Sailing To A New Country Checklist & Cheat Sheet
When clearing into new countries you need a variety of documents and knowledge of certain information like your MMSI number, EPIRB number, average fuel consumption, engine horsepower and more. Here’s a checklist of what to bring when you go into Customs and Immigration when entering a new country for the first time.
Must have documentation:
- The paperwork from the last country you left
- All the passports of your crew and guests (including any necessary visas)
- A cheat sheet listing all the key information about the boat (see below)
- Certificate of Registry (for the boat)
- Ship Radio License
- Insurance documents
- Bill of Sale
- Tax declaration
- Special cruising permits (e.g. US Cruising Permit)
- Certificate of life raft packing and conformity
- Company certification (if the boat is registered to a company)
We also keep in the same binder, the following:
- Certificates of proficiency (First Aid, Medical Care Aboard Ships, PADI Certificates
- Associations we’re affiliated with (e.g. Army Sailing Association)
- Photo copies of our passports
- Photo copies of our boat documents
You’ll be surprised by the different questions that you’ll get asked when booking into foreign countries. Some require very little information and others want to know everything down to your blood type. Some countries have a couple forms and others have several forms and want three carbon copies of each form. And I’m not kidding when I say ‘carbon copies.’ In Trinidad, they still use that blue carbon paper rather than a photocopier!
You can get a copy and edit this template from our Google Docs account here: Clearing Into Countries Cheat Sheet
Or, if you’d just like a PDF copy, you can get it here: Clearing Into Countries Cheat Sheet