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 procedures for SAN PEDRO we should have by now received from you
• vessel’s registration
• crew list
• passenger list (if any passengers)
• and you should have already completed our General Yacht Information form.
And by now the following should have all been arranged
• notice of arrival should have been tendered
• 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
If any of the above has not yet been completed please visit the following link — {mprestriction ids=”1″}
http://www.belizemegayacht.com/pre-arrival/general-yacht-information-form
With all the above sorted out we would have prepared two files, which we would have already emailed to you.
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 which we had emailed, 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, as per our distribution list once they are aboard or when you go to their offices.
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
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.
For those yachts anchored in San Pedro you will need to launch your tender and head up north. You will pass Belize Yacht Club Marina and keep headed north until you reach one of the shorter wooden docks which sits smack between BC’s restaurant which will be on your left and Blue Water Grill on your right. You could tie your tender here and follow the path in red as shown below which is less than a five minute walk to the street side where the offices of Immigration and Customs can be found in the upper flat of the Remax building. If picking up officials this is the dock we will be using.
Once upstairs proceed first to the Immigration Department. We can arrange for the Health officer to meet you at Customs or Immigration or you can ask the immigration officer to call the Health Officer. You may need to pay for the call and transportation for the health official. From there go next door to Customs. By the time you are through with Customs, Lisa, the health officer should have arrived.. Port Authority is next and as yet there is no Quarantine Department in San Pedro. And that is it for inbound clearance.
Ventura Yacht Agency of course always stands ready to assist in every way possible and for those yachts who would prefer our assistance for inbound clearance please send us an email. There will of course be the added expense for us to get a representative to and from San Pedro. The smaller yachts shouldn’t have any need for this service.
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. 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, but if you visit their offices then it will more than likely be an hour as you will need to wait whilst they also attend the general public.
Once a representative from Ventura Yacht Agency assisted with inbound clearance it is the norm for Ventura’s representative to remain aboard after the officials have departed to answer questions and go over items captain or crew may have.
501 206 2086 – Immigration
501 226 3340 or 501 226 3341 – Customs
501 226 2555 – Health – Lisa Tillett
501 610 4977 – Belize Port Authority
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 needs to be made.
END OF ARTICLE
{/mprestriction}