BVI Customs and Immigration officials will being on-site at Nanny Cay from noon – 18.00 on Monday, March 30 and Thursday, April 2nd, to clear in yachts arriving for the Sailing Festival and BVI Spring Regatta. Additionally, Customs will be waiving the Cruising Permit fee. The fee is $4 per person, per day, and with boats carrying anywhere between five to twenty crew members, the per day savings for visiting yachts will be anywhere between $20 – $80.
Wade Smith, BVI Customs Comptroller, also requested that visiting yachts entering the BVI, streamline the process for clearing in and out electronically by using the Caribbean Pre-Arrival Notification system, eSeaClear. This service provides vessel operators the ability to submit electronic notifications of arrival to participating Customs offices in the Caribbean. Registered users can access the system to enter and maintain information about their vessel or vessels, crew and passengers. Prior to arrival at a new country the vessel operator simply ensures the information is accurate for the upcoming voyage and submits a new notification. eSeaClear was developed working closely with Customs to ensure that small vessel operators had a faster and more positive experience when clearing in and out of port.
