Checking in/out round the world

[tcm]

You and I read all the books and consult all our mates and nearly-mates about boaty liveaboard stuff, don't we? Oh yes we do! They give lots of ideas for how to sail here or there, how to maintain things, how to do shopping, what to cook, how to keep warm or cool, and what to buy as spares and so on. But there's no ideas about the very dull and boring process of checking in or or out of customs and immigration, in any of those books, is there? Not as far as I can see. The books says dull things like "check out procedures may take several days to complete" or "the immigration office is at the other side of the island" and so on. Jeez. And all the press seems to support the paper-shuffling twaddle, too - a year or so ago some jobsworth at the immigration office in St Kitts got his narky letter about how VITAL it was to check in featured as Letter of the Month. Gawd.

Now, of course, I would never condone anything illegal, and certainly in lots of places the checking in and out is easy peasy, so why not to do it? BUT... other places, checking in or out can be awkward, and eventually, if it's ever so expensive or difficult or time-consuming, well, I'm afraid I just go anyway. Sorry. I'll get a load of grief from people about this, but I'm suprised more people arent a bit more free-spirited about it.

OKay, so for total newbies, you arrives at a country and you "check in" ... and often get a bit of paper or whatever which is part of the process by which they (maybe) track you until you leave and "check out". Having checked out, you get some a bit of paper many call "a clearance" and you give them this at the NEXT country you visit, see? However, some countries are very keen to see the bits of paper, others (usually French) not that bothered. Hurrah for the French, good at not being very fussy about admin, MUCH less important than lunch, for example.

Anyway. Dunno, bout Europe - Gibraltar used to fuss about checking in/out, but now that the immigration shed has been replaced by a large casino, not an issue very much. It all gets done in the marina office, it seems, much nicer.

In the carib, if you haven't got clearance OUT ... best you go to a French island and check out there first. Okay, wel l, if you're gonna stay a while, check in first, then check out. But note that the two actions are entirely independent - on the French carib islands you go and type some rubbish into an ancient PC attached to a printer, print it out, and that's that. After a few times doing this, you realsie that the computer is thick as heck, and doesn't check anything. You can get a clearance out first, no problem. The computer never "knows" anything not ever says "you CAN'T have sailed from Peru!" even if you make that selection as your previous country, and it cares not if you check out without checkiing in. It just prints anything, and they sign and stamp it.

The French seem to adopt the attitude that non-french lands just Pah! - don't count- or praps they can't read the blarney on the paper anyway. Either way, I'm checked into almost all the carib islands, about a dozen or more times over, and I'm a negative in the French islands because mainly checked out of these, possibly more frequently that I have checked in.

You dont need to check out of anything at all to go to the Azores, it seems, nor from Spain to go to the carib altho the ARC makes sure that everyone "checks out" as though there's a nice running tally or who is in the country, and who isn't, which there could be, perhaps, but there isn't.

Seems you can hang out at anchor on the west coast of Antigua for ages without anyone bothering you, and the same goes for Barbuda. I found a German couple who complained at how far they had walked to check in and out, and all they planned to do was sit in the boat off the beach for a couple of days. Good effort, guys

I'm still checked in in Panama which means that the next place was Galapgos ... hum, not an issue - it's a $500-850 for a boat with two people to check in to galapagos, and they seem to want to get their hands on the cash as fast as possible. Who cares where you came from? Also still checked in in Fiji - that's cos the admin types are rather horrid people, wanted to charge overtime, told me i should have had different cruising permits, meaning more queues, another office building, this one even needing a chitty to get OUT of the building, and so on. So, eventually I just left. Heyho. It cost an extra $100 on arrival in Bali, cos i didn't have exit paper from Fiji, but all fine. Also still checked in Seth Africa - a mile to walk over there, so nah, let's go. Likewise St Helena helpfully shuts the office and says "we'll be back after lunch!" hum.

 

[TQA]

Well there is a cautionary tale in this months Compass on getting it wrong.

Dear Caribbean Compass,
I want to alert your readers to my unfortunate experience with Antigua Customs. I arrived on my sailboat, Kismet, at Falmouth Harbour in Antigua in the afternoon of January 28th, 2014, intending to stay for one night to drop off my relatives at the airport after cruising with them for a week, and also to check out Antigua Yacht Club Marina for the upcoming RORC Caribbean 600 sailboat race, in which I was entered.
I sent my crew to check in the boat at English Harbor Customs. The crew included my two sisters (visiting from England but US citizens), and my female cousin (a UK citizen). I unwittingly ran an errand at the airport, as I knew that we were already registered with ESeaClear and was not aware that the master must be present.

When my crew arrived at English Harbour Customs, she checked in as usual on the ESeaClear computer, and then went to the Customs desk. The agent at Customs asked her whether she was the captain. She responded that I had gone to run an errand and the agent started shaking her head and said that she would have to go back to the boat, and that the captain had to do the Customs check-in. My crew explained that I was without my phone and might not be back until after Customs closed (at 4:30, I recall) and that they were leaving that night to fly back to England.
The Customs agent responded that they would not be leaving that night in any event, because I had left the ship and was subject to an EC$25,000 fine per person that walks off the boat before it is cleared in. My relatives then told the agent that they were going home to their children, but the Customs agent was undeterred, and when they requested her help in paging me at the airport she said, “That’s not my problem.” My sisters and cousin were, as you can imagine, visibly and genuinely scared and distressed. They and my crewmember had the distinct impression that she was biased against them for some inexplicable reason, despite the fact that they were being completely open and compliant.

I returned to the boat and was told by my sisters to rush to Customs, which I did. The same female agent told me that all of us needed to come back in the morning (despite the fact that she knew three people had plane tickets that night). I told her that I would happily come back, but it was unreasonable to detain my relatives because I had made the mistake of not coming myself. She showed me a book (which appeared to be Antigua laws) with a previously highlighted paragraph that the penalty for what I had done is EC$25,000 per person. That is an absurd penalty for such an oversight. I had clearly observed the spirit of the law — to prevent visitors from not checking in — by immediately sending my crew to Customs.
The agent said she would have to call her boss (P. George), which she did. After some conversation, she told me that my sisters and cousin could leave, but that I and my crew were having our US passports seized immediately, and I needed to present myself to Mr. George in St John’s the next day at 8:00AM. I note at this point that I was completely apologetic and cooperative, but was being treated very differently.
I showed up in St John’s on time, and was told by Mr. George to wait because “an enforcement agent” was joining us. This had all the elements of a shakedown, including a second person to provide apparent legitimacy. The enforcement agent was in plain clothes but called himself Benjy. I explained that I was made aware I should not have run an errand while my crew were at Customs, but that in most Caribbean countries that is allowed so long as someone presents themselves at Customs at the same time. I also said that I was unaware that the captain had to be the one going to Customs, and certainly did not intend to break any laws.

Mr. George then told me that actually the crew could check in with Customs (contrary to what the female agent had said the previous night), but that by leaving the boat I had subjected myself to the aforementioned fine.
They asked me to leave the room, then after 15 minutes or so called me back in and said they were going to fine me “only” $5,000 because I had admitted what I’d done. They wouldn’t take anything but cash, and the enforcement agent was happy to show me around to where the banks are. They became quite friendly. I had the impression that they had discussed the maximum fine that I would pay without complaining, or perhaps the maximum amount of cash I could take out.

My two credit cards maxed out at $1,000 each, and so I returned and asked them if they could possibly take a check. The enforcement agent looked at my wallet and asked to see how much was in it. I told him that I had about US$300, and some Euros. He said “give that to me” — leaving a tiny amount when I told him I needed the taxi fare home. They converted it into EC dollars and gave me a receipt for EC$3,340. Frankly, I felt as though I had been robbed at gunpoint.

At a minimum this is massively overbearing enforcement, but it sure feels like government-sanctioned extortion. The Customs agent at English Harbour visibly took pleasure in torturing my sisters (none of whom will return to Antigua). I had to return, because my boat was booked in to the RORC Caribbean 600 sailboat race and I had crew lined up with vacations scheduled, but it was with great concern for reprisal upon my return that I made the decision to stay in. Given the complexity of the entry procedures (which in Antigua include Customs, Immigration and the Port Authority, all separate) an agent can always find some fault. Amazingly, this appears to be actively encouraged by the government, who recently changed their legislation, given that the written fine for the infraction I committed is listed as The Customs Control and Management Act of 2013, section 19 (2).
If Customs is this unfriendly, and is primarily looking to extort visitors for the slightest infraction, then a warning has to be given to cruising and racing boatowners visiting Antigua. I have recommended to the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), who ran a great race, that the next 600 should be conducted in a more boat-friendly country like St. Maarten, St. Barts, or Guadeloupe, all of which are on the course.
I have traveled extensively around the world, and recently to most of the good sailing destinations in the Caribbean, and I have never met a Customs agent more anxious to find fault and maximize the consequences than the woman in English Harbour. When I checked out the next day I asked for her name, and the Customs agent on duty refused to give it to me, saying that I wanted to “get her in trouble”.
I have the uneasy feeling that Customs in Antigua is run as a profit center.

Best,
David P. Southwell
Kismet

N.B. Not an isolated incident in Antigua.

 

[NornaBiron]

Thanks for the heads up, we won't be going to Antigua then!

 

[Tony Cross]

Some dear friends of mine recently sailed from Crete to Australia via Panama. They were kind enough to do a presentation on their trip for everyone at the marina here when they popped back for a couple of weeks recently. They did comment about the check in and out procedures, especially about all sorts of dire warnings they received from other sailors about how awkward/miserable/inefficient etc. the next place was. They told us that they approached every customs and immigration office in the same way, they kept smiling, remained calm and patient, were polite and respectful to everyone, and they had no problems at all - anywhere.

 

[affinite]

Re: Compass - Disgraceful !!
Its those sorts of stories which do make me unlikely to traverse the pond

 

[AndrewB]

Antigua always did have a bad reputation (anyone remember the infamous "Sergeant King")? But very rarely have I had any problems entering an unfamiliar country. Some countries are ridiculously over-bureaucratic and the paperwork is daunting, but staff are basically OK. Some countries have swingeing entry fees (e.g. Australia and soon Greece). Poorer Caribbean islands are notorious for the 'overtime' trick: staff don't appear until 4pm and then immediately ask for overtime: and in some places officials solicit 'gifts'. But those countries tend not to have high fees so its swings-and-roundabouts. (Top tip: always call it an 'overtime payment' or 'special administration fee', never a 'bribe').

My experience is that staff often overlook minor infractions provided one stays civil and apologetic. Even when I'd had a really rough ride on entry, going from Cuba to USA, I came across the hard-line interrogating officer off-duty the next day who was very friendly and hoped I would enjoy my stay.

The Noonsight website is excellent for keeping one up to date with information about procedures that you need to take before entering a country: in particular visas, prior notification of arrival, or VHF reporting requirements on arrival. Also about entry ports with a bad reputation or unusual regulations and fees. Otherwise its just enter and have a quiet word with the next visiting boat about what to do and where to go.

 

[jimbaerselman]

tcm, an interesting post!

Checking out is very rarely necessary for the country you're checking out of, unless you're planning re-entry, and there are visa restrictions in your passport. This is an immigration matter, and it matters only if you're going to base your boat somewhere for longer than your passport stamps/visas allow. The real PITA is for non-EU citizen live-aboards in Europe. With the Schengen zone being one country as far as immigration is concerned, stay limits are now being more accurately tracked. So it's essential to report your exits and re-entries so you don't eat up your visa time by mistake. And don't get banned from re-entering when your boat was still based there while you nipped back to the USA to bury grandma . . .

Countries you're arriving in are the real bugs though. In some areas, especially those where types of smuggling are rife, but also those who don't like their neighbours, arrival ports want to see evidence of where you're coming from (in addition to your word or your log book). The fact that this is too easily forged, or misses your previous port of call, or is improbable, rather escapes their notice. But it protects the backside of the official! And gives him employment . . .

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Non-yachty, but perhaps relevant!

I was once on a military flight from Greenland to New Jersey. We were a UK civilian scientific expedition, returning to the States to work up our results with our US collaborators. The flight arrived late at night, after the usual working hours of the customs staff at the military airport. The customs officials (who looked like gorillas) had been told there was one flight coming in, but in fact there were two - they were a bit narked, as this doubled their work-load at a time when they would rather be back in their quarters!

Well, they took one look at my companion and I arriving with about a ton of equipment, and quite obviously decided to give us a rough time, just to share the grief around a bit! And imediately challenged us with the usual "What's in this trunk?", in preparation to getting us to unload the whole lot. Fortunately we'd done our homework, and were able to hand them a neatly written manifest for each and every trunk! They hadn't expected us to be so organized, and after a bit of huffing and puffing, they waved us through.

Moral of the story - know the local paperwork requirements and be prepared!

 

[demonboy]

Thanks for the heads up, we won't be going to Antigua then!

So you'll be writing off a whole country based upon one story? Blimey, where else are you not going?

 

[KellysEye]

English Harbour is renowned for unpleasant and aggressive immigration and customs officers which is why we always checked in in Jolly Harbour where the immigration and customs officers are really friendly.

I have to say though that the problem was not the unpleasant customs but the fact the skipper wasn't there, hence the problems were self inflicted. However it shouldn't have happened and it did because what the skipper obviously didn't know is that any crew member can say they are the skipper, there is no way of checking. Jane and I often used to swap who was skipper.

 

[NornaBiron]

So you'll be writing off a whole country based upon one story? Blimey, where else are you not going?

It was a flippant comment made after reading the previous post. We tend not to go to places that will make life difficult.

A lot of people take the same attitude - remember the hoards that are not coming to Greece because of the tax?

 

[Downsman]

February 2008. English Harbour Customs office 09.20 hrs...Customs lady in uniform painting the nails of another customs lady...in uniform. I'm sitting waiting on the bench clutching passport/papers.( by the big photo on the wall of the posh yachts) Immigration desk off to the left and I think..was it Harbour Office? counter nearer the door. Lady there is looking embarrassed...
" Er, excuse me, what time do you ladies open for business"..(smiling and relaxed still after the 35 minute wait in silence)
" When we are ready"..replies the nail artist..

Went straight to Martinique next trip..:encouragement:

 

[TQA]

Well I am in Antigua just now for somewhere around the 10th time. I have always found customs and immigration to be fair in their dealings with one exception.

In the past when checking in at Jolly harbor the customs officer would usually insist in you bring the boat in to the dock. In my case this is not a trivial exercise as my 44 ft boat has a mind of it's own in reverse and getting out of the dock is fraught with dangers. The officers will not help with lines.

So I would check in at Falmouth/English harbor.

 

[SimonJ]

Well, I checked in at English harbour 12 days ago. All checking in is done using Easyclear ( a misnomer) but was held up as I did not know my password from a year earlier & had no way to recover. I was told off for having my wife with me - usual for us both to attend for check ins in all other islands as once ashore we tend to go shopping/have lunch etc. once again the harbour authority lady who takes a lot of money for anchoring, trash, visiting English Hbr museum( no choice) etc was too busy on her nails and make up to give us early attention. Despite the so called advantages of Easyclear, forms were still printed in quadruplicate and after signing each one had to be carried from desk to desk. Jolly Hbr is easier & no fuss about captain only being present but there you may have to wait for one or other of the officials to turn up for work. We waited 90 minutes for immigration lady to arrive! It is cheaper here.
You pays your money and takes your choice!
Antigua which depends on tourists and is desperate for more visitors simply does not understand what a bad impressin their officials give. Sad. And the obnoxious official at English Hbr is still around!

 

[BrianH]

When I checked into English Harbour in 2009 I filled out a lot of forms with a fading ball-point pen. When the official took all the forms he started to overwrite all that I had written with a fine black marker pen, I lightly asked if the reason was because he had a better pen. "No," he answered in a very unfriendly tone, "because I have better writing." Ouch.

And clearing from Barbuda in Codrington while anchored in Low Bay, what a performance. Dinghy dragged over the dunes into the lagoon and the long distance to the ... I nearly wrote town ... and then three unmarked and widely separated buildings to clear from.

Definitely not a very friendly country for the yachtsperson to visit I thought, but then I arrived in Saint John, USVI with an ESTA visa waiver program, to find that it was only valid for arrivals on public carrier transport, not a private yacht. But that's a very long and different story.

 

[michael_w]

Antigua officials are the worst on a whole Atlantic Circuit. They have a scam to fleece departing yachts, charging an exit tax. I understand this is only applicable to charter boats. I'll never go back. The next worse are the BVIs

The USA's Homeland Security staff are a pleasure by comparison.

 

[KellysEye]

>The USA's Homeland Security staff are a pleasure by comparison.

From our log, Jane reporting what happened with Homeland Security:

We arrived in Ponce, Puerto Rico, around 07.15 and tied to the fuel dock, we were shattered and desperately wanted to sleep but we had to contact Customs and Immigration to come to the boat. Little were we to know that the formalities would take all day. They arrived and partially cleared us in (they didn't clear in the boat). They said they would come back clear the boat and give us a US cruising permit. They didn't show. We called them and they denied they said they would come back, I had to go to them. When I got there they didn't know why I was there and some of them were acting like pathetic thugs swaggering around with guns trying to intimidate people. For example there was a Belgian yachtie there and he didn't realise he had to have an American visa if you arrive by non-scheduled carrier.

Having established this fact the immigration folks could have accepted it, fined him, given him a visa and moved on. Oh no, it wasn't the good cop bad cop routine it was a bad cop even worse cop brutal interrogation. Eventually he was fined but it was awful to listen to. Note 'listen to' - this was done in a public area, presumably to intimidate the rest of us, and after every interrogation session they would retire behind a closed door, presumably to rehearse the next round. They would reappear after five or ten minutes and start again. It was like watching some very bad actors playing cops from their favourite TV show. I have to say that experiences we have with so many American authorities (USVI included) is dreadful - they are often arrogant, rude and unhelpful. No wonder much of the world hates them. To cap it all, yet again we were told we couldn't throw out any garbage because our food was bought abroad - this included (and we particularly pointed this out) American apples bought in Bonaire. What do they think Bonaireians do to US apples to make them a threat to Homeland Security. I can't tell you how mad I was by the end of the day!

 

[BrianH]

I too had problems with the Homeland Security in Puerto Rico. Arriving in the capital of San Juan with the intention to remain only long enough to clear out of the US territories and proceed on to the Dominican Republic, I berthed at the Club Náutico well before office hours so crashed out for a few hours. Later in the marina I was informed that all entry/clearances were handled by calling an 800 number. The receptionist at the marina was truly helpful and without whom I should probably still be there. She reached the office and I had to give all passport details, I was then told we would be visited by the officials.

After many hours of waiting we called again - the 800 number was invariably busy but the clever receptionist had found a normal one, which was always answered. Yet another "Officer" answered, everything was explained but he needed all the information again. After that he then said that we would be visited by Customs and Border Control and to wait for them.

Two hours later I'm standing on the pier by the boat and see something out of a wild west movie - three black-clad figures with gun holsters hanging low on their hips were approaching - Customs and Border Protection guards. Their English was bad enough such that my Spanish was better and so we ended up using that. The interrogation was lengthy, every point had to be referred to a superior by mobile phone. One of the crew had a Hungarian passport - that needed ages before they were informed that Hungary was in the EU and eligible for the entry visa stamp from the USVI.

When they found that we didn't have a "Cruising Permit", that really caused a major problem and lengthy phone conversations. I was told that a Cruising Permit had to be bought (big bucks, they said - in reality, $25) and that could only be obtained from the Customs House, down in the old port area. We stood at the club entrance waiting for a taxi while the cowboys boarded their black SUV and roared off without a glance and another hour later, after a particularly stupid taxi driver had eventually found the Customs House, we met a jewel - a lady who said that if we were staying less than 24 hours then we didn't need a Cruising Permit - she had seen our entry stamp from St John but winked at me and handled our clearance immediately.

We had sailed into the harbour, past the fort accompanied by a large pod of dolphins, at 03:00 and couldn't cast off until 19:00 - a whole day lost.

 

[michael_w]

You guys should have cleared in at Culebra; apart from a two day wait for some poor underling to fly over from San Juan. All smiles and a "welcome to Puerto Rico". For real charm school graduates, try JFK airport.

 

[BrianH]

You guys should have cleared in at Culebra; apart from a two day wait for some poor underling to fly over from San Juan. All smiles and a "welcome to Puerto Rico". For real charm school graduates, try JFK airport.

I think we may have discussed the Puerto Rico situation on this forum back then - we both had contact with "Officer Rey" who was the one who flew out from San Juan to you ??? He was the first contact I had on the phone; there were others ...

It would have been worse if we hadn't met the lady in the Customs House because we should have gone back to the boat to wait for normal clearance from Officer Rey's team after the Homeland Security goons had ensured we were not terrorists. She bypassed everything and stamped our clearance and told us we could go immediately.

Yes, I know the JFK purgatory - and I wasn't even stopping there but just wanting to change planes for Mexico City.