Clearing customs around the world

[Magneto]

My wife and I are in the planning stage for our circumnavigation adventure. I have gone through customs in many different countries when I fly but have no experience with the different shipping ports throughout the world. I have read blogs of traveler’s experience with customs clearance and customs inspections while traveling or anchoring. There was a couple that was anchored in the Bahamas and were bordered by customs and after a violent inspection, they found a discrepancy with the amount of shotgun shells declared. They were fined $300.00 on the spot. The officers could not give specifics on what code allowed them to charge that fine amount except to say they would have to go before the Magistrate if they didn’t pay. Needless to say, the fine was paid on the spot.

Most of us know the standard routine of quarantine procedures such as quarantine flags and only the Captain sets foot off the boat for paperwork clearance, then the boat is inspected etc. I have read stories that things don’t go always as planned. It seems there is always something that can be sited as requiring an additional fine or penalty. The amount of cash on board, liquor, food items, firearms, fireworks? I would be interested in your stories. The laws are different for each country and always changing. Reading up on each countries customs laws are only half of the picture. Real world experience provides the other half. And I don’t even want to go into the requirements for checking in our dog. I’m still collecting paperwork and quarantine requirements for the Bahamas and Virgin Islands. Maybe you heard of Johnny Depp’s trouble sneaking their dog into Australia and getting caught. That’s because of the paperwork, prior approval AND 10 days minimum quarantine requirements.

Cash on hand: What is the best amount to keep on hand during a circumnavigation? I heard the Bahamas needs you to declare anything over 10K. When I was last checking fuel prices on the east coast, I found a lot of marinas requiring cash only or discounts for cash. A fill up of 1500 gallons could take almost half of 10K. What about cash for customs, foreign country marinas, tips and bribes? The couple on the MV Kosmos mentions bribing the officials to transit the Suez Canal in one day. It was the officials that asked for it. How much bribing occurs elsewhere? And where is the best place to keep cash? I would think to put a sacrificial amount in a safe and secret the rest away. Ever try to pull out 10K or more in cash from the bank? They look at you like you have two heads. They tell me it takes a few days to order it and the truck brings it, (and that’s in the U.S). So replenishing cash difficulties would have me wanting to top off my cash on hand as much as I would fuel.

Which customs ports are best for different countries? I am only partially through reading the Egret’s logs but find most writers not detailing the customs experience because it may be considered mundane. In the same logs they choose one port of entry over the other because the paperwork is simpler. I like simple. I like cheap. I like my boat not being torn apart to find something I don’t have. I’m compiling my own spreadsheets with information on best ports for customs, fueling cost & quality and pet procedures.

So I will state the obvious to prevent drift.

1. Know the local laws for the country you are entering.
2. Comply and don’t break any laws while there.
3. Don’t give customs any more of a reason to trash your boat.
4. Have some sacrificial cash on hand for fines (like your dog wearing the wrong color collar).

What I would like to know is your real world experiences on this subject. Favorite ports to clear customs? Countries with the best pet acceptance? Have you been boarded by officials but not sure they were? The men with the guns and tactical vests don’t need to show me their badge.

Easter Island Customs Officer

 

[O C Diver]

Can't help you with foreign countries. As far as cash for fuel, never had that problem traveling the east coast. Best prices either take credit cards or checks. Yes checks! They figure if you can afford a 6, 7, or 8 figure yacht, your check is good. Most will take credit cards. If you find a location that has a cash price (no check), they will almost universally have a credit card price for 3 or 4% more. Not worth carrying cash for fuel. In many ports (overseas) you can prearrange fuel with a wire transfer to cover it.

Ted

 

[BandB]

We've never had any real issues, but we are completely honest with them, we don't carry firearms and we respect their authority. The one other thing we often do is use local agents. For a very small amount it helps you clear faster and without issues. They know the local laws, but also the persons you're dealing with. It's amazing the lines they can avoid and the streamlining when you're in a country that requires four steps, four lines with four different people even if they share a building.

As to the cash situation with the biggest issue being fuel, we forego the discount and pay with credit cards when possible. If you pay with cash, then you have charges replenishing that cash from ATM's and our credit card rewards offset much of the price difference. We're willing to absorb any further difference rather than carry extra cash and especially we don't want to bring attention to the fact we're carrying wads of cash.

 

[Magneto]

We've never had any real issues, but we are completely honest with them, we don't carry firearms and we respect their authority. The one other thing we often do is use local agents. For a very small amount it helps you clear faster and without issues. They know the local laws, but also the persons you're dealing with. It's amazing the lines they can avoid and the streamlining when you're in a country that requires four steps, four lines with four different people even if they share a building.

As to the cash situation with the biggest issue being fuel, we forego the discount and pay with credit cards when possible. If you pay with cash, then you have charges replenishing that cash from ATM's and our credit card rewards offset much of the price difference. We're willing to absorb any further difference rather than carry extra cash and especially we don't want to bring attention to the fact we're carrying wads of cash.

Thanks, I forgot about the credit card points. But I am still concerned about credit card number theft even in my own home town. I never use a credit card in New Orleans and the bank tells me to never use an ATM card at the pump. So I'm a bit cautious about using credit cards in foreign places. But I will if they take credit cards and it beats the cash discount.
Thoughts?

 

[BandB]

Thanks, I forgot about the credit card points. But I am still concerned about credit card number theft even in my own home town. I never use a credit card in New Orleans and the bank tells me to never use an ATM card at the pump. So I'm a bit cautious about using credit cards in foreign places. But I will if they take credit cards and it beats the cash discount.
Thoughts?

There's risk anywhere you use a credit card. That's why you need cards that monitor well for fraud and why you need to check your cards online daily. I would go one step further than the bank and say never use your debit card (ATM as you called it). It's not got the protection that a credit card has. I'll use a credit card in New Orleans or anywhere else as I like to track all expenditures.

 

[Simi 60]

Noonsite is the place to look.

 

[slowgoesit]

Not to belabor a point, but you mentioned:

Maybe you heard of Johnny Depp’s trouble sneaking their dog into Australia and getting caught. That’s because of the paperwork, prior approval AND 10 days minimum quarantine requirements.

You seem to be missing the key word in your own post, that is "Sneaking".
The best way to avoid problems with customs is to not create problems. Don't lie to them, don't attempt to "sneak" items, firearms, booze, or animals in, be above board in all respects. That won't avoid ALL the problems, and the use of local agents, as mentioned, will help to grease the wheels as well. I hate that idea as well, but sometimes you have to pick the lessor of several evils. Good luck in your travels.

 

[C lectric]

I too have little to no sympathy for Mr. Depp. He must have known what the regs were but he tried to curcumvent them. A STUPID stunt. That is a stupid game in ANY country other than your own. Even in your own country upon reentry trying to lie to your customs people can be big trouble.

 

[Larry M]

Lena and I personally have checked into 46 countries/territories by boat. We had to use an agent in Colombia. ATMs worked in all but Madagascar and Nuie. We never carried more than $1,000 US cash. The only place we had credit card fraud was in in Canada and Mexico. Easily fixed with calls to cc companies. Our ATM and Credit cards all have staggering renewal dates.

FedX and DHL are your friends. I had a refrigeration compressor sent to Mayotte that we ordered as we crossing the Indian Ocean. It was there when we arrived although shipping cost more than the compressor.

For us, part of the success/reduced stress was have a good mail forwarding person and I’m not talking a family member. Ours did it as a business. She had limited power of attorney and took care of our bills that you couldn’t do on line, renewed vessel doc, basically monitored us. We had a joint checking account that we transferred money to as needed. In 20 years, we never lost a mail package in transit and our credit rating was better than we left.

I guess I’d say, don’t over think it. It’s a world economy out there.

 

[Magneto]

I agree that credit cards are the way to go for every place that takes them.
I was not sure about third world customs fees.

If holding about $1000.00 cash covers miscellaneous, then I'm good.

I do not condole Mr Depp's actions on sneaking or lying to officials. I was only making a point of the extra difficulty of traveling to other countries with pets and the paperwork that it generates and WHAT NOT TO DO. A better example is one of the YouTube Nordhavn vblogs (forgot which one), was traveling with their cat in the Caribbean. They were cleared by the local department of agriculture by email. Their cat was spotted on the boat by customs and was then boarded. Luckily they were able to produce the emails and satisfied the agents. Lesson was to keep a paper trail concerning all correspondence with officials.

 

[Larry M]

Check your cards for for foreign transaction fees. Some charge 3%. Capital One charges 0. Schwab Platinum VISA card reimburses all atm withdrawal fees including foreign. Also check your health insurance. We had an international policy for 10 plus years. It was great insurance. The only caveat was you had to be out side the US for six months plus per year. Medicare doesn’t cover you except for one or two exceptions.

 

[BandB]

Check your cards for for foreign transaction fees. Some charge 3%. Capital One charges 0. Schwab Platinum VISA card reimburses all atm withdrawal fees including foreign. Also check your health insurance. We had an international policy for 10 plus years. It was great insurance. The only caveat was you had to be out side the US for six months plus per year. Medicare doesn’t cover you except for one or two exceptions.

One place to look for additional health insurance coverage when traveling extensively outside the US is to companies that supply a lot of yacht crew insurance. There are also separate plans available to evacuate you and return you to the US in case of major problems if that's something you feel the need for.

 

[Larry M]

We were insured with IMG Global. We had a claim for $50,000 plus and only paid our $2,500 deductible. We did have to submit a recent medical physical when we first applied and they were cautious of preexisting conditions but IMG worked well for us. There are other good companies out there but do you research and pay attention to the fine print.

https://www.imglobal.com/travel-med...oFq0xM1rMLJC1vZD8JDiHNdhP0DchjosaAuP4EALw_wcB

 

[MYTraveler]

On the few occasions that I needed more than $10K cash, I had no problem getting it from the teller of my local (big city) bank, although the bank is obligated to report the transaction to US Customs. Moreover, it is illegal to take more than $10K OUT of the US without having declared it first. And games like "loaning" some of your cash to guests / crew so that everyone is carrying less than $10K don't work and exacerbate the problem.

 

[mvweebles]

Noonsite is the place to look.

+1 on noonsite.com. By far, the best repository for all sorts of information, including marinas, facilities, piracy, etc., even though it's not always perfect.

I like cash where possible/feasible. ATMs are good - often giving very favorable spot FX rates. I use Schwab which does indeed reimburse ATM fees, but many foreign banks have their own withdrawal limits, sometimes as low as $200 USD (equiv). I've also had problems with having my US bank shut-down my ATM card due to multiple [unsuccessful] withdrawal attempts. Getting a replacement card can be difficult.

You will want a large file folder with many copies of relevant documents. Make sure anyone who comes to visit brings a dozen or so copies of their passport with them unless you'll have printing capabilities aboard.

Given Magneto's price-point and desired cruising itinerary, suggest pinging the Nordhavn owners group for recommendations on global fuel bunkering and agency services. I believe you can arrange for direct bank transfer payment versus credit card. Also, I use TransferWise for global payments - FX rate is good, and fees are generally less than 1%, lower than international bank wire transfer rates where FX rates are rivaled only by Shakespeare's Shylock. Fairly fast too - about 2-days.

 

[BandB]

We were insured with IMG Global. We had a claim for $50,000 plus and only paid our $2,500 deductible. We did have to submit a recent medical physical when we first applied and they were cautious of preexisting conditions but IMG worked well for us. There are other good companies out there but do you research and pay attention to the fine print.

https://www.imglobal.com/travel-med...oFq0xM1rMLJC1vZD8JDiHNdhP0DchjosaAuP4EALw_wcB

We use them as well.

 

[Magneto]

Given Magneto's price-point and desired cruising itinerary, suggest pinging the Nordhavn owners group for recommendations on global fuel bunkering and agency services. I believe you can arrange for direct bank transfer payment versus credit card. Also, I use TransferWise for global payments - FX rate is good, and fees are generally less than 1%, lower than international bank wire transfer rates where FX rates are rivaled only by Shakespeare's Shylock. Fairly fast too - about 2-days.

Good advise and thank you for that Shakespeare reference. Shylock was a bastard not wanting to settle for a pound of flesh from just anywhere on a debtor’s body but instead to take it from over his heart!

Sounds a lot like my ex-wife…

 

[JDCAVE]

I think James and Jennifer Hamilton on Dirona would be some of the best people to talk about this. They have many posts on their site on clearing customs in various countries. They would certainly be able to answer any general questions you might have.

Jim

 

[C lectric]

Yes, THe Hamiltons would be a good bet. Aboard their boat Dirona.
There are other travellers who offer Blogs with advice . I've never tracked them because
we won't go.

We have one or more right now who post as they travel.
Wxx3
N62infinity


Maybe use the site to send them a message. Include your actual Email address for them to reply to directly.

 

[Magneto]

We have watched all the Hamilton's Dirona videos but now starting to read through their travel logs. Very informative and entertaining. I'm sure we will get a lot of useful information from their experience. More than half of our entertainment is reading and watching Dirona, Egret, Freedom, Mermaid Monster to name a few. This is a great time to be alive.

 

[oscar]

I do a lot of traveling for work. I pull money out of the wall in many different countries. I also have a fleet card for my motorhome diesel purchases in the US which is tied to a checking account.

Key word there "a" checking account. Not "the" checking account. There's $5 in there. With a computer or phone I can move money in to it, walk across the street and pull it out of the wall. If I get jacked or hacked the damage is very contained.

Compartmentalizing is the key.

Food for thought.

 

[Mako]

On the few occasions that I needed more than $10K cash, I had no problem getting it from the teller of my local (big city) bank, although the bank is obligated to report the transaction to US Customs. Moreover, it is illegal to take more than $10K OUT of the US without having declared it first. And games like "loaning" some of your cash to guests / crew so that everyone is carrying less than $10K don't work and exacerbate the problem.

It's a complete misconception that you'll get arrested for traveling with more than 10k cash, but one that most of my friends and families believe as well.

I've presented my form 105 to customs at the airport, a couple of times when transferring 6 figures to the Middle East. The customs guys behind the counter at international departures were bored, signed/stamped (can't remember which one) my document and then went back to their Youtube videos. No big deal.

I've also traveled domestically like that (obviously no form 105) but you just need to remain calm and professional when going through security and make sure to request a private screening. It's very important to present yourself properly. Also keep a copy of your bank withdrawal form, as proof of source of funds.

Likely if anyone is using "games like "loaning" some of your cash" then you're not really gunna be upset when your cash is confiscated in full. Just gotta make it up by selling a few more kilos

 

[AlanT]

We have checked in and out of 10 Caribbean countries countless times and all the countries that border the Mediterranean to the North, plus Tunisia, Algeria, Malta all by boat. We have never been asked for money (other than occasional small legitimate fees for which we received a receipt), we have been boarded only twice and both times while at sea not while "checking in". One time we were stopped while sailing between Spain and Portugal because in strong winds we had not changed our courtesy flag from the Spanish to the Portuguese flag once we entered Portuguese waters! The second time was returning to the US from the Caribbean and that was the only time we have ever had the boat thoroughly searched - by US Customs/Border Patrol. Checking-in in every country (including the US) involved going to an office, sometimes in or near the port, sometimes miles away but never at the boat. It often involves a wait and bureaucratic paperwork but if you are prepared with the necessary paperwork and have learned ahead of time what is allowed and what is not you should not have a problem. On the other hand, start with an attitude or get caught trying to cheat and you deserve what you get IMO. Listen to those you meet along the way, they can update you, also of course noonsite and the many blogs. We have one for Carib/Med if interested. it is Alan & Joan's adventures sailing Moonstruck from America to the Mediterranean. Joan Teed's Art.

We never had on board more than a few hundred dollars equivalent in local currency, plus a small emergency fund hidden. We had several credit cards (AMEX, VISA M/Card) and several debit cards. We quite often had individual cards declined (even after advising the issuer of our travels) which needed to be reinstated by a sometimes challenging call back to the US, however we were always able to use another card. We pulled all the cash we spent in 4 years out of ATMs. We searched for issuers that minimized ATM and F/Ex fees and felt this was the safest and most convenient means of keeping us supplied with funds. Several times we had to stage withdrawals over several days to fund refuelling but we were not in a hurry and this was never a drawback as we had plenty of warning of need to refuel! Most expensive repairs were paid with credit card. I remember we had to arrange a wire transfer once, which Schwab will do for free if you invest with them.

So many of the countries that we visited have serious penalties for weapons on board. This was one of those things that seemed to be a big issue to us before we took off, but once we left we never ever felt we needed a weapon or would have benefited from having one on board. Maybe we were lucky, maybe we were safety conscious enough and we did avoid the red sea/PG and the NE coast of Africa. We generally felt quite at home in "gritty" and sketchy harbors in Marseilles, Cagliari, Naples and only once (in Naples) moved the boat out of a marina due to security concerns. Good luck in your travels, dont sweat the small stuff - and its all small stuff.

 

[Magneto]

Oscar, I like the way you think.

Alan T, Thank you for the insightful and specific advice. Very appreciated.

Makobuilders, I'm down to my last kilo.

 

[JDCAVE]

James and Jennifer Hamilton just put up a post about bringing prescription drugs into countries. They note concerns with some of these recently on their website.

Jim

 

[BandB]

James and Jennifer Hamilton just put up a post about bringing prescription drugs into countries. They note concerns with some of these recently on their website.

Jim

Very good point as while some drugs illegal in the US are legal elsewhere, some drugs in common use in the US are illegal elsewhere.

Some that fall into risk are Sudafed, Vicks, Codeine, Tramadol, Benadryl, Adderall, Ritalin, and Ambien. You must check country by country.

 

[Magneto]

James and Jennifer Hamilton just put up a post about bringing prescription drugs into countries. They note concerns with some of these recently on their website.

Jim

I agree too. This is worth looking into. My wife has a few anti cancer meds and I have a couple of what you list laying around. We take it for granted what we leave laying around on our coffee table as normal. Other countries may see it differently.

 

[Wxx3]

Lena and I personally have checked into 46 countries/territories by boat. We had to use an agent in Colombia. ATMs worked in all but Madagascar and Nuie. We never carried more than $1,000 US cash. The only place we had credit card fraud was in in Canada and Mexico. Easily fixed with calls to cc companies. Our ATM and Credit cards all have staggering renewal dates.

....

I guess I’d say, don’t over think it. It’s a world economy out there.

Well said.

OP You have already put too much thought in the process.
What you will discover is everything you have heard about, plus everything you have not heard about.
That changes with the time of day, phase of the moon and the mood of whoever your contact.

One thing was clear, there is no uniformity even in the same country. Therefore to try to plan it too much ahead of time is just futile.

In the coming weeks, I will be writing about my experience checking into Canada, since I had heard many horror stories.

Lastly, I have always been treated with respect and no one ever trashed the boat, even if they were being a PIA (like Morocco).

 

[Wxx3]

IF I have drugs, they were legally obtained, wherever, whenever and therefore I answer No, I have no illegal drugs.
And no, I'm not going to compare their list to mine

 

[oscar]

IF I have drugs, they were legally obtained, wherever, whenever and therefore I answer No, I have no illegal drugs.
And no, I'm not going to compare their list to mine

Hmmmm, I don't think they're gonna agree with that attitude, in fact they may make it personal. And THEY have the uniforms, guns and jails. (And their sovereign laws to back it up) And the US State Department is not going to spend a lot of time or money bailing out another idiot. And the locals may take a liking to your fancy yacht while you are eh, indisposed and getting close and personal with your cellmates.

Of course, your mileage may vary. Drop a few names, have the commanding presence, tell them who's boss. For our entertainment see if someone can shoot some video.