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One local point of contact
Instead of working through each authority separately, the agent handles the sequence and knows which office at the chosen port is currently open and staffed.
Customs, Immigration, Port Authority and cruising permits
Antigua Yacht Clearance Agents
Clearing into Antigua and Barbuda runs across Customs, Immigration and the Port Authority, and the yacht needs a cruising permit before it moves on. Send us the vessel, crew, route and timing details and we will introduce you to a local Yacht Clearance agent who can prepare the paperwork and coordinate the formalities at the port you choose.
6 Antigua locationsChoose the port that matches the voyage or berth.
One clear requestSend yacht, crew, route and timing details once.
Local agent supportWe review the request before an introduction.
Our service
Why use a local Antigua yacht-clearance agent?
Clearing in here is not one transaction. Customs, Immigration and the Port Authority each have a part, and the National Parks Authority joins in if the yacht stays at English Harbour or Falmouth. Immigration's own published guidance for maritime carriers assumes an agent is handling the crew side. An agent gives you a single point of contact across all of it.
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Preparation before arrival
The agent can prepare the advance notification, assemble the crew and passenger list, check travel documents against the nationalities aboard, and flag anything needing a visa, a visa waiver or a seaman's book before the yacht sails.
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Coordination on arrival and departure
The agent can coordinate Customs, Immigration and Port Authority attendance, the cruising permit, applicable harbour and National Parks charges, crew signing on or off, and outward clearance when the yacht leaves. Clearance decisions stay with the authorities, and Customs allows only the captain ashore to make clearance.
Before arrival
The core papers to have ready for Antigua.
Having the core records ready helps the agent assess the voyage efficiently.
✓Clearance from the last port (outward clearance or zarpe)
✓Crew and passenger list covering everyone on board
✓Yacht registration and flag details
✓Passports or other accepted travel documents for everyone aboard
✓Proof of ownership or written authority to operate the yacht
✓Valid yacht insurance
Clearance planning
How yacht clearance works in Antigua and Barbuda.
This follows what Customs and the Immigration Department publish. Local practice varies between ports and seasons, so an agent confirms the arrangement for your port before you arrive.
Notify, then arrive at a legal port of entry
Customs requires an eSeaClear notification before arrival, with the vessel details and a full crew and passenger list; a manual fallback applies if the electronic process is unavailable. Arrive at one of the six legal ports of entry listed below, fly a Q flag and keep everyone aboard until clearance is granted.
Customs and Immigration
Only the captain goes ashore, presenting the clearance from the last port, the crew and passenger list and the vessel registration. Immigration then checks passports against the notification, signs off anyone leaving the yacht, and returns the file to Customs to make clearance official.
Port Authority, cruising permit and National Parks
Harbour fees and the cruising permit are settled with the Port Authority; permits run up to a maximum of six consecutive months. Yachts lying in English Harbour or Falmouth, at anchor or in the marinas there, also face National Parks Authority charges.
Crew changes and departure
Crew joining or leaving the yacht go through Immigration, which expects an agent to present them in person with passports and travel details. Complete outward clearance and settle charges before sailing. Customs publishes an Embarkation Seaport Tax of EC$75, about US$30, per qualifying departing passenger.
Antigua locations
Which Antigua clearance location suits your yacht?
These six are the legal ports of entry for pleasure craft named by Antigua and Barbuda Customs, and they are not interchangeable. What usually decides between them is how each one is staffed, which the two authorities describe very differently. If your berth is elsewhere, choose the closest relevant port or select Other port in the form.
St. John's and northwest Antigua
2 locationsThe capital's harbour handles the country's commercial and cruise traffic. Customs publishes a yacht-boarding function at both locations here, but Immigration describes the two stations very differently, so the choice between them matters.
Deep Water HarbourA legal port of entry with a Customs yacht-boarding function, but Immigration describes its station as commercial and cargo, with offices not operational, officers transported in, and advance notice required for arrival and departure.View port guide →Heritage QuayThe cruise quay, where Customs lists boarding for cruise passenger ships and pleasure yachts and Immigration runs a station daily on the longest published seaport hours in the country.View port guide →
West coast Antigua
1 locationSouth Antigua
1 locationNortheast Antigua
1 locationBarbuda
1 locationAntigua requirements
The national requirements behind an Antigua clearance.
What follows is what the authorities publish. Office arrangements, charges and local practice change, and a published listing does not establish current eligibility or attendance, so have it confirmed before you sail.
Ports of entry and advance notification
Customs names six legal ports of entry for pleasure craft: Deep Water Harbour, English Harbour, Jolly Harbour, Heritage Quay, Crabbs Peninsula and Barbuda. Clearing outside one needs the Comptroller's permission, requested within twenty-four hours before arrival or departure. Every vessel must prepare an eSeaClear notification beforehand, carrying the vessel details and a completed crew and passenger list; Immigration publishes a manual alternative using a Customs clearance form, a printed crew list and passport copies. The notification reference is presented to Customs to collect the clearance documents.
Arrival conduct and Customs documents
Fly a yellow Q flag on arrival and keep everyone aboard until clearance is obtained. Customs allows only the master ashore, with a crew member permitted where there is a language barrier. Arriving after hours, nobody goes ashore until entry is completed at the first opportunity. Customs asks for the clearance from the last port, a list of all passengers and crew, the vessel registration, and anything further the Comptroller considers necessary. From the French islands, assume a printed and stamped outward clearance is needed.
Immigration, crew changes and length of stay
Everyone arriving must produce a passport or other valid identity document, normally valid beyond the return date, and may be asked for onward travel and sufficient funds. Visitors may be granted up to six months, extendable for further periods not exceeding six months on application to the Chief Immigration Officer. Crew from visa-required countries need a seaman's book, visa or visa waiver; a seaman's book becomes the primary entry document. Anyone leaving the yacht is signed off the crew list in front of Immigration, and a transfer between vessels needs letters from both masters. Nobody is processed until the vessel itself has entry clearance.
Cruising permit, harbour charges and departure
A foreign-registered vessel operating in Antigua and Barbuda waters needs a valid cruising permit, issued by the Port Authority or National Parks for up to a maximum of six consecutive months, with extension possible. It covers cruising anywhere in national waters except prohibited or restricted areas, and tenders fall under the same limits. Nelson's Dockyard National Park covers English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour, so yachts lying there face National Parks charges on top of Port Authority fees, with receipts for both required even when clearing out elsewhere. On departure, Customs publishes an Embarkation Seaport Tax of EC$75, roughly US$30, per qualifying passenger.
FAQ
Antigua Yacht Clearance questions
How do I clear a yacht into Antigua and Barbuda?
Send the eSeaClear notification before arrival, then arrive at one of the six legal ports of entry flying a Q flag, with everyone staying aboard. The captain completes Customs and Immigration ashore, and harbour fees and the cruising permit are settled with the Port Authority. An agent can prepare the file and coordinate the offices at your chosen port.
Where can a yacht clear into Antigua?
Customs names six: Deep Water Harbour, English Harbour, Jolly Harbour, Heritage Quay, Crabbs Peninsula and Barbuda. They differ substantially in how they are staffed. English Harbour and Jolly Harbour are the yacht-focused locations, Heritage Quay and Deep Water Harbour sit in the commercial port at St John's, Crabbs is the northern boatyard area, and Barbuda's status is not settled between the two authorities.
What is eSeaClear and is it compulsory?
eSeaClear is the Caribbean pre-arrival notification system for sending vessel, crew and passenger details ahead of arrival. Customs states in its published yachting procedure that each vessel must prepare one, and Immigration treats it as the standard route with a manual fallback. It is notification, not clearance: the formalities still happen on arrival. An agent can submit it for you.
Can I sail straight to Barbuda?
Confirm first. Customs lists Barbuda among the legal ports of entry and publishes a Barbuda office, while Immigration states that Barbuda is not a designated entry port and that carriers must clear in Antigua before sailing there. Because the two published positions differ, have the arrangement confirmed for your dates.
Do visiting yachts need a cruising permit, and how long can we stay?
A foreign-registered vessel needs a valid cruising permit, issued for up to a maximum of six consecutive months, and the Coast Guard may ask to see it. The people aboard are governed separately: Immigration publishes that visitors may be granted up to six months, extendable on application. Check both against your plans.
Why are National Parks fees mentioned for some harbours and not others?
Nelson's Dockyard National Park covers English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour. Yachts anchored there or berthed at the marinas face National Parks charges on top of Port Authority fees. Receipts may be asked for even if the yacht clears out elsewhere, so the charges follow the yacht rather than the port it leaves from.
What does it cost to clear in?
We do not publish fee figures. Harbour charges, permit rates, National Parks charges and overtime depend on the yacht, the port, the season and the hour of arrival, and they change. The one figure Customs publishes directly is the Embarkation Seaport Tax, EC$75 or roughly US$30, per qualifying departing passenger. Ask your agent for a current breakdown.
What does Antigua Yacht Clearance do?
We review the request and, where suitable, introduce the skipper to a local Yacht Clearance agent who can prepare the paperwork and coordinate the formalities. We are an information and agent-referral service, not a government authority, and clearance decisions remain with the competent authorities.
Personal clearance support
Send the voyage details once. We help route the request.
Use the form for check-in, check-out, Customs, Police, crew-list or maritime-reporting assistance.