Marshall Islands - Clearance
Marshalls Pre-Arrival Procedures for Yachts
Violation of these Clearance Rules may incur fines from $500/person to $10,000/yacht.
Advance Notification
Notification with anticipated arrival date and time through email is required at least 72 hours before arrival, to all departments. If not able to do this while under way, a notification email should be sent prior to departure from your last port. It’s unlikely you will get an answer.
Send ETA to the following email addresses:
- Port Authority – rmiports@gmail.com
- Sea Patrol – surveillancermipa@gmail.com
- Customs – mof.rmicustoms@gmail.com
- Immigration – majuro.doi@gmail.com
- Quarantine/Biosecurity – rmiquarantine@gmail.com
Information to include in email:
- Anticipated arrival date
- Boat name
- Description of boat
- Captain name
- Number of crew
- Where departing from
- MMSI number (if applicable)
If you wish to contact Customs and Immigration in advance use the following numbers:
Customs: +692 625-8606
Immigration: +692 625-8633
Cruisers Net: 0730 Monday-Saturday, VHF channel 71.
SSB Yokwe Net: Daily 0745 on channel 6.224.
Ports of Entry
There are two ports to clear in/out of the Marshall Islands – Majuro, the capital and Ebeye.
For a variety of reasons, it is highly recommended that yachts clear in at Majuro. A cruising permit is needed for Ebeye.
Clearing out at Ebeye saves beating against the wind after visiting the northern islands of Rongerap, Rongerik and Bikini.
Jabor is also a Port of Entry, however, it is un-manned. For further details see Jabor Clearance.
Marshalls Arrival Procedures for Yachts
The clearance process in the Marshalls can vary significantly from one boat to the next. It is not a big place and officials may be occupied if there are international flights or cargo terminal duties. You might get lucky and be cleared on your boat within hours – or it might take days. You might be asked to come ashore. There are no fast rules, except to have patience.
Weekend and after hours check-in may not be available. To avoid overtime fees, try to arrive during business hours (Monday to Friday). See Fees section for details.
General Procedure
- Upon arrival to the Majuro Atoll pass, hail Port Authority and Sea Patrol on VHF Channel 16. Immigration and Customs should also be contacted via Ch. 16 to notify them of your arrival. It’s unlikely you will get an answer.
- Yachts are to proceed directly to the area between the Tide Table/RRE Mooring field and Delap Park. There are mooring fields with balls to pick up for a fee or anchoring space.
- Yachts already in Majuro can be hailed on Ch. 71 to find out if a mooring buoy is available and current fees. Move to channel 68 or 74 for conversation.
- Do not anchor or stop at any other area within the lagoon. Do not block ship traffic around the Uliga dock. Avoid anchoring in this area. Do not tie up to the Uliga Dock.
- Once moored, contact Customs and Immigration (see phone numbers above) and arrange a time to meet them on your boat.
- Arriving boat crew and captain must remain on board, under quarantine flag, until cleared by all departments. Do not go ashore.
- The RMI departments will probably organize a boarding party to come out to the yacht. This may take a day or two, during normal business hours.
- It is, however, possible that you will be requested to visit the offices ashore for clearance.
- Be persistent if you continue to wait for clearance and VHF/e-mail the authorities to remind them you are waiting.
- See Documents for all paperwork required by Customs on check-in. Try to have everything prepared in advance and dust off the boat stamp.
- Health declaration cards will be provided by officials and must be filled out by captain and crew on arrival.
- Any fees to be paid need to be in US currency. Bank of the Marshall Islands and Bank of Guam are operating in Majuro and you may find an operating ATM. See Fees section for details.
Location of Offices:
- Customs are located in the building known as Ann’s Palace (a multi-story, peach-colored building opposite the Marshall Islands Resort). This is about 10 minutes from the shoreline. Customs is on the ground floor.
- Immigration are located in the green Mako Building, which is a three minute walk from Customs on the same side of the road.
- Port Authority are currently located in the 2nd level of the new blue MIMRA building, but are expected to move to Uliga commercial dock once their office is finished.
Remember, the dress code for the Marshall Islands is for men to wear a collared shirt and trousers and for women a dress or skirt that reaches below the knee and covered shoulders.
Domestic Cruising in the Marshall Islands
Entry/Cruising Permits are required for every atoll to be visited. These are not quick to obtain and may take several weeks. Fees appear to be rising. It is recommended to start application as soon as you can after arrival. See Outer Islands page for more details.
If a yacht wants to visit the outer islands, the boat must have an AIS transceiver which must be kept on while moving.
Marshalls Departure Procedures for Yachts
International Clearance
See Location of Offices above.
- Souvenirs, handicrafts, and shells collected while in RMI need to be taken to RND (Quarantine/Biosecurity) for them to state items have been cleared before departure.
- Go to the Port Authority building to pay the departure fee. Cash only. See Fees.
- The Port Authority receipt (check for correct spelling and information) needs to then be taken to Customs, to start compiling the exit paperwork.
- Finally, take all documents to Immigration.
- A time will then be arranged for a departure boarding party of government officials to visit the yacht. The yacht will be inspected and the original check-in documents compared to the exit paperwork. At this time, passports, yacht information and pictures will be uploaded into a Pacific Islands Maritime App, currently being utilized throughout the Pacific, that also logs your next port of call.
- Once everything is completed, an outbound clearance will be issued.
Yachts have 24 hours to depart Majuro.
Procedures are subject to change.
Last updated: November 2024
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We cleared out of the Marshall Island from Ebeye in May 2023. There was no charge and everyone was really nice. At the time Ebeye had both Custom and Immigration officers stationed there.
You do need a cruising permit to stop at Ebeye. We tried to get one before leaving Majuro but didn’t get any response. We went to Ebeye anyway and talked to the port authority. There was no problem at all, he arranged for custom, the immigration and quarantine to clear us out.
If you violate Marshallese Border restrictions and enter any atoll, you may be subjected to a $10,000 fine, your boat impounded and crew/captain jailed until being deported, or on a case by case determined penalty basis.
A yacht has recently (March 2022) been finned $10,000 for violating the above Marshallese Border restrictions.
Commodore Mark Stearns BSME
MIECO Beach Yacht Club, Marshall Islands
2018 Update for Bikini. The procedure for visiting Bikini Atoll has changed for a year. IA (Island Affairs) will issue cruising permits for all atolls, including Bikini, without special fees.
Some atolls may require special permissions due to local conditions but no extraordinary fees are involved. The $5000 fee seems to have been a passing whimsy.
It’s also possible to volunteer to carry needed supplies to the outer islands, the resulting goodwill may even bring in a fee waiver and is a very positive way to meet the locals. Check-in IA to volunteer.
Have visited immigration 4 times this week to confirm and reconfirmed the following. As a Canadian, also applies to all other countries listed above under standard tourist visit, we are now given 90 free on arrival by yacht. NO extensions will be given. You must leave the country and return with new clearance papers from another port to gain another 90 days free.
No limit on how many days you must be away. There are NO 6-month visas. To apply for a one year visa is $200 US each person and that application must be made with 14 days of arrival. The 1 yr visa is invalidated by flying out of the country and on your return flight you are given only 30 days from your arrival.
Be advised there is a surprising new fee for a cruising permit for Bikini Atoll. The new mayor of Bikini will approve your visit to Bikini for only seven days max. For the interesting fee of $5,000.00 USD. YES! Payable in his office, no credit cards.
The previous fee was $25.00, in line with most of the other atolls of the Marshalls, which are usually collected in the office of Island Affairs which issues all the cruising permits.