Declaration of Entry:
A single online form has been introduced for all foreign pleasure yachts. All recreational vessels entering French Polynesia should use this form prior to arrival at a Port of Entry.
Declaration of Entry and Exit of Pleasure Craft
This form is for continual use during your time in French Polynesia including for entry and exit from the archipelago as well as for inter-island travel and online updating of departing and arriving crew.
When using this form, ensure you have the file number generated when making your declaration. It is recommended to print the “Attestation-de-depot” which you will receive automatically after submitting your file, keep that with your ships papers and give to the Gendarmes at your Port of Entry. As the system is all online now, you do not need to email any additional forms to Customs.
Any questions about the form and process should be sent to:
drpolynesie@douane.finances.gouv.fr
Pets:
Application for arriving into French Polynesia with pets on board must be made well in advance of your arrival. The only Port of Entry for vessels with pets on board is Papeete in Tahiti as the only sanctioned and government appointed Vet is located here. See the Pets section for more details.
Anchorage/Marina Bookings:
The following ports require an anchorage or marina booking to be made 48 hours prior to arrival:
- Tahiti, Papeete
- Moorea, Afareaitu
- Raiatea, Uturoa
Go to https://escales.gov.pf/home. While this website is currently only accepting reservations for yachts over 20m – it is recommended yachts less than 20m register on the website and create an account and then contact DPAM by phone on +689 40 544 500 or e-mail escales.dpam@administration.gov.pf to confirm the booking.
Yachts that arrive without a marina reservation, or place booked in an authorized anchorage, risk being turned away.
Arrival Formalities for French Polynesia
Ports of Entry:
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 are arriving at one of the other authorized islands, the captain or skipper must have completed the online form and should report to the island’s Gendarmerie (police station) on arrival.
There are 13 islands which have a national gendarmerie office, constitute a port of entry and are open for inward clearance. The official list of POEs is shown in the below image from the official FP Government Document.
Arrival in Tahiti – Papeete:
See the Papeete port page for navigation entry procedures.
Information for international pleasure yacht arrivals and departures in Papeete, plus the required arrival form, can be found on the Papeete Port website [http://www.portdepapeete.pf/fr/documents-utiles/formulaires] under “Plaisance”.
The offices for check-in are very spread out in Papeete, but only Immigration and Customs need to be visited.
- Harbour Master / Capitainerie du Port de Papeete
There is no need to visit the harbour master in person, simply complete form F09.01 Avis d’opération nautique – Petite plaisance on arrival and send by e-mail. This form must be completed if visiting Papeete even if you have already cleared into FP elsewhere.
Email: trafficmaritime@portppt.pf with a copy to sp@portppt.pf and marinadepapeete@portppt.pf - Immigration / Police aux frontières (PAF)
Located at Faa’a Airport
Tél. : 40 80 06 05
Email addresses for form F09.01: dtpn987-stpaf-usg@interieur.gouv.fr and dtpn987-stpaf-poste@interieur.gouv.fr The owner or master of the boat must go to see PAF on arrival in the country, or if someone is embarking or disembarking the vessel. - Customs / Douanes
Office located in Motu Uta (20 min walk or taxi ride)
Tél. : 40 50 55 87 or 40 50 55 67
Email : dr-polynesie@douane.finances.gouv.fr
Customs must be visited on arrival if Papeete is your first Port of Entry.
Arrival in other French Polynesian Islands:
- Because of the distances and sailing conditions and the introduction of the new online declaration system yachts can undertake clearance formalities at islands where there is a Gendarmerie and where officials will deal with Immigration and Customs formalities.
- A visit to Papeete to complete clearance is no longer necessary as the online declaration system contains all the required information.
- Ensure you have the file number generated when making your declaration through the online declaration form. It is recommended to print the “Attestation-de-depot” which you will receive automatically after submitting your file, keep that with your ships papers and give to the Gendarmes at your Port of Entry.
- Remember that the gendarmes are not Customs officials and in fact often know very little about the latest Customs regulations.
- The Customs declaration should be taken seriously as a French customs boats patrol the islands and regularly inspects boats. They are particularly interested in firearms, alcohol, strong medicine and whether you have bought any pearls. Anything not declared will be confiscated.
- After completing clearance in the outer islands, yachts are no longer obliged to continue flying the Q flag.
- Each clearance port for the outer islands has details of how to find its respective Gendarmes office.
Domestic Cruising in French Polynesia
Once cleared in, you are allowed to cruise the entire archipelago without any further paperwork but you must use the Declaration of Entry and Exit of Pleasure Craft form for all inter-island travel and for crew changes.
Recent cruiser feedback (April 2024) indicates the new form is making clearance formalities simple and quick.
Clearing Out from French Polynesia
When leaving French Polynesia, the online form – Declaration of Entry and Exit of Pleasure Craft must be completed by providing your departure date and presenting yourself to the border police to undergo immigration formalities.
International Clearance from Papeete
For all departures for more than 50nm away from Tahiti and/or Moorea, yachts must make a clearance request.
In all cases, e-mail the Papeete Harbor Master three days (72 hours) prior to departure from Tahiti and/or Moorea at trafficmaritime@portppt.pf and copy to sp@portppt.pf and marinadepapeete@portppt.pf.
Include:
- details of your boat name,
- captain’s name,
- date of departure
- destination (for example Cook Islands via the Leeward Islands or Tonga).
Departing Tahiti and sailing directly to a foreign country:
Send your international clearance request as outlined above.
It is compulsory to go and meet Customs at their main office in Motu Uta, Papeete, to make your Exit Declaration the day before departure. The Harbormaster will send your clearance to the Immigration authorities and a copy to the Customs office.
The day of departure the Skipper must visit Immigration at the airport to pick up the exit clearance. This gives yachts until midnight to depart.
Notes:
- Duty-Free Fuel can be obtained with your international clearance and customs exit declaration only on the day of departure mentioned in your clearance.
- If you have to pay a bond on entry (non-EU citizens only), ensure that your papers specify which island you will be departing from in order that arrangements can be made to retrieve your bond. For more information about paying the bond (and possible ways to get around it) see Immigrationand Fees below.
Departing Tahiti and sailing to a foreign country via other FP Islands:
Send your “Inner Polynesian Islands Clearance Request” as outlined above and you will receive your clearance by e-mail.
You must also go and meet the Gendarmes in the last FP island touched to do the official final exit from FP. This will involve filling in two exit forms and making sure they are sent to the correct place to get your international clearance:
- Customs Exit Declaration document, signed by the Gendarme agent.
Before leaving the country, this document must be sent (by regular mail) to:
Bureau de douanes de PPT Port (service Plaisance)
Direction des douanes de Polynésie française
BP 9006 PPT – Motu Uta - Immigration Exit Declaration document (DD26)
E-mail to trafficmaritime@portppt.pf, copy to sp@portppt.pf and marinadepapeete@portppt.pf.
The local Gendarme will give you 24 hours to leave once clearance has been granted.
International Clearance from other FP Islands
Visit the Gendarmes at the clearance port you are departing from at least a day before departure.