.
Note: Although the SailClear advance web notification service for clearance does state that it covers Bermuda, Customs at the Yacht Reporting Center have confirmed that they are not using this system.
ARRIVAL FORMALITIES
Advance Notification:
All yachts must contact Bermuda Harbour Radio prior to arrival on VHF Channel 16 giving an approximate time of arrival and any special requirements. The first contact should be attempted when 30 miles from the Island. The station is on call 24 hours on 2182 KHz, 4125 KHz, and VHF Channels 16 and 27.
A 24-hour radar/AIS watch is also kept and unidentified vessels are called up, especially if they approach too close to the reef. The radio station will direct a yacht where to berth and how to proceed for clearance.
General Process:
The designated yacht reporting centers are:
- St. George’s Yacht Reporting Centre at 3 Ordnance Island, St. George’s; and
- Hamilton Yacht Reporting Centre at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Marina, 76 Pitt’s Bay Road, Pembroke, for pleasure craft berthing there. A request to proceed direct to the marina must be made to the Customs Department by e-mail prior to arrival.
Most pleasure craft proceed to the Customs dock at St. George’s Harbour for clearance. The Q flag must be flown.
Yachts entering between the hours of 24:00 and 08:00 will be directed by Bermuda Harbour Radio to anchor in Powder Hole, in the south-eastern section of St. George’s Harbour. Vessels must remain within this quarantine zone until 08:00 and are then required to proceed to the clearance facility for the completion of formalities.
Customs normally monitor VHF Channel 68.
Yachts stopping elsewhere will be escorted to St George’s and may be fined by Customs. After clearance yachts may then proceed to Hamilton or elsewhere in the archipelago.
- A Transit Permit will need to be purchased if visiting Bermuda for a period of less than 5 days. The only instance this is not payable is if you are arriving in Bermuda solely by reason of distress or emergency.
- A Cruising Permit will need to be purchased if visiting for longer than 5 days and is valid up to 6 months.
- Application and payment (see fees) is made at time of arrival in Bermuda when
the Customs Department Boarding Officer clears the vessel at the yacht reporting centre; or you may apply in advance through a Local Agent.
The Bermuda Guidance Document for Visiting Pleasure Craft has detailed information about permits.
CLEARING OUT
If there are no crew changes, it is not necessary to take your yacht to the Customs dock on clearing out. Simply dinghy over to do the necessary paperwork. After clearing out you must leave within the hour!
Last updated: September 2023
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We arrived May 1, 2019. I was surprised that at 1:00 AM Bermuda Harbor Radio would arrange for someone from immigration to be there to check us in. It was a calm night, so sorting out the Ordnance Island dockage was not too confusing. We then anchored in Powder Hole and we were able to secure a spot on the quay the next morning through Bermuda Yacht Services. ($1 foot). Gotta love Bermuda.
November 2018
St George’s
Head tax is 35USD
We docked at the cruise terminal — same rate as the town dock. Use a batter board! Seems like this is kosher as long as there is no cruise ship in port. Cruise ships are relatively rare in St George. (Meanwhile the ferry terminal is quite busy).
There is a duty-free fuel option which is supposedly available if you get a group of boats together to achieve the minimum amount required. You can also try to flag down the duty-free fuel truck if you see them.
We were told that Dowling’s sold water at 0.25USD/gal…which is only valid if you buy fuel, too. If you buy water (and NO fuel), the rate is increased to 0.35USD/gal.
It is easy to get around the island on the bus. You can buy a book of bus tickets at the post office. You can also buy bus tokens at the tourism office (? unsure).
As of November 2017, we were not asked to provide a consumable stores list or crew list. All food is ok so long as it stays on the boat. Do bring the completed Declaration of Health form with you (or complete it in the office). All crew need to come into the office and complete a customs form and present their passport.
Normally most countries require an outgoing clearance document from last port of call. If you leave the Bahamas bound for Bermuda Customs and immigration in i.e. Nassau charged us 75 USD for an outgoing clearance. When we arrived in St Georges harbour on Bermuda for clearance the officers said the Cruising Permit from the Bahamas had been good enough as an outgoing document from the Bahamas. So lesson learned is to skip a special outgoing document from Customs and immigration in Nassau and save 75 USD.
The cost for clearing into Bermuda is $35 per person. It’s possible Martyn was incorrectly charged last year as he had 4 people on board then, however, the cost this year is correct.
The cost of clearing into Bermuda is now $140 for a sailing yacht with 4 people on board.
(Last year it was $35!)
The Yacht Centre on Ordnance Island now offers free wifi to all yachtsmen in or outside their office.
You can get a 5% discount at the supermarket by stating that you are on a boat.