Just running through a couple of things first before we get into the nitty gritty.
For those smaller yachts Ventura Yacht Agency offers the service of preparing your arrival documentation and emailing them to you, only for you to print, sign and present to officials. If interested you can contact ventura@btl.net.
For inbound clearance we should have by now received from you — {mprestriction ids=”1″}
- vessel’s registration
- crew list
- passenger list (if any passengers)
- and you should have already received from us files for completion or filled in the General Yacht Information form
If any of the above has not yet been completed please visit the following link:
http://www.belizemegayacht.com/pre-arrival/general-yacht-information-form
and by now the following should have all been arranged and we should have emailed you
- Notice of arrival should have been tendered
- You should have already received from us approved pilotage waiver OR arrangements for pilot should have already been made – only applicable if you will be visiting Belize City at some point during your visit.
- Visa application if required have been taken care off.
- Animal importation permit if required has already been obtained.
- Permission for use of helicopter has already been obtained if needed.
- Received from us two digital files with your arrival documentation and forms for you to print and sign. These are to be presented to the officials upon their arrival.
Once you have received our email with attachments please print a copy of paper work requirements and print the number of copies from the attached files, it should be pretty straightforward. You DO NOT need to email us any of the paper work. All that needs to be done from your end is to print, sign and stamp, if you have a stamp. Documentation will be distributed to the various officials once they are aboard or delivered to them in Big Creek when you go ashore.
Regulation dictates that vessels have a grace period of 24 hours grace period, by which time they need to be officially cleared in.
Please ensure to fly Q-flag and courtesy flag. Officials can get a bit upset about this and you give them a better reason for a hustle.
Normal hours of work for the officials is
Monday to Friday
08:00 to 12:00
13:00 to 17:00
Most yachts, both large and small remain at anchor in Placencia, but you also have the option of taking your vessel into Big Creek itself. Let us know if you decide on doing this and we can certainly arrange for space at the dock to tie up or you could anchor off of the side inside of Big Creek. For the larger yachts you will need to be prepared to receive the officials aboard for inbound clearance.
For those yachts anchored in Placencia you will need to put tender in and take about a 15 minute boat ride to Big Creek.
Take with you documentation that has been printed, passports, vessel’s documentation and ships stamp if you have any.
If you let us know what time you will be there we can inform the officials and set up a meeting time. If we call them though they will figure it to be a larger yacht and will expect to do inbound clearance procedures aboard.
The best area to tie up your tender has been marked below. From there you will have about a fifteen minute walk. First walk will be to the security gate and from there another walk to the building where Customs is. Only the offices of the Customs and Quarantine Departments are located just outside the security gate. The Port Authority Official does not have an office. He usually hangs around just outside the gate near the offices of Banana Enterprise, who are the owners of Big Creek Port. If he is not there then he can usually be found at either the Quarantine or Customs office. The Immigration Department is located in the village of Independence which about a 15 minute drive. Normally the customs officer would call them and one of the immigration official would show up in Big Creek. You will need to pay the transportation of the immigration official. Being there is no health official in Big Creek there is no need to be cleared in by health. You will only be cleared in first by Customs, Quarantine, Immigration and Port Authority.
Banana Enterprise which is the office that manages the port of Big Creek can be contacted on channel 10 on the VHF.
Ventura Yacht Agency of course always stands ready to assist in every way possible and for those yachts that would prefer our assistance for inbound clearance in Big Creek please send us an email. There will of course be the added expense for us to get a representative to and from Big Creek.
Technically for inbound clearance, regulation dictates that the officials should go aboard the vessel. This is really only done in the port of entry for Belize City. At times it is done in Big Creek’s port of entry, but not always and it is rarely done in San Pedro and Punta Gorda’s port of entry for the smaller yachts. Don’t be surprised should one of the officers decide they want to go aboard to carry out inbound clearance procedures.
Should the officials visit aboard then in their visit the officials will be looking closely for plants, orchids, origin for meats, fresh produce, fruits, etc. Customs should technically rummage the vessel in search for guns and ammunition, but this is rarely done. Official may ask for tour, especially if it is a nicer looking yacht. The quarantine inspector will normally ask to visit the kitchen, place of storage for fresh produce, want to look inside refrigerators, coolers freezers, walk ins, pantry, etc.
Upon arrival in Belize it is the norm for foreign visitors to be given initially by the immigration officer 30 days to remain in the country. The customs department also normally grants the vessel a permit for 30 days. Should the vessel remain longer than 30 days an extension needs to be requested for vessel. Both Customs and Immigration normally issue extensions for an additional 30 days. The same applies for crew or guests. Should anyone remain longer than 30 days application for an extension needs to be made. Extension from the immigration department would be made in each passport at a cost of US$25.00 per person. Extension from the customs department for the yacht would be made on the reverse side of the customs ships report.
With all the paper work prepared the visit by the officials normally takes about 30 minutes if the officials are taken aboard, but if you visit their offices then it will more than likely be an hour or two.
Once we do conduct inbound clearance procedures a representative from Ventura Yacht Agency normally remains aboard to answer questions and go over items the captain or crew may have after the vessel has been cleared in.
Procedures after having been cleared inbound.
Once you have been cleared by the officials you are free to go anywhere within the country. You do not need any clearance from port of port within the country. The only time you will need a clearance is when you are ready to depart the country for another country. There is also no need to inform anyone of where you are departing to.
The only restriction you would have in your movements would be if you decide to go into Belize City. Remember that there is a compulsory pilotage area for Belize City and that either a pilot needs arranged or arrangements for a pilotage waiver is required.
END OF ARTICLE
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