India, Andaman Islands: Visiting Requirements

A useful guide from Margie GUthrie of SV Jade regarding the paperwork necessary when planning a visit to the Andaman Islands.

Published 9 years ago, updated 6 years ago

Editors Note:  from the 1st October 2018 there is no limit to the amount of time that visiting yachts may spend in the Andaman islands. Full details can be found here.

In December 2015, we decided to sail to the Andaman Islands, a territory belonging to India.   We contacted Emotion Travel in Phuket to apply for visas as we live in Phuket.  They informed us that for security reasons, persons now applying visas must have their fingerprints taken at IVS Global in Bangkok.

In order to start the process, Emotion Travel needed our passports, copies of every page in the passports plus a payment of THB 4,500 per visa application.  Three days later, we met their agent at IVS Global in Bangkok who had completed necessary the paperwork.  Handing in our applications and getting fingerprints taken took just 15 minutes.  10 days later, Emotion Travel in Phuket handed back our passports complete with visas.

Map of location of agent IVS Global, Bankok

Although it is possible to enter the Andamans without the assistance of an agent, we decided to appoint a local shipping agent to facilitate entry and exit formalities which are notoriously bureaucratic.   We wrote to 3 companies, and Andaman Holidays were the first and only company to respond.   In all our dealings with them, we were completely satisfied and their representative, Rathnam, was helpful, informative, and efficient.   On both arrival and departure, check-in/check-out procedures went smoothly and fully justified the extra cost in our opinion.

Rathnam provided guidance regarding documentation necessary for arrival, departure and cruising in the Andaman Islands.  Our adult ‘children’ who live in South Africa were joining us for the passage and obtained their visas in SA.   We queried the statement on the official document which said, “If any South African National is on board or any crew has visited South Africa within six months then yellow fever vaccination certificate will be required” as according to the India Visa and Passport services, South Africans don’t require vaccinations.  Rathnam wasn’t too sure about this (and our sympathies lie with him because it seems interpretations change with the official involved) so for safety sake, they had their inoculations at Phuket Airport Health Control Clinic.

We completed all paperwork as per the list below, (Rathman provided download links for the documents which were a boon).

List of forms and documents required for Check – In

Form / Document

Custo

Immigration

Coast   Guard

Harbour  Master

Port Health

 Agent

Total

Ship’s Property List

3

0

0

0

0

0

3

Personal Property Declaration (All Crew/Passengers)
(Form is in page 2 of above ship’s list)

3

0

0

0

0

0

3

Foreign Vessel Arrival Report

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

Particulars of Foreigners (All Crew/Passengers

0

1

0

0

0

0

1

Coast Guard Form

0

0

2

0

0

0

2

Maritime Declaration of Health

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

Health Declaration (All Crew//Passengers)

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

Crew List

3

3

2

1

1

1

11

Provision List

3

0

2

0

1

0

6

Equipment List

3

0

2

0

0

0

5

List of last 10 countries visited

0

1

2

0

1

0

4

Proposed day wise cruising itinerary

0

1

2

1

0

1

5

We chose the Andaman’s because it has long (almost 20 years) been a dream of ours to visit.  We now live in Phuket, Thailand thus making the Andaman’s easily within reach (only 420NM).

As our grown-up son and daughter-in-law were spending Christmas with us, we decided to realise the dream. We would like to have sailed the islands much more extensively.  But given our extremely short time window, these islands were within easy reach, worked well for the wind direction (generally N to NE, and even E), and gave us a good flavour of the area.  We also spent a couple of nights in Port Blair and went ashore to sample local culture and enjoy Indian food at an up-market restaurant.

We like sailing to remote locations not overrun by other boats and the Andaman’s certainly provided with this.  We only saw only a handful of commercial vessels sailing both ways to and from the Andaman’s and, among the islands, there were no other yachts that we saw.  The islands are really remote and deserted.

The Andaman’s also has a colourful history, a distinctly Indian culture, and a rich sea life, though specifically at the places we anchored, the snorkelling was not as good as we had expected.  Completely made up for by a huge pod of dolphins which escorted us for about 15 minutes after we had left Port Blair.

Margie Guthrie SV Jade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  1. October 4, 2018 at 8:01 AM
    Data Entry3 says:

    I am looking to go to the Andaman’s and contacted emotion Travel in late July 2016. Due to new rules they can only process a visa for you if you are a resident of Thailand. You will have to go to the Indian High Commission in Bangkok to lodge the documents and then return to collect your visa from there. The visa starts from the date it is fixed into your passport – NOT your date of entry into India.

  2. October 4, 2018 at 8:00 AM
    Data Entry3 says:

    Andaman Holidays Agency in Port Blair is a very reputable and honest business. Although we did not use an agent for checking in, it took us almost three days to complete the process. I think this is unusual but that is what happened to us. Also, we were trying to get online visas for Sri Lanka and were not able to complete the process with the Internet. The Andaman Islands has the slowest, most unreliable Internet of any country we have visited. We sat inside Andaman Holiday’s office for three days and tried to complete the online Sri Lankan Visa Forms without success. R. Rathnam and his secretary, Sushma, provided us with the name of an agent in Sri Lanka and emailed all the necessary forms for them to get the visa as a third party”. We offered to pay them for this service but the agency would accept no money.

    As of March 2016, Andaman Holidays charges about $200 US (12,000) Indian Rupees to handle all the clearance procedures. Additionally, they will take care of any other matters including spares in transit, tour packages, hotel reservations, air charter, air tickets, etc. They have a taxi driver named VJ that is honest and reliable. In March 2016, he charged 250 Indian rupees per hour for his services.

    For yachts using their dinghys to access the public dock, there is a “yacht boy” that takes your dinghy and looks after it. He seems to be at the dock from early morning until you arrive in the late afternoon. He charges 200 Indian Rupees per day for this service.

    Here are the details for the Andaman Holiday Agency: rathnam@andamanholidays.com or yachtagency@andamanholidays.com Mobile +91 99320 89595. The complete address is E-237 Pongy Kyuang, (Behind Anand Offset Press), Port Blair. Pin-744 101. Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India Phone: +91 3192 239595. Tele-Fax: +91 3192 234924

    One can find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/andamanholidays

    Hope this helps,
    Donald Turbeville
    S/Y Solstice