Penrhyn - Clearance
While the Cook Islands travel website indicates there are only two authorised ports of entry (and Cook Island Customs have confirmed this with Noonsite) – Avatiu Port, Rarotonga, or Arutanga port, Aitutaki – a cruising yacht was able to clear in to the Cook Islands at Penrhyn in May 2023. Read their Cruising Report here, which indicates that Penrhyn has removed themselves from the process of checking in with officials in Rarotonga and you do not need to inform Penrhyn of your planned arrival date – just show up.
Noonsite’s recommendation, however, is to proceed with caution and follow the rules for entry into the Cooks as outlined in Cook Islands Formalities.
General Process:
Notify the authorities at least 3 days prior to arrival by contacting the EO (Mr. Puna JOHN VANO) by email on [email protected].
VHF Channel 16 is the official frequency, however, there is no listening watch and officials will call you when you are seen.
Anchor off Omoka village on the south side of the Taruia Pass. There is also a wharf where it is possible to come alongside if there is no surge.
Note: Due to entanglement with coral bommies here, one cruising boat reported that they preferred to idle outside the reef while the skipper dinghied ashore to check in/out.
The Penrhyn Atoll Executive Officer (Mr Puna John Vano) coordinates the Border Control Team to attend for the clearance of your boat and crew. His office is located on the ground floor of the newly-built Cyclone Center and the Bank of the Cook Islands. He will arrange for Customs, immigration, bio-security, health and agriculture to visit you. All officials are reported to be very friendly, well organized and professional.
After clearance, you must get permission before moving elsewhere in the lagoon.
The EO requires a 24 hours notice of your departure. Anyone on the atoll can call him for you. Please make sure that your passports are collected and all fees paid to the border agencies at this time. All payments are to be made by credit card on an eftpos machine, or online payment link provided upon arrival.
Tongareva Island Government Fees:
Port Entry Fee: $50.00
Anchorage Fee (Min Charge 7 days): $30.00 – followed by $3.00 per day
Immigration Fee: Free (after hours $60.00)
Bio Security Fee: $50.00 (after hours $60.00)
Customs Clearance Fee: $60.00
Immigration (Departure Tax) per person over 12 years old: $80.00 (after hours $60.00 extra)
Public Health Fees: $20.00 (after hours $60.00)
Last updated: September 2023
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Related to following destinations: Cook Islands, Northern Group (Cook Islands), Penrhyn
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We arrived in Penrhyn (Tongreva) early May, 2023, came through the easy, short pass named Taruia, on the NW side and picked our way through the bommies in good sunlight and anchored in front of Omoka village. (Recommended spot 8.58,700S
158.3,100 W). The checkin people (customs, immigration, bio security, health and agriculture) came out to us within an hour and were super friendly organized and professional. For our 43’ monohull and two people the cost was $150NZ plus $2.50NZ per day. We did not have to check in beforehand with the central government in Rarotonga as Penrhyn has removed themselves from that process, nor did we need to inform Penrhyn of our planned arrival date, just show up. Sundays are for church so there is no checkin or work of any kind and Saturday atyou may or may not get checked in. Presently there is no ATM so you have to bring foreign currency in cash. We had $US which they would only trade 1:1 as it is difficult for them to get rid of the $US themselves.
There are WiFi hotspots and you can buy vouchers with a password to get you connected. The Vodaphone guy is a mile or two out of town but you should be able to catch a motorbike ride down to him pretty easily.
Presently there are 189 people living in Penrhyn with 28 of them living across the lagoon in Tetautua. We are the first cruising sailboat to stay awhile in 3 years (there was a guy, Tom Robinson, who is rowing his way across the Pacific, who stayed 4 months and had left before we arrived) and we have found this place to be very special. Maybe because there is so little tourism (15 sailboats visit in a “busy” year) we have found the people to be so open and enthusiastically welcoming. The lagoon is vibrant with life (great spearfishing) and the NW pass, the only one we have dove here so far, has some of the best marine life that we have seen in the Pacific although most of the coral in the pass was dead. And lots of sharks of course.
We sailed across to Tetautua and anchored in the very calm sandy waters in front (you are only allowed to anchor in front of the two villages but you may possibly ask permission to anchor somewhere else). They love it when kid boats show up and all the children can interact. Unfortunately they are not so enthusiastic about dogs as they are not allowed on the island anywhere.
There is no pearl farming or pearl diving happening here these days and we have not really done much trading with anybody.
There is a yacht book that sailors have been signing for 40 years that is interesting to read through.
This is my second time across the Pacific but first time to Penrhyn, and I have to say it is our favourite island (and we loved French Polynesia, especially the Marquesas). It is not on the straight line path towards Tonga if you are coming from French Polynesia but it is so well worth the few days north to get here, it really is.
Ian and Ann
SV Afrikii
Thank you for this wonderful feedback Ian and Ann – we are making this into a report for the site so that more of our users can find the information.