East Timor (Timor Leste) - Clearance
General Clearance Procedures
Dili, the capital, is the official entry/exit port for yachts visiting Timor-Leste. Yachts must notify Customs 24 hours prior to arrival in Dili by voice message or SMS to either of the following phone numbers: +670 7546 2519 and/or +670 7836 1463.
On arrival, the following flags should be hoisted:
- Code flag Q
- Yacht National Flag
- Timor-Leste courtesy flag (if available).
You may then proceed to the yacht anchorage on the port side of the main wharf. The yacht anchorage is located at approximately S8° 33.10’ and E125° 34.5’. Take particular note of the small reef in the center of the yacht anchorage area. After entering the harbor you will notice two yellow quarantine buoys on your port side. These are NOT to be used by vessels as they have shifted during heavy weather and now sit on top of a reef.
Inwards Clearance Procedures
Papers for clearance into Timor-Leste:
- Yacht Registration Certificate
- Crew list
- Passports
- US$30 per crew member for Visa fees
- Port Clearance from your last port of call.
After anchoring, the captain and all crew should go ashore and report to the Maritime Police on the foreshore of Dili Bay. They are open between the hours of 09:00-16;00 (with normally a long break for lunch).
Follow the directions of the Maritime Police, which will generally be to proceed to the Dili Port Authority for inwards Customs, Immigration, Quarantine, Health and Harbour Master clearance. Offices are at the main shipping port. Port Authority. The Immigration office is in a white shipping container. The Customs office is also there, but often the officials are to be found elsewhere.
Customs and Quarantine officials will interview the captain of the yacht and decide whether they will be making an inspection of the vessel.
On completing inwards clearance, you will be provided with a Clearance Form stamped by Customs and Quarantine, plus a formal receipt for visa fees and a visa stamped in each passport.
A crew member must return to the yacht and take down the yellow “Q” flag and hoist the courtesy flag if you had to purchase it in Dili.
Latest reports indicate that clearance is quick and hassle-free. Ensure you submit copies of the various documents as they may not be returned.
A useful place to land the dinghy while clearing in is just to the left of the ramp to the car ferry.
Outwards Clearance Procedures
Go to the Dili Port Authority with all passports for outward processing. An Outward Crew List should also be provided. You will be processed through Immigration and Customs and provided with a Port Clearance from Dili. This Port Clearance will be needed at your next port of entry.
You will also be provided with a Sailing Authorisation for Timor-Leste waters. The Sailing Authorisation allows yachts (which have already cleared from Timor-Leste) to visit all waters and ports of Timor-Leste including Atauro Island and the enclave of Oecusse. The Port Authority/Harbour Master will issue Sailing Authorisations as yachts clear from Dili (and Timor-Leste). Sailing Authorisations are valid for a maximum stay of three months in Timor-Leste provided all crew have valid visa extensions for the period of the Sailing Authorisation.
For yachts traveling onwards to Indonesia, yachts are welcome to stop over at the Timor-Leste enclave, Oecusse, which is located on the north coast of West Timor (approximate co-ordinates S09° 10′ E124° 20′). Oecusse (also known as Pante Makassar) is almost equidistant from Dili and Kupang (approximately 90 NM from Dili and from Kupang). Oecusse will be automatically included on your Timor-Leste Sailing Authorisation so there is no need to decide about this destination in advance.
Last updated: May 2025
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Posted on behalf of Andrew and Leslie Godfrey
SV Sonrisa, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Update on getting Indonesian Visas in Dili, Timor Leste. Posted September 04 2018
I have seen several cruisers in the SE Asia area not wanting to go to Dili, East Timor to renew their Indonesian visas. My wife and I were there for two weeks in November 2017 with our boat Sonrisa parked in the harbor.
We met locals, took local public transport to the local vegetable market and saw the tourist sites in the city and further afield. Nothing but friendly people – people wanting to learn English and giving us rides for free back to our boat after we stayed put too late in a far end of town where the taxis had stopped for the night.
There are hawkers and I am sure bad people exist, but I think the descriptions under security are too aggressive and I think a lot of cruisers are missing out on a great country and a great opportunity for getting new Indonesian visas because of a couple of lines about crime that is certainly lower than would be in any similar sized American or Australian city.
We were there with three other boats – Red Dragonfly, Impetuous 2 and Double Angel and would expect similar comments from them.
Andrew and Leslie Godfrey
If you want to apply for an Indonesia Visa in Dili, you have to do this before going to the consulate by following this website: https://www.imigrasi-kbri-dili.com/
The comment about crime in the area does not seem applicable, my wife and I did a lot of walking around at both day and night and met nothing but wonderful people. Took large laps in several of the local Micro lets, and up to the market, again just more friendly people.
We always parked the dingy in the Maritime Police area and that just kept the kids from playing in the dingy rather than any worry about it. Definitely check out the Resistance Museum, very educational for $1 entrance fee and will give you a lot of info about the people around you. Checking in, the harbor master was in a temporary office further down than where Immigration was.
Also, checking OUT you visit Quarantine, we paid $77 for about two weeks in a 40′ boat, not sure how the fee was calculated, but seemed legit and got a receipt that the Harbor Master needed to give me the clearance papers. Visit Occuse, it is as nice as described in the “related reports” section.
If you need help getting you Indonesian Visas you can meet Kim at Dili Central Backpackers and for a fee, she was able to get the sponsor letter and full visas turned around in about 4 days.
Posted on behalf of SY Segue:
The info on the site for Timor Leste is totally correct. One of the easiest countries EVER to check into! The only item that needs clarification is that the $30 dollar immigration fee applies to non-EU citizens.
My wife and one of my crew are Spanish and it was free for them to enter…. my other crew (Brazilian) and myself (Canadian) had to pay $30 each. Actually REALLY enjoying this newest country!
Posted on behalf of Rebecca Childress:
Update on our experience using our Indonesia Social Visa (Visit Visa) from Timor Leste
We were surprisingly stamped in for 60 days when we checked in to Kupang, even though our visa said 30 days on entry, and then renewable up to 6 months. Unfortunately, when we went to renew the visa after 45 days, we were told that it was our fault that we were 15 days overdue, and there would be quite a large fine (almost $1000 USD!).
We were able to negotiate out of this fee, but by the time this was complete, we only had 3 days left on the 60 days. Not enough time to renew the visa again in Lombok, so we were forced to check out and leave Indonesia.
So if you see 30 days printed on the visa, renew it 7 days before the 30 days is up to avoid any problems …even if the stamp says 60 days! Does any of this make sense? Of course not, but such is Indonesia paperwork.
Rebecca