Cozumel - Clearance
See Mexico Formalities page for full details.
General Clearance:
On arrival call the Capitania de Puerto de Cozumel on VHF Channel 16 (Spanish is best). The Port Captain will advise the Navy, who may (together with Customs and/or Health) arrange to visit the boat.
If no answer, visit the Port Captain’s office ashore and follow the procedure to visit the bank for payment and the visit immigration. Start early because it is a multi-step process.
Alternatively, you can use an agent or check in through the marina. However cruisers report that checking in through the marina can be more costly, there are extra charges to get officials to travel from town to the marina and the process can be more officious.
International Clearance:
Visit the Port Captain 24-72 hours before your planned departure. The Port Captain will provide an invoice to be paid at the bank and returned to him and then you are sent to immigration and back to the Port Captain for your clearance and then back to immigration.
Last updated: February 2019
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Related to following destinations: Cozumel, East Coast (Mexico), Mexico
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Thanks for the great question Albert, it helped alert us to the fact that Cozumel required an update. I searched around and found there are three marinas in Cozumel, but none of them has much of a web presence and their English language presence is even less.
I filled in what I’ve found from news reports and other cruiser’s experiences. When you go to Cozumel please let us know what you discover about the marinas and any rate, amenity or contact information you come across.
I’m planning to cruise to Cozumel later this year and would like to get a slip at Fonatur Cozumel. I have checked all their websites and can’t find info on slip rates. Has anyone stayed there and can pass on their rates and how was their life aboard facilities.
Reported by Larry Gaddy:
We cleared in at Cozumel in December 2014, and it was a logistical nightmare. There is no dinghy dock, and apparently, the marina doesn’t cater at all too transient boats. We had to make multiple trips to check in – port captain, immigration, doctor, customs, agriculture, port captain, bank, and finally back to the port captain.
It took two and a half days to complete, and both customs and agriculture insisted on personally inspecting the boats. They confiscated our produce, and the meat off of our buddy boat. the port captain told us we really should have checked in at Isla Mujeres.