India - Facts
India FAQs
Pre-Arrival – Boat: All yachts entering Indian waters are now required to provide a Pre-Arrival Notification of Security (PANS), which must be sent by the skipper/captain or through an appointed agent at least 96 hours prior arrival at a Port of Entry. Use of an agent is now mandatory. See Clearance for more information.
Pre-Arrival – Crew: Visitors from all countries must obtain a tourist visa in advance if planning on visiting India or the Andaman Islands. More details in Immigration.
Where can I enter?: Cochin (Kochi) in SW India, Kerala, is a popular clearance port for vessels heading to or from the Red Sea and the most yacht-friendly entry port. See Main Ports in the blue Country drop down for a list of all Ports of Entry.
Are fees high to enter by yacht? Clearance fees charged often depend on where you clear in to the country. See Fees for details.
What security concerns should I know about? UK, USA and Australia government websites indicate that visitors to India should exercise a high degree of caution overall due to the threat of terrorism and crime and the risk of civil unrest. Higher levels apply in some areas and there have been a number of recent (September 2024) bomb threats at airports and on flights to and from India. See Security for more details.
India Facts for Sailors
- Cochin (Kochi) is conveniently placed close to the Red Sea route and as cruising along the coast offers limited attractions, those who are short of time would do better to use Cochin as a base and tour inland from there. India’s first marina opened here on Bolgatty Island, April 2010, but facilities are basic.
- Bombay (Mumbai) is conveniently places if wishing to travel inland.
- The Andaman Islands are an archipelago of some 200 islands lying west of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Yachts are now welcome to stop here (with an Indian visa and Andamans as the destination) and the islands are becoming a popular area for boats from Phuket, especially those on their way to the Red Sea. There is a rally for these islands which makes entry and cruising easier. See Events for details.
- North Sentinel Island in Eastern India, which lies to the west of the southern part of South Andaman Island, has a 3 mile exclusion zone around it. The Sentinelese people who live on this small island actively and violently reject contact and are considered the most isolated people in the world.
- The east coast is not normally visited by yachts, although Madras (Chennai) is a port of entry.
- There are small workshops capable of simple repairs, but spare parts are almost unobtainable, so you should have all essentials on board. There are several boatyards with slipways, but they are not used to dealing with keeled yachts so should only be used if absolutely necessary.
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We cleared in at Kochi after sending pre-arrival notification (PANS). First Port (Harbor) Control came to see us, but they asked questions without coming on board. Then Health, who came on board, did a temperature check but no masks required (and he did not ask about our vaccination status) and finally Port Marina and Immigration.
They all had 3 copies of questionnaires and wanted to know the last 10 ports visited(one wanted to know the last 10 countries visited). They wanted to see the ships papers, number, port registration, etc. etc. They wrote everything down on all 3 copies.
The day after the visits on board, we had to visit the office of immigration. They entered some of the data into a computer. Then we had to go to the Port Marina office and answer some more questions. We had to pay (me and 1 crew) around 1200 rupies (approx. $15). We got a statement that we would be allowed to leave the anchorage and move to the marina. Then we had to go to customs .. which by mistake were not informed. A questionnaire was prepared and a Customs officer went with us in the dinghy back to the boat. He inspected the boat and put the Iridium Go phone in a compartment and sealed it. Then he wrote down some food we had .. white beans 3 cans, red beans 2 cans, fruit peach 2 cans … and so forth.
Back at the Customs office he guided us to another Customs department where my ships papers were taken as a deposit. We then had to wait around 30 minutes while that guy then got some other departments informed. Then we could leave.
There is a local guy that helps you. He and his brother took over the “service” from their father. He contacts sailors and offers help. He is not a clearing agent nor an approved importer, but he knows his way around all the offices. He’s called Nisam – phone +91 97464 62686.
27 hours after arrival we could proceed to the marina.
In general India (or at least the state of Kerala), probably doesn’t understand the cash / income they could make with yachts visiting. Maitenance of the marina is bad.
What comes first? Infrastructure for boats or the boats? I would not recommend others to stop here.
E-Visa normally processed in 72hours not 60days. Took 12 hours for our visas to be granted.
Lakshadweep Islands: Update received from Indian boat owner who was granted a permit to visit these islands for a period of 9 days in February 2015. He reports that the process is difficult and one must push to get an answer from the Island Administrator. See RESTRICTIONS above in the Formalities section for details of how to apply for a permit.
Posted on behalf of Brian Thurlow from Cochin, India:
It is difficult, or nearly impossible for foreign boats to visit the Lakshadweep Islands. We have one Indian owned catamaran in the marina who did the trip last year with at least one European crew. I will contact him for details. He said it was difficult, but not impossible. Waiting for an update.
Does anyone have any info on visiting the Lakshadweep islands?
Was in Kochi (Cochin) at the end of February 2014 on s/y Anima. Stay in International Marina. You must anchor off near Port Control for clearance. Port security comes onboard to check the boat, after that you will go ashore with a security officer for customs and immigration. Be ready to spend a whole day (or more, if you come on Sunday). After clearance, you’ll go to the Harbourmaster office to take permission to go to Marina. Channel to the marina is good markered, but not so good dragged – there was 1.8 minimal depth at MHWS, take care! Marina is empty but still works. Maybe you will meet Bebe – tuk-tuk driver. You can solve almost any problem with his assistance.