Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) - Clearance
This is a Port of Entry.
For full details on clearing into and out of the country see Turks & Caicos Formalities.
If using SailClear to create an “arrival notification” for Turks & Caicos, be aware that customs and immigration officials may not know anything about it. It is also advisable to clear in as soon as you have anchored.
General Clearance:
The Government Buildings at the Town Beach are closed for renovations so clearance formalities must be undertaken at the Customs Office at the south end of the island near the cruise ship terminal.
All crew members, not just the master/skipper must be present. Bring your boat documentation, zarpe from the prior country, passports, cash and be prepared to fill out forms.
See Turks & Caicos Formalities for details on the clearance process.
Once the forms have been completed, the customs official will call immigration to come and check the crew in.
Notes:
- Cruisers report only having to pay a fee of US$50 to Customs here (cash only and exact change required). Customs will also assist with the purchase of a 30 day cruising permit if required, for an additional fee.:
- A recent cruiser report indicated there was no request for COVID-19 immunization records or testing results and masking was not requested at any point of the clearing in process.
Last updated: January 2023
If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at [email protected]. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).
Next Section: Profile: Docking
Related to following destinations: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town), Turks & Caicos
Port Navigation
Courtesy Flag Discounts
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.comMain Ports - Turks & Caicos
Courtesy Flag Discounts
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.com
A few notes about clearing in on Grand Turk. The Harbor Master does not always monitor VHF 16 – we just showed up at the office and they were fine – it was a cruise ship day. Only the skipper needs to go ashore. The 7-day cruising permit cost $50. Unfortunately, the 8-90 day permit is still an additional $300. Also, you are charged $10 an hour in addition if you state your arrival time was before or after hours – it does not matter what time you actually show up at Customs. Not sure how they would be able to verify your arrival time on busy cruise ship days…
I would recommend doing what you can to anchor in the (crowded) harbor near customs instead of pulling up to the dock.
It is a giant, 6-foot high concrete monstrosity with some widely-spaced rusty bollards and rubber tyres — just like Aruba’s custom dock. There are moorings there, but many are private and you can’t tell which is which. If you hang out in the government harbor too long your boat may be boarded by the “Police,” not customs or the Coast Guard.
They did not inspect for food, animals, or closed through hulls, but rather went through our passports and were quite pleasant. I don’t think this is a required boarding and may be random as the Harbor Master did not mention it as a requirement.