New Fiji Rules

[Brent Swain]

I recently heard that fiji is requiring 48 hours advance notice of arrival by yacht , by fax . There is no infrastructure receive the fax.Hard to do at sea. Failure to do so means huge fines siezure of yacht and 2 years in jail.
Brent

[Alan Wheeler]

There is major unrest in Fiji at the mo and NZ is having a right ole slapping match with them. It wouldn't surprise me.
So where did you here this Brent??

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Louis Riel

I recently heard that fiji is requiring 48 hours advance notice of arrival by yacht , by fax . There is no infrastructure receive the fax.Hard to do at sea. Failure to do so means huge fines siezure of yacht and 2 years in jail.
Brent

Welcome to Australia

Dave

[Steve Pope]

can you confirm the source of the new entry rules, there is nothing on noonsite, and nothing shows on any of the various prompts to google.
I have a mate who is leaving early next week for Fiji so any info would be helpful.
thanks.

[GordMay]

According to the Fiji Islands Revenue & Customs Authority: http://www.frca.org.fj/docs/visiting...chtarrival.htm

Advance Notice of Arrival
Fiji legislation requires the master of every vessel sailing to Fiji to provide notice of arrival 24 hours in advance to Customs:
* Details of the vessel
* Estimated time and date of arrival
* Customs port where the vessel will arrive
* Details of crew and passengers on board
* Last port of call

STATEMENT BY MASTER/OWNER OF YACHT ON ARRIVAL IN FIJI
http://www.immigration.gov.fj/Forms/master_stment.pdf

Noonsite has several 2007 “Updates” on Fiji, none of which, mention any change to Advance Notice of Arrival.
The best sources of current information should be “official”, such as:

Fiji Embassy (Washington, DC):
Fiji Embassy - Washington DC
or
Fiji Islands Visitor's Bureau
Welcome to the Official Fiji Islands Travel Guide by the Fiji Visitors Bureau.

[hellosailor]

I see a major opportunity here.

Requiring notice by fax, without the infrastructure to receive it (which I presume means "there's no telephone and fax installed here"), probably would violate some international law.

A seizure based on that would be a good invitation for military reprisal to retake the seized vessel, and then perhaps simple invasion to take over the whole damned country.

Anyone want to press for the invasion of Fiji, making it the 12th Insular Possession of the US? We'll have to move fast, to beat the neighbors to it!

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

I see a major opportunity here ...
... Anyone want to press for the invasion of Fiji, making it the 12th Insular Possession of the US? We'll have to move fast, to beat the neighbors to it!

I'm in; but would prefer we set up our own Democratic People's Parliamentary Dominion (rather than become a US Territory/Posession). We could call it something like "Cruising World" (oops, that name's taken).

[hellosailor]

But Gord, first you need a whaddayacallit, cassus belli (sp?) a cause for belligerance and war that is recognized under international law. Setting up an entrance requirement that cannot physically be met, and then seizing a vessel as the result of that, would be a good cause for war. The conquest part, that's just called "TFB, you shouldn't have started it."

(I'm in firm favor of not making war, but if you have to...you get to keep all the spoils. Toyota and Mercedes would have been divisions if GM the way I'd have done it.<G>)

[Steve Pope]

I have tried several times to open the entry Doc at the www. address shown above, it just doesn't open, just keeps loading and nothing shows, and on perusal the embassy / consulate / bula sites don't seem to have a mention of any yacht entry requirements, at least I couldn't find any.

[hellosailor]

UNITED STATES
The Americas, Fiji Visitors Bureau
5777 West Century Boulevard
Suite 220, Los Angeles, CA90045
Tel: (310) 568 1616
Fax: (310) 670 2318
Toll Free #: 1-800-YEA-FIJI
(1-800-932-3454)
EMail: infodesk@bulafiji-americas.com
Web: www.bulafijinow.com

I'm waiting for a call back from a very puzzled Fijian named Jesse, as to what the rules are. (Hey, it may be a remote island paradise, but they're got this telephone thing down pat.<G>)

[Steve Pope]

After emailing Noonsite they have updated their site with all the relevant info, They are on the ball. I do wonder about the boats heading towards Fiji who are still unaware about the law change, Hope there is some leeway over a transition period, unlike the Aussie Customs Gestapo.

[mudnut]

Originally Posted by Steve Pope

After emailing Noonsite they have updated their site with all the relevant info, They are on the ball. I do wonder about the boats heading towards Fiji who are still unaware about the law change, Hope there is some leeway over a transition period, unlike the Aussie Customs Gestapo.

Steve,It sounds like ya believe everything ya have heard from TCP.A few isolated case's don't make the cake mate.If ya think it really is all "Gestapo" over here,ya welcome to go to Fiji.I'm sure they really love you Kiwis,on the other hand,we do.So tell me ,what gestapo experience's have you actually had with Aussie customs.

Bottom line mate is,If you plan to cruise anywhere to another country,find out what the rules are.I do think that people in transit should have lee-way on sudden changes,to any country.But leave the gestapo,jackboot **** to stirers,like TCP.It's all about money and advertiseing to them.Keep it real. Mudnut.

[Paul Elliott]

There is a discussion about this on Sailing Anarchy: Fiji Cruising Update - Sailing Anarchy Forums, initiated by Michael Homsany (of Bebe Electronics, Fiji). He says:

effective 1 July 2007 the Fiji Inland Revenue and Customs Administration (FIRCA) will require that it be notified, in writing, via form C.2.C. , the arrival of a foreign vessel a MINIMUM (in other words, no worries sending in earlier) of 48 hours in advance, for vessels less than 500 ton.

It sounds like a FAX from sea, or actual letter sent prior to departure is now required. The Fiji Revenue and Customs website (http://www.frca.org.fj/) has the required form on-line: http://www.frca.org.fj/docs/customs_forms/c2c.pdf, and at the top of the form there is mention of the new 48-hour requirement. Elsewhere in the Revenue & Customs website they still show the old 24-hour requirement.

By the way, I was in Fiji a few weeks ago, on a friend's boat that we were sailing from Fiji to Vanuatu, and really enjoyed my stay. While there was definitely friction between the indigenous and immigrant populations, I had many pleasant conversations and interactions with everyone I met. The place is definitely beautiful, and the sailing was spectacular.