I would like to organize my arrival by sea in French Polynesia

I would like to organize my arrival by sea in French Polynesia

You want to come to French Polynesia by sea

ARRIVAL CONDITIONS BY SEA

Before leaving

Conditions of admission for people

To be admitted to French Polynesia, any foreign national who is not a European Union national must be able to present a valid visa at the border if their nationality is subject to this obligation. The type of visa required to enter French Polynesia depends on both the duration and the reasons of the stay:

– for a stay equal to or less than 90 days (3 months), the requested visa is a short stay visa

– for a stay of more than 90 days (3 months), the requested visa is a long-stay visa adapted to the duration and reasons of the stay.

For more information on the conditions of entry, stay or work (authorization or work permit) in French Polynesia, you can consult the website of the High Commission of the Republic in French Polynesia (http://www .polynesie-francaise.pref.gouv.fr)

Note that all passengers must have a valid passport for at least 6 months after the planned date of departure from French Polynesia.

Pleasure vessels arriving by sea from abroad must dock in ports, bays or harbors, known as “first touch” ports, to complete entry formalities into Polynesian territory : customs, immigration and biosecurity.

The islands and ports in which these formalities can be carried out are the following ones :

Iles du Vent :

Tahiti — Papeete

Moorea — Afareaitu

Iles Sous-le-Vent :

Raiatea — Uturoa

Huahine — Fare

Bora Bora — Vaitape

Iles Marquises :

Nuku Hiva — Taiohae

Ua Pou — Hakahau

Hiva Oa — Atuona

Iles Ausrales :

Tubuai — Mataura

Rurutu Moerai

Raivavae Raima

Iles Tuamotu-Gambier :

Rangiroa Tiputa

Mangareva — Rikitea

Conditions of admission for vessels

The owner or users of a pleasure vessel wishing to access the internal waters of French Polynesia have to declare themselves to the Polynesian Directorate of Maritime Affairs.

It is strongly recommended that owners of pleasure vessels wishing to sail in Polynesia hold a civil liability insurance certificate covering the costs of grounding or removal of a grounded vessel and to maintain this insurance active throughout their stay in our islands.

For vessels measuring less than 20 m :

Owners have to send the following information in free format (in the body of the email…):

identity of the captain
number of passengers
name of the vessel
base port or last known stopover
date of entry into French Polynesia or date of registration in French Polynesia
flag

For vessels measuring more than 20 m :

Pleasure vessels over 20m are asked to make themselves known via the teleservice ESCALES : https://escales.gov.pf/home

MANAGEMENT UNIT
STOPOVERS

SCHEDULES

7:30 am – 1 pm
(without appointment)
1 pm – 3:30 pm
(only with appointment)

CONTACT

Phone : 40.54.45.30
escales.dpam@administration.gov.pf

CLICK HERE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

TELESERVICE ESCALES

Before arriving

Customs and border control formalities

The owner or user of a pleasure vessel is required to make an entry and exit declaration to the Border Police and Customs.

To do this, a single pleasure craft declaration must be completed. The drafting can be anticipated in order to have, upon validation by the State services, the authorization to enter the Territory.

It is accessible online : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/declaration-unique-plaisance-polynesie-francaise

Formalités sanitaires

All ships (cruises, yachts or pleasure boats) must submit a maritime health declaration (DMS) at least forty-eight (48) hours before arrival. The captain must indicate the state of health of the people on board, specifying any symptoms observed (fever, cough, etc).

The DMS must be sent to the port of call office of the Polynesian Directorate of Maritime Affairs at the following address : escales.dpam@administration.gov.pf

When arriving

Customs' formalities

If your port of first arrival is located in Tahiti or Moorea, customs formalities must be carried out at the PAPEETE PORT office.

If you make your first landing on another of the authorized islands, the formalities are completed with the territorial gendarmerie brigade.

For more information you can contact the Regional Customs Directorate of French Polynesia

Mail : drpolynesie@douane.finances.gouv.fr

Phone : + (689) 40 50 55 50

Border control formalities

If your port of first arrival is located in Tahiti or Moorea, border control formalities must be carried out at the office of the Territorial Border Police Service (STPAF) in Faa’a (Tahiti Faa’a Airport).

You must present the passports and/or entry visas of each crew member, the registration certificate of your vessel and the certificate of submission of your file (single form).

For more information you can contact the STPAF.

Mail : dtpn987-stpaf-poste@interieur.gouv.fr

dtpn987-stpaf-usg@interieur.gouv.fr

Phone: + (689) 40 80 06 00

If you make your first landing on another of the authorized islands, these checks are carried out at the same time as the customs formalities with the territorial gendarmerie brigade.

Note that all passengers must have a passport valid for at least 6 months after the planned date of departure from French Polynesia.

Formalities and instructions related to biosecurity

In order to prevent the accidental introduction of insects, diseases or invasive species that could devastate the environment or agriculture of French Polynesia, no landing of food, plants, plant products, wooden objects, animals and animal products may be done before an authorization is issued.

All animals must be placed in isolation and locked up. If an animal is on the ship or in the event of the death of an animal on board, the animal health unit must be contacted prior to disembarkation at +689 40 540 100 or by email at the address : zoo.dbs@biosecurite.gov.pf

Do not throw waste or food overboard while you are in French Polynesian waters. Waste must be stored carefully on board until instructions on its removal are given to you by agents from the phytosanitary unit if you are in Tahiti or from the local branch of the Department of Agriculture if you are find on an island other than Tahiti.

Keep your vessel free of rodents (rats, mice) and insects. Report any presence of ants to the phytosanitary unit by calling +689 40 54 45 85.

When the ship arrives, particularly if it comes from a country infested with coconut quarantine insects, a specific questionnaire must be completed.

Fruits or fruit-vegetables will be recorded, enclosed and provided with a seal.

For more information you can consult the biosecurity department website:

Voiliers – Yacht – Navires de croisières – Biosecurite de la Polynésie française (service-public.pf)

The stay in French Polynésia

Temporary admission

The stay of a vessel under the temporary admission regime allows boaters to navigate in Polynesian waters with total exemption from duties and taxes. This plan is valid for a maximum period of 24 months. It is only renewable after a minimum period of 6 months spent outside Polynesian waters.

If ship owners wish to extend their stay, they will have to pay the related duties and taxes.

To benefit from this regime, the owner or user of the vessel :

– must not be a resident in French Polynesia or not become so during his stay in French Polynesia,

– must not carry out any gainful activity on Polynesian territory.

And the ship:

– must be registered outside the customs territory of French Polynesia,

– must be the property of a natural or legal person established outside the customs territory of French Polynesia,

– not be the subject of commercial use, loan, rental,

– may be sold upon reasoned request to the customs service :

– to a resident buyer: after the regulatory sales formalities, the buyer carries out the release for consumption,

– to a non-resident buyer : the temporary admission period is not modified.

Failure to comply with even one of these conditions results in losing the benefit of the temporary admission (TA) regime to the ship.

In case of doubt or questions regarding the regularity of the vessel’s situation, the « business advisory unit » of the Regional Customs Directorate can be contacted :

Opening hours : 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Phone : (689) 40 50 55 58

Fax : (689) 40 43 55 45

Mail : cce-polynesie@douane.finances.gouv.fr

Release for consumption (ou papeetisation)

At the end of the 24-month period of temporary admission, if the owner of the ship wishes to establish himself in French Polynesia or for any other reason excluding the ship from the temporary admission regime, the ship must be cleared through customs at from the customs office of the port of Papeete (tel : + (689) 40 50 55 73).

Stopovers

Anchorage areas

The anchoring of pleasure craft is subject to strict supervision in French Polynesia. On most of the islands frequented by these ships, anchorage areas intended to accommodate them have been created. Anchoring is prohibited outside these areas.

This regulation meets two key objectives for Polynesia: protecting its unique and fragile ecosystem and strengthening safety at sea.

The anchorage zones are marked on the SHOM maps.

The DPAM office responsible for managing stopovers is at your disposal for any further details on these areas and their conditions of use.

All regulations relating to the parking of ships in the internal waters of French Polynesia are accessible on our site in the following section :

Note : in 2024, access to these areas will be conditional on reserving an anchorage location and paying a parking fee.

Biosecurity

An official pass must be obtained before disembarking a dog or cat. It is advisable to anticipate the formalities for obtaining this document and to send your pass request before your departure for French Polynesia.

Keep your vessel free of rodents (rats, mice) and insects.

Yachts and pleasure vessels are subject to regulations concerning the transport of plants, fruits, plant products between the different islands of French Polynesia (Transport interinsulaire – Biosecurite de la Polynésie française (service-public.pf).

Pollution prevention

In application of the environmental code of French Polynesia, ships circulating, anchoring or stationing in its internal waters cannot reject, dump or allow their household waste, waste of any kind, polluted or loaded water to flow into the waters. hydrocarbons, oils or toxic products.

All waste must be deposited in on-shore facilities provided for this purpose.

Vessels frequenting anchorages far from recovery facilities mainly located in marinas, towns and villages are asked to anticipate the management of their household waste by limiting their production and recycling it.

The discharge of any food waste into the sea is prohibited in the lagoons.

The use of ecological biodegradable detergents is strongly recommended.

Exit formalities by sea

Border control formalities

Before any trip to a foreign port, the owner or user of the pleasure vessel must complete border control formalities at the office of the Territorial Border Police Service (STPAF) in Faa’a if the port departure point is located in Tahiti or Moorea.

These formalities can also be carried out in one of the other so-called “first touch” ports with the territorial gendarmerie brigades.

Customs' formalities

A declaration of exit to a foreign port must be filed with the Papeete Port customs office in the event of departure abroad from Tahiti or Moorea.

In the event of departure from another island, this declaration can be transmitted to the customs service by one of the following means:

– internet : dr-polynesie@douane.finances.gouv.fr

– post box : Papeete port customs office (leisure service) – BP 9006 Motu Uta – 98715 Papeete

– fax : (689) 40 43 55 45.