Cruising in the BVIs

[cabo]

My wife and I are planning on going cruising in the Caribbean within the next year. As a "teaser" we were part of a charter in the BVI's for a week. Totally fun. While we were there we were also trying to gather knowledge for our future plans. We picked up a tourist guide and while reading it found that a private boat in the BVI's is required to pay $4/per person per day.

Is that really true? Are there monthly or yearly permits available that reduce that daily amount? For the two of us that would amount about $250 per month. Thank you for your information.

[bvimatelot]

Originally Posted by cabo

My wife and I are planning on going cruising in the Caribbean within the next year. As a "teaser" we were part of a charter in the BVI's for a week. Totally fun. While we were there we were also trying to gather knowledge for our future plans. We picked up a tourist guide and while reading it found that a private boat in the BVI's is required to pay $4/per person per day.

Is that really true? Are there monthly or yearly permits available that reduce that daily amount? For the two of us that would amount about $250 per month. Thank you for your information.

If you want to stay in bvi for over a month, you have to do a temporary importation which is good for a year and costs $202 (the extra 2 are for the forms!) you then dont pay cruising tax.

[GordMay]

Contact the British Virgin Islands Customs Department at:
284-494-3475 or 284-468-3701 ext. 2533
for current cruising permit requirements.

"... Private boats are automatically given up to 30 days to cruise around the BVI. A 30 day cruising fee is charged which is based on tonnage (e.g. a 30 ton boat would be charged $20).
After 1 month, there is a Temporary Importaion fee of $200. This covers the yacht for 1 year ..."

Excerpted from:
http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/BritishVirginIslands/?rc=Formalities"...

[John A]

When I checked in to BVI Customs in 2006, on the form there was a statement that non BVI flagged boats were allowed a cruising permit for a cumulative 30 days within a calender year. The way it was explained to me in the Customs office was that if I stayed in the BVI's for twenty days before sailing on to the USVI's, when I returned, to sail on to St Martin, I could only stay for 10 days. Any total period longer than 30 days would result in the $200 fee.

Is this still the rule? Or was I misinformed.

[maytrix]

So if you do the $200 temporary importation, you can stay for a year? That's cool


Keep in mind there are other fees probably if you want to make use of any of the national park moorings, which you'd likely want to do to see some great spots such as the Caves, Indians and the Baths as well as others. That might be what the $4/person fee covers.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by maytrix

Keep in mind there are other fees probably if you want to make use of any of the national park moorings, which you'd likely want to do to see some great spots such as the Caves, Indians and the Baths as well as others. That might be what the $4/person fee covers.

The $4/person/day ($2 out of season) is for the cruising permit. The National Park Fee for a National Park Permit is additional. It was $25 for a week in November 2008; I haven't heard of it going up. See National Park Fee .

When I chartered with The Moorings in '08 we were told to always leave at least one person on board competent to move the boat due to maintenance shortfalls on the NPT moorings. That's a problem with only two people on board.

The MoorSecure moorings for overnight stays continue to have a pretty good reputation.

[TEE]

I have a boat down there now. Going into my second year. It is a private yacht. You just temporarily import the boat. It costs about $250 a year, more or less, and last a whole year. Private yachts operating under a temporary import permit do not pay park fees or have to buy a cruising permit. Nor do they pay any property taxes. Staying a year applies to the boat, not the people. Unless you have permission from the government, you have to exit the country every thirty days. That's all the time they will put on your passport. So, just go over to the USVI for a couple of days and come back in. No big deal. The BVI is very decent about how they treat boaters coming in, and it is a great place to spend some time.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by TEE

Private yachts operating under a temporary import permit do not pay park fees or have to buy a cruising permit.

Thanks TEE - I knew the temporary import permit was instead of a cruising permit but was not aware it waived the park fees as well. Live and learn.

[bvimatelot]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Thanks TEE - I knew the temporary import permit was instead of a cruising permit but was not aware it waived the park fees as well. Live and learn.

Not entirely correct. The National Parks fees are still applicable but what you do is go the the Nat Parks Office (over the road from Road town customs) and buy an annual decal for (last time I did it) $50. stick this on the back of your boat and you wont get any hassle from the (irregular) Nat Parks patrol boat. Tony

[maytrix]

Originally Posted by bvimatelot

Not entirely correct. The National Parks fees are still applicable but what you do is go the the Nat Parks Office (over the road from Road town customs) and buy an annual decal for (last time I did it) $50. stick this on the back of your boat and you wont get any hassle from the (irregular) Nat Parks patrol boat. Tony

Sounds like a pretty good deal. $250 for a year in the BVI with a trip to the USVI for a few days every month.

Would there be fees each time you go back and forth between the two?

[speciald@ocens.]

Last year there was an attempt to tax all privately owned boats in the BVI's. They quickly realized that this fee would be counterproductive and withdrew it.

[TEE]

Originally Posted by bvimatelot

Not entirely correct. The National Parks fees are still applicable but what you do is go the the Nat Parks Office (over the road from Road town customs) and buy an annual decal for (last time I did it) $50. stick this on the back of your boat and you wont get any hassle from the (irregular) Nat Parks patrol boat. Tony

The parks fee is news to me. I was there all season and nobody told me about it. When I asked at customs, they told me I didn't need to do anything else. I will check on getting one of these next year. Never saw the patrol boat you were talking about. Thanks for letting me know.

[captainmark55]

Marine Conservation Permit Fees, for a foreign registered vessel, in the BVI = $150/year, NOT $50. It is much more if your boat is for charter, bare boat or crewed. I just bot one in June for my cat down there. this allows you to use the red day moorings there. The patrol boat is based at Fort Burt Marina and looks for the blue decal you should put on your transom area. Cruising permit annual fee is $300.

[AquatiCat]

Where did you find the BVI info, Mark? Every place I look says the cruising permit is $4/person/day, which is 'way more than $300/yr,especially if you're a cruising family. The "temporary import permit" sounds like a great deal in comparison.

[Thorin]

Does it matter if you have citizenship from a commonwealth nation? I know it can smooth some things at customs or immigration.