BIOT (Chagos) - Clearance
Pre-Arrival Requirements for BIOT Chagos
Yachts wishing to visit BIOT MUST apply for a Permit and Immigration Clearance in advance and pay the applicable fees. All application documents can be found online, along with detailed instructions on what to do.
Advice for yachts planning to visit:
- Applications for permits MUST be made at least six weeks prior to your intended arrival date, as the application process can take several weeks. There is no right to receive a permits which are now processed by the Administration’s Environmental Officers.
- Permits cannot be extended once the initial application has been approved.
- BIOT Chagos is not a tourist destination and access is restricted. Permits are only issued to yachts on safe passage. On the application form where it requests ‘Purpose of Visit,’ it is important that you state “Transit”. In the past, yachts have been declined permits due to the fact they stated “Tourism”, “Private visit”, “Pleasure” or other similar wording as their purpose of visit.
- Applications are checked carefully to ensure that a stop there is essential for their safe passage across the Indian Ocean. Where that is not the case, or there is any concern that the visit is not consistent with the policies and laws of British Indian Ocean Territory (in particular its ambitious environmental objectives), a permit will not be granted.
- The maximum stay permitted is 28 days. BIOT Permits are paid for and approved by the week (7 day periods), not by the day. See Fees for details. When applying for a permit, it may be wise to purchase a four week period which would give you greater flexibility for arrival and departure dates. Once a permit has been granted, it is NOT possible to change the dates, nor the crew list. Do not arrive before the permit date as you may be requested to leave.
- You will need to send a copy of your insurance documents with your permit application (see Documents for details of insurance required for BIOT).
- Send your application by email to BIOTA.Environment@fcdo.gov.uk:. Emails must be no larger than 10MB and have the name of your vessel in the subject field.
- If your application is approved, payment details will be sent to you and are by bank transfer only in British Pounds (see Fees).
- Permits are processed and issued once payment is received.
British Indian Ocean Territory Administration
King Charles Street
London, SW1A 2AH
Email: BIOTA.Environment@fcdo.gov.uk
Fax:+44 (0) 20 7008 1589
Website: BIOT/Visiting
The e-mail address is monitored regularly throughout working hours and is the best method of reaching BIOTA as all personnel access this mailbox.
Notes:
- Visiting yachts may be permitted only to anchor in Peros Banhos and the Salomon Islands at the approved sites. On the application, only apply to visit those areas containing yacht moorings otherwise your permit may be declined. See this link, Mooring plots for permitted anchoring sites.
- Access to Diego Garcia in BIOT is only permitted to those with connections either to the military facility or to the Territory’s Administration.
- You are subject to BIOT law when inside its territorial waters. If you break any of these laws, you will become subject, as in any country, to a range of censures and punishments, including fines, imprisonment, deportation, or the impounding and forfeiture of your vessel.
Arrival Procedures for BIOT Chagos:
All vessels are requested to report the following to the BIOT Patrol Vessel:-
- Entry into the BIOT Maritime Zone (MZ)
- Arrival at one of the authorised anchorages
- Departure from authorised anchorages
- Departure from the BIOT MZ
The information needs to contain:-
- Yacht name
- Call sign
- BIOT Permit no.
- Activity (i.e. arrival at MZ, entering/exiting anchorage, departing MZ)
- Time
- Position
- Intention (i.e. next destination)
- Any other information
See British Indian Ocean Territory Guidance for Yachts for details.
This may be emailed to BIOT Administration: BIOTA.Environment@fcdo.gov.uk or phoned to the BIOT Patrol Vessel (Grampian Endurance) at +44 1224 539325 or by Satellite phone number: 00 881 677 126 348
The BIOT Patrol Vessel may visit your yacht after you arrive. Their RIB will pull alongside your yacht and two men will board your boat, a Customs official and the Visit Vessel Control Officer (VVCO). The rib will not tie off to your vessel but expect black boot marks. Hand the Customs official your passports and a printed copy of your Chagos Vessel Mooring Permit, and related exception e-mails (if any).
After reviewing the documents to make sure they are valid for the time period of your visit, Customs will stamp the passports and the permit with a BIOT Customs Arrival stamp.
You may also be called up by a spotter plane which will also request your details.
Departure Procedures from BIOT Chagos:
There are no other clearing-out procedures except as described above unless the BIOT Patrol Boat just happens to be in the atoll on the day you depart.
No clearance document for your next port is provided and the BIOT Authorities do not expect to see your last port of clearance document.
Last updated: June 2024
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What is the vessel name responsible for the vandalism?
Reported by Kara Sewell, Assistant Administrator, British Indian Ocean Territory Administration:A member of the public applied for a mooring permit. I had assessed their application form and insurance documents and was satisfied with these. I had then provided a mooring permit to the individual. The individual was accompanied by his family. During their stay in British Indian Ocean Territory, they had carved the name of their yacht into one of the pine trees. This vandalism was later discovered by one of my colleagues who is located in the Territory. By the time my colleague discovered this, the individual and his family had departed the territory so we were unfortunately unable to prosecute them. I had confronted him about the vandalism via email but he refused to respond.
We wish to remind vessels that moor in BIOT, that vandalism is unacceptable and legal action will be taken for anyone found vandalising BIOT’s natural resources.[Editor’s Note: See https://www.noonsite.com/place/biot-chagos/formalities#restrictions-section
for what is and isn’t permitted in BIOT].
This infuriates me! It would be nice if the next country to see this boat was to deny them entry. Unbelievable!
Posted on behalf of SY Adina – currently in BIOT:
Really beautiful in BIOT/Chagos. They are now using spotter planes to check on us! The pilot called us up on VHF16 and I read all the boat names to him – clearly had a list and he quickly recalled them. Very polite and wished us well.
Posted on behalf of Katja Verheul:
At the moment I am doing research for a 20-min documentary about the Chagos Archipelago, which will be finished in July 2016 as part of my research as a Master at Goldsmiths University in London. A part of the documentary will be based on stories of sailors who visited the island, preferably in the ’80s and the ’90s.
I was hoping that through noonsite I could get in touch with some cruisers who have been here and ask them some questions about their stay and experience of the islands. Please e-mail me at va301kv(at)gold.ac.uk if you are able to assist.