Indian Ocean, BIOT Chagos: The Permit Application Process

SY Jamala’s BIOT Chagos Mooring Permit Experience

This is a summary of our experience applying for and later amending, our BIOT (Chagos) yacht permit — for any Noonsite readers tracking how the process worked for cruisers this season.

Application

On 13 December 2025 we submitted our mooring permit application for S/Y JAMALA to BIOTA Environment (BIOTA.Environment@fcdo.gov.uk), requesting arrival on 14 May 2026. The application package included eight supporting documents: travel insurance certificate and policy (with MEDEVAC cover of £5,000,000), yacht insurance certificate and policy (with £2,000,000 liability cover), both passports, the signed BIOT Outer Islands permit request form, and an insurance summary. BIOT confirmed receipt on 23 December 2025.

Permit offer and issuance

• 22 December 2025: Olly Russell confirmed receipt of our application and said it would be processed in the New Year.
• 14 January 2026: Vicky Bendall asked us to hold off on payment while BIOT reviewed how the permit process would be regulated/governed for the year — we confirmed we’d wait.
• 9 March 2026: BIOT formally offered us a permit for 14/05/26–11/06/26, restricted to one mooring site (Ile Boddam, Salomon Islands only), subject to payment of the £1,000 fee.
• 10 March 2026: After payment, BIOT sent the actual RESTRICTED Mooring Permit document, along with the “BIOT Guidance for Yachts,” the Visitors and Visiting Vessels Ordinance 2018, and a fishing log template.

This email also set out the key rules: permit amendments must be requested before arrival or before the date on the permit (whichever is first) and cannot be made once a permit is active; fishing is hand-line only, limited to personal consumption (maximum three days’ worth, no sharing/selling), logged and returned within 28 days of departure.

So our permit was in hand roughly three months before our original planned arrival date — well before the application freeze hit on 31 March.

First date change

On 6 May 2026, with unforeseen issues delaying our arrival at Salomon, we asked BIOT to push our dates back by one week (new arrival 21 May, departure 18 June), and also asked for permission to anchor at Ile Fouquet/Takamaka as a weather backup to Ile Boddam. BIOT approved on 8 May, shifting our dates to 21/05/26–17/06/26 and sending a revised permit. They noted this was not something they’d typically be able to accommodate given limited space, and that they couldn’t guarantee further changes.

Second, “final” amendment

On 20 May 2026, during pre-departure mechanical inspections, we found problems with a key mechanical component; without repair, the engine couldn’t be relied on for the passage to Chagos or for navigating the reef pass into Salomon.

Replacement parts were in transit from Europe but hadn’t cleared customs. We asked BIOT to move our dates by one more week (arrival 28/05/26, departure 24/06/26), acknowledging this was a second request and committing not to ask again.  Despite the earlier caveat about not guaranteeing further changes, BIOT (Victoria Bendall) approved the request the same day and Ella Watson sent the updated permit for Ile Boddam, Salomon, covering 28/05/26–24/06/26.

Arrival notification

On arrival on 29 May 2026, we sent an arrival report to the BIOT SFPO (Senior Fisheries Protection Officer, aboard the patrol vessel Grampian Endurance) and the shipping agent, using the NATO phonetic-letter format required: yacht name, call sign, BIOT permit number, activity, date/time group, position, intended destination, and any other relevant information. In our case we noted that strong winds and lee-shore risk had forced us to anchor at Ile Fouquet/Takamaka rather than our permitted Ile Boddam. Daniel Teixeira (SFPO) acknowledged the report the same day, welcomed us to the Salomon Islands, and asked us to report back if we saw any signs of illegal activity (e.g. fishing vessels) during our stay.

On-site presence

We had no BIOT officials visit us in person during our stay, unless you count a drone flyover and two fighter jets.

Departure notification

We departed BIOT on 24 June 2026 and sent a short departure notice to the SFPO and shipping contact that day; Daniel Teixeira acknowledged it and wished us safe onward travel.

Fishing log

Permit guidance requires a fishing log sheet (including nil returns) to be completed and returned within 10 days of leaving the Territory. We missed including this with our initial departure paperwork. On 5 July, Marion Bourasseau (SFPO) followed up to ask for it; we apologised for the delay and sent the completed form on 6 July, which she confirmed was received and correct the same day. Worth flagging to others: the fishing log is a separate document from the departure notification and easy to overlook.

Takeaway

Even during a period of real strain on the BIOT permit system and a litigation-driven freeze on new applications, the administration was accommodating with two separate date amendments for an already-approved permit, including one raised quite late for a genuine safety reason. Communication throughout was responsive and personal (named officers, same-day replies on the amendment requests).

Allen Wadsworth
SV Jamala

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Related Information:

• BIOT (Chagos) – Noonsite
• BIOT (Chagos):  An Update for Visiting Yachts (Noonsite April 2026)

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About the Authors

When we set off from England, we genuinely thought we would be back home after five years with our feet up and the telly on – adventure done and some salty yarns in our repertoire to share with anyone with open ears. So sure were we of our timings, that we drew up our expected dates in each country on a world map for everyone to see at a party at our home six months before we left. According to that map, we should now be on our sofa glaring at a widescreen tv.

Now, we are more than halfway around the world, crossing the Indian Ocean. We have been idling along at less than half speed. If we carry on at this rate, we won’t be back until 2029. But who knows? We certainly don’t. There could be another pandemic; it might be challenging to transit some areas because of political instability, or the weather could become even more unpredictable. Or it might be that we like somewhere so much that we want to stay longer, as with French Polynesia. Or we might get a move on.

We have met people who have taken 20 years to complete their circumnavigation and some who have whizzed around in three. We stand a fair chance of being somewhere between the two. But as long as we enjoy it and can do it, we will continue blundering our way around the world.

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Read Part One of their BIOT Chagos experience:

• BIOT Chagos: Four Weeks of Birdlife, Sealife and Slowlife

Follow their circumnavigation voyage at:

• www.untilthebuttermelts.com

Other Noonsite Reports from SV Jamala:

• Malaysia:  Six Months in Friendly, Convenient and Well-Equipped Pangkor
• Singapore:  Efficient and Easy Arrival and Departure
• Indonesia:  The Positive and Negatives of Joining a Rally
• Kei Islands to Riau Islands and Stops Along the Way
• Australia, Torres Strait:  Entering Australia at Thursday Island
• Fiji:  Anchorages Update from SV Jamala
• Fiji, Savusavu:  A Relaxed and Friendly Bula Welcome
• Tonga, Vava’u:  Local Customs, Laws and Cruising Options
• Niue:  Visiting the Biggest little Yacht Club in the World
• Pacific Crossing: Farewell to French Polynesia and Bora Bora
• French Polynesia:  Tuamotus, Tahiti and Gambier Islands