Falklands Pre-Arrival Procedures for Yachts

Unless an emergency, arriving yachts must notify the Harbour Authorities and the Customs and Immigration Service 24 hours prior to arriving at the “Reporting Line.” The Reporting Line is a line between Volunteer Point and Cape Pembroke, which forms the outer boundary of Berkeley Sound and Port William.

The Harbour Authorities can be contacted by phone (+500 27233) or email maritime.authority@sec.gov.uk and Customs/Immigration at (+500 27340) or email (admin@customs.gov.fk).

Any time vessels arrive to, or depart from, the Reporting Line, contact the Harbour Authority at VHF Channel 16 or 10.

Ports of Entry

Stanley is the only Port of Entry for yachts.

Falklands Arrival Procedures for Yachts

Advance Notification

Advise the Authorities of the yacht’s ETA on VHF Channel 16. Fly the “Q” flag.

General Procedure

Be prepared to anchor if you have not made prior arrangement and speak to ‘Stanley Customs’ on VHF 12/16 to arrange clearance.  Anchorage is possible off the centre of Stanley in 5-8metres with good holding, although there is a considerable fetch in strong westerly winds.

There are pontoons at the Public Jetty in the centre of town, which if not in use by cruise ship tenders, can be booked for yachts by contacting the Falkland Islands Tourist Board – email:  info@falklandislands.com.  A sizeable charge is now levied for using these pontoons.  They are exposed to winds from the north so take care on approach.  Other berthing options are outlined in the Ports and Harbour Information Document, supplied by the Falkland Islands Maritime Authority which can be downloaded here.

One government official usually deals with both Immigration and Customs Clearance and they usually come out to visiting vessels.

Falklands Departure Procedures for Yachts

Any time vessels arrive to or depart from the Reporting Line, contact the Harbour Authority at VHF Channel 16 or 10.

Yachts must clear in to Stanley but permission is usually given to depart from any undeclared port in the Falklands as long as Customs and Immigration are informed.  It is a good idea to discuss this with officials when clearing in.

Updated annually, the Falkland Islands Ports & Harbour information document has complete arrival instructions for yachts. It is a downloadable pdf document.

Yachts Planning to Visit Antarctica

Any yachts leaving the Falklands (or any other British Territory) for Antarctica with at least one British national on board, are able to apply for a permit from the U.K. Foreign Office. This can also be done even if the yacht is not U.K. flagged.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has produced Antarctic Yachting Guidelines (2016), see HighLatitudes.com, which has useful information and data about sailing in Antarctica.

There are forms tailored to expeditions by smaller yachts. The permit forms required are now found at GOV.UK website.

Cruising between Argentina and the Falklands

The procedure which currently works and enables yachts to pass from the Falklands to Argentina and back again, without difficulty, is to apply for a “Permiso” from Argentina seven to 10 days in advance of setting off towards the islands.

This permit is needed by ships and all sailing vessels using Argentine waters en-route to the Falklands, South Georgia or the South Sandwich Islands which  all UK controlled. This is being aggressively policed and large fines are made for those making unscheduled stops, even in an emergency.

For example, two private yachts in the last two months of 2010 were fined $6000 US for visiting the Falklands without Argentine permission. In both cases, force Majeure was claimed (engine problems/weather) however this was not considered an issue when being assessed for the fines.

For information on how to apply for a “permiso” read this Noonsite report: Heading to the Malvinas/Falklands – Applying for “Permiso”

The latest condition being applied by Argentina, is the requirement that, even if not calling at the Falklands, the skipper of yachts sailing to or from an Argentinian port via the Atlantic, must complete a form Anexo 2 where the skipper makes a sworn statement in the presence of an Argentine consul or a coastguard officer, not to visit the Falkland Islands. If this form is not completed nor permission obtained to visit the islands, it is assumed they have done so and a fine imposed.

Last updated:  July 2024

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