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Jamaica - Clearance

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ARRIVAL FORMALITIES

At your first Port of Entry, fly the Q-flag. This is important.

Ensure you have a Jamaican courtesy flag to fly once clearance has been completed. This is also important.

Ports of Entry: 

The northern coast is the preferred point of entry as the southern coast has more reefs and requires careful attention.

The Coast Guard advises that entry to the island be made at the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club in Kingston (although cruisers report that Port Royal is quicker), The Montego Bay Yacht Club in Montego Bay, or the Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio. At these docks, immigration and customs services, adequate facilities for mooring/docking, refueling and supplies, as well as security are in place, or are easily arranged. Some of these ports have repair facilities with lifts, and can make arrangements for specialized marine services as needed.

General Process:

Report your arrival immediately. Yachts clearing in from foreign ports may not be allowed to dock until given permission by Customs. Customs, Immigration and Health will normally come to the boat.

  • Customs: Jamaica Customs requires that each vessel provides a full crew list and documents relating to the vessel’s registration and cargo. A Customs Officer will board the vessel for inspection and indicate when pratique (clearance) has been granted.
  • Immigration: The Passport Immigration & Citizenship Agency (PICA) will require the crew list and passports (with proof of visas where applicable) for each vessel. The Immigration Officer will indicate the period of stay for which each traveler is allowed. Extensions of stay may be sought through PICA.
  • Fees: There is no cost for clearing into Jamaica during normal working hours (09:00-16.30 (Mon-Fri). Outside these hours there is a reasonable charge. See Fees for details.

Domestic Cruising:

Customs is the agency in charge of your port to port movements. They will ask for a detailed itinerary and then you will have to buy a cruising permit (a “Coastwise Clearance”). See Documents for more details.

At each port, check in with Customs. You do not have to do full clearance at every port.

Yachts are monitored and if checking in late or making unauthorised stops (without sufficient reason) you may be fined.

As the cost of the cruising permit is US$150 for 6 months (fixed cost) – many yachts visiting for a couple of weeks choose to stay in the port of entry and explore the island by land.

Last updated:  December 2023

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Jamaica was last updated 11 months ago.

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  1. March 17, 2023 at 10:12 AM
    profile photo
    sue-richards says:

    Feedback from SV Kookaburra:
    We checked into Errol Flynn Marina (EFM) on Feb 15, 2023, and had a wonderful stay in Port Antonio. Marina is very laid back with good facilities. We didn’t pay any fees to check in to Jamaica as we decided to not get the cruising permit ($150 US) and just do land travel from EFM. Short term dockage was $0.95 US/day, or you can anchor out at $25 US/day.
    Fruits & veggies abound at the street market a short walk out of the marina.
    A car was $70-90 US/day with weekly rates available, but an overnight in Kingston (orchid cottage +++++) with provisioning at the Price smart and some mountain touring was excellent. We rented a car on another day and went to Ocho Rios to do Dunn’s river falls, big cruise ship spot, and the next morning did Nanny Falls in Mooretown – the polar opposite of a tourist site.
    Customs & Immigration was easy and straight forward.
    Keith Pomeroy

  2. March 3, 2021 at 3:12 PM
    billmintz1 says:

    We are currently in Jamaica. Though not technically open, there has been a trickle of boats allowed to enter and cruise. We have wonderful freedom here, and few restrictions. Contact the Montego Bay Yacht Club before coming.

  3. July 2, 2020 at 11:52 AM
    mcarroll says:

    Although Jamaica reopened airports to foreign visitors on June 15, I was informed July 1 by Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio that seaports are NOT open to foreign yachts and that any arriving will NOT be allowed to enter the country.

    1. July 5, 2020 at 4:24 PM
      profile photo
      Sue Richards says:

      Thank you for posting this information – I am very glad you got a response from Errol Flynn Marina. We will amend Noonsite’s information.

  4. April 14, 2020 at 5:21 PM
    paulworthington says:

    Port Antonio – Just had my boat hauled for its annual anti-foul application along with other work. George and Flower did a fantastic job and looked after everything yet again. Nice people.
    The PAJ have appointed another manager for the facility. George has done a wonderful job standing in as manager for the past 6 to 8 months (yet again) after the last manager’s resignation. He will now be expected to train up a third manager. The gentlemen and his team are so thorough, helpful and pleasant I have no idea why the PAJ have overlooked him again and not appointed him manager.

  5. May 26, 2016 at 12:48 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    Posted on behalf of Miki Barzam on “Two Oceans”

    Negril Bay – technical support could be available at the water-sport center of the resort on the beach. Ask for the hourly rate beforehand and haggle if necessary. An electrician named Santos did a good job making one good alternator out of two bad ones.

  6. October 26, 2015 at 8:17 AM
    Data Entry5 says:

    Let me recommend u on a very good and friendly lady – Ingrid- that took us to an amazing day trip in Jamaica. She has a safe and comfortable car and she took us with our kids to the most Amazing spots around Kingston but she can come to other location.
    I really recommend. You will enjoy for sure as we did 876-788-5655 or 876-425-2582 and email is imevans5@hotmail.com

  7. September 10, 2015 at 9:21 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    Yes it’s misleading, having looked at Frank Virgintino’s guide it clearly states in one place that Port Kaiser should be avoided except in an emergency (as it’s a commercial port), and then in another section on approaches to Jamaica does indicate that clearance can be made at Port Kaiser.

    This is a mis-print and the new edition of the guide currently being worked on will be amended accordingly. So – in short – Port Kaiser is not a clearance port and not a port for cruising yachts. Frank Virgintino apologises for any confusion that might have been caused.

  8. September 9, 2015 at 7:49 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    Posted on behalf of Brian Anderson (S/V Red Shoes):

    Any advice please: my cruising guide to Jamaica indicates one can “clear in” at Port Kaiser if arriving from the south. But the Port does not seem to offer any welcome to yachts, and no Customs services. Is the cruising guide mistaken? Thank you for any information.

  9. February 9, 2015 at 10:21 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    Posted on behalf of Andreas and Cordula Raimund of SY Aphrodite (Germany):

    After three years we visited Jamaica for the second time. We enjoyed the Montego Bay Yacht Club and also especially Port Antonio. Anchorages are never crowded, people are extremely friendly and we felt never unsafe.

    But the best is the countryside and the Blue Mountains. We drove with our guide (David Rhoden tel. +1 876 385-1305) to the Blue Mountains for several days. David showed us the country, nature and the mountains.

    We will surely come back. Thanks, David.

  10. April 8, 2014 at 2:06 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    We really know nearly all about diesel engines. But we had a problem with the pomp. We could not find out. In Montego Bay there is Rohan, he is very special about that. In 5 minutes he knew the solution to our problem. Phone (876)428-4025 and (876)952-8958.

  11. April 8, 2014 at 12:49 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    Additional information provided by Elessar
    We cleared in Bowden Harbour, no problem. There we have said, next harbour is Jamaican Royal Yacht Club in Kingston. We arrived in normal time, they had got the paper “Bowden Harbour – JRYC” also in normal time.
    But on Saturday morning they came, give us the paper for next harbour and took the money. It was about 7.30a.m., but we asked not for coming so early. All of us had been still sleeping!

  12. March 22, 2014 at 2:32 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    We paid on Saturday at 8 a.m. to the customs in Kingston 65 USD!

  13. February 19, 2014 at 3:29 PM
    Data Entry5 says:

    Posted on behalf of Steve Gould, who writes:

    I have a report on the danger of sailing along the Jamaican coast at night time. I filed an “Official Complaint” with the Jamaican Coast Guard after their attempted boarding of my vessel. Their vessel was an “open fisherman” which was sitting and waiting with no lights until within 200 yards of us.

    The only light they displayed throughout the episode was a bow light they turned on after charging at our vessel. They had no radio, no visible markings, barked for me to “stop your vessel” and then barked “we are boarding your vessel” repeatedly.

    They made many attempts to board over the period of one hour and were only held back by my clear intention to repulse them with a machete. It is clear the Coast Guard is a danger to cruisers. The manager of the Errol Flynn Marina told me he had a similar encounter.