1. Customs
Fiji Revenue and Custom Services (FRCS) requires that all yachts arriving from overseas must complete an Advance Notice of Arrival Form C2-C for each crew member, and submit it no less than 48 hours prior to the planned ETA in Fiji, along with these additional documents:
- Scanned photo of your boat
- Copy of the Captain’s passport
Yachts not submitting this advance notice of arrival may be fined (minimum fine 4000FJD), have clearance delayed, withheld, or even refused.
Download form C2-C from the Fiji Customs Website.
Note: This form is a lengthy one and requires good internet bandwidth to upload attachments (for example in Vava’u in Tonga the bandwidth is not enough).
Although FRCS is the principal agency, it is practical to send the form to all agencies (Ministry of Health, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, Department of Immigration) via email or fax as per the list below:
Fiji Revenue & Customs Services (FRCS)
Email: yachtsreport@frcs.org.fj
Fax: +679 666 0570 (Att: Border Control)
Ministry of Health
Email: niko.nadolo@govnet.gov.fj
Fax: +679 666 0570 (Att: Border Control)
Biosecurity
Email: bhpu.nadi@gmail.com
Immigration
Email: immigration@govnet.gov.fj
Have a printed copy of your C2-C form for the Custom authorities when you check-in.
Cruisers have reported that when they asked for it, an email confirmation of receipt was sent by Customs. Only one destination email address is necessary for advance notification.
If the form is not able to be sent for whatever reason, send an email to yachtsreport@frcs.org.fj stating why this can’t be done and wait for (and keep) the reply from them. Being forced to stop in Fiji due to sail and engine problems will invite a thorough inspection and difficulties in obtaining a cruising license.
2. Immigration
Yachts must give Immigration at least 24 hours notice of arrival (whether arriving or departing Fiji), with the expected ETA or ETD, and 48 hours if arriving on a holiday or weekend. E-mail immigration@govnet.gov.fj.
3. Biosecurity
Yachts must give Biosecurity at least 24 hours notice of arrival including the following details: destination seaport in Fiji and ETA; last port of call; proposed itinerary in Fiji; presence of live animals or plants on board; any other matter relating to biosecurity. E-mail bhpu.nadi@gmail.com.
Arrival Formalities for Fiji
Ports of Entry:
You must clear in at a Customs port on arrival withing 24 hours of arriving in Fiji, and must clear outwards at a Customs port before leaving Fiji. See Main Ports in the Explore Country dropdown box at the top of the page.
Lau Group:
This is not an official port of entry. It is not possible for individual yachts to clear into the Lau Group. Clearance into Fiji has to be completed first in Suva or Savusavu, from which the Lau Islands are a difficult sail back to windward. World ARC received permission in 2017 to clear in here at Vanua Balavu and a group of officers from Customs and Immigration, Quarantine and Biosecurity flew to this remote island specifically for the rally yachts. If you visit the Lau Group first prior to officially clearing into the country, you risk heavy fines.
Advance Notification:
As part of clearance procedures, Fiji Customs request visiting yachts to subscribe to and activate AIS while in Fiji EEZ waters. Non-compliance with this request will see yachts that are not broadcasting to be shifted into their high-risk category and appropriate attention paid to them.
On approach, contact Port Control on VHF Channel 14/16 to request permission to enter the port. You may or may not get an answer, but make the call regardless. Proceed directly to the designated quarantine area indicated on the chart for the port of entry you have chosen.
General Process:
On arrival in Fiji waters, fly the ‘Q’ flag until cleared by Health. You can request assistance from Port Control to contact Port Health, Customs and Biosecurity for clearance upon arrival.
Yachts arriving from the List of Countries/Ports given below should anchor outside the port of entry at the Quarantine mooring ground for clearance. These Countries/Ports are deemed to be Malarial Ports where Anti-Malarial Spraying has to be conducted in the yachts before proceeding to dock. The Captain is responsible for transporting Health Officials from the marina to the yacht. Fiji is currently free of Malaria.
- Papua New Guinea
- Vanuatu
- Solomon Islands
- Brisbane, Australia
- Gold Coast, Australia
- East Indies
- Asia
The authorities you will need to see in order to clear into Fiji are Health, Biosecurity, Customs and Immigration. Remain on board until you have been cleared.
See Documents for paperwork required.
Note: It is strictly forbidden for anyone to leave the boat before officials have come to your boat. No one else is allowed to board the vessel, nor any person or article leave the vessel until all clearances are granted. Cruisers have reported that Fijian officials are very strict about this process.
- Health
It’s possible a Maritime Health Declaration will need to be completed by all crew on arrival and a Health Arrival card.
See information above about Anti-Malarial spraying if coming from certain countries. - Bio-Security
The captain will be instructed to await the arrival of the BAF boat or to proceed directly to the wharf and await the BAF officer’s arrival. The BAF levy a fee for this clearance which must be paid at the Divisional Medical Officer’s office. The captain should inform the authorities if there are any prohibited items aboard.
A full list of biosecurity goods that must be declared can be found on the Customs website. Some items will not be permitted to be kept aboard the yacht for the duration of the visit in Fiji. What is allowed to stay aboard will be at the discretion of the BAF officer at the time of inspection.
For vessels arriving from Healthy Ports (free of Malaria, Yellow Fever or any other dangerous communicable diseases), Radio Pratique (approval to berth alongside) may be requested, however, the Health Quarantine officers may still board your vessel for inspection.
The Skipper will have to complete a Master’s Declaration Form declaring all Biosecurity risk items on board. See Biosecurity for more details. - Customs/Immigration
Everyone needs permission from a Customs/Immigration officer before they disembark. Port Control should be asked to send out an Immigration officer, but if he does not meet the yacht on arrival, a message should be sent via the Customs officer repeating this request. The Immigration Department may expect to be reimbursed for the taxi fare to get the officer to the wharf and back.
If you wish to cruise in Fiji Waters, in addition to the Customs clearance you must also obtain a clearance at any port from the Coconut Pest and Diseases Board. Certain Islands and places in Fiji are free of rhinoceros beetle and you may be proceeding from a dirty area to an uninfested area.
Cruisers report that there are copious forms to fill out in duplicate using carbon paper (in addition to the forms you need to send for advance notification to Customs – see top).
There is no fee for Customs and Immigration if you do not require a visa, but it is appreciated if you have a printed copy of your C2C form ready.
Once all the authorities have been visited, you now need to obtain a cruising permit.
Domestic Cruising in Fiji
Cruising Permits (valid for up to six months) are issued free of charge for all areas of Fiji and now automatically include the Lau Group. In some locations in can take up to three days to receive your cruising permit. However, this permit can also be obtained via a marina who normally charge a small administrative charge for this service.
You must also send a weekly email to yachtsreport@frcs.org.fj providing your location, crew and the direction you are headed.
See Documents for more details about the Cruising Permit.
Notes:
- Working hours for clearance in most Ports of Entry are from Monday to Thursday 08:00-13:00, 14:00- 16:30; Friday 08:30-13:00, 14:00-16:00. Overtime charges will need to be paid outside of these hours.
- Weekend Arrival: Remember, if you arrive at the weekend you may well be obliged to clear in at the weekend which incurs substantial overtime charges.
- The current fees for out of working hours Customs Clearance, Biosecurity and Health fees have recently increased. See the Fees section.
- Links to all official clearance documents can be found on the Port Denarau website https://www.denaraumarina.com/forms-and-documents/
Departure Formalities for Fiji
Domestic Clearance:
Once you have your cruising permit in hand (2-3 days after arrival) you must take it to Customs to get a coastal clearance which enables you to cruise through Fiji without clearing in and out of different regions as used to be the case.
It is no longer necessary to clear in and out of each Customs region visited (Suva, Levuka, Savusavu, Lautoka, Lau Group, Rotuma)
There is a requirement, however, to report your position and current cruising plans once a week. This can easily be done by:
– VHF Channel 16
– Telephone: 324 3782/3747/3315 / Fax no.: as for Customs
– Customs Hotline: 324 3666
– E-mail: yachtsreport@frcs.org.fj
In order to be able to do this, in the absence of a sat phone, one may want to purchase a cell phone card from Vodaphone, Fiji, which has reception in most areas of Fiji.
International Clearance:
- Departing Fiji only requires a visit to Customs and Immigration.
- Not less than 48 hours prior to departure from a Customs port for another country, all yachts must send advice of this fact to yachtsreport@frcs.org.fj, outlining planned departure point and requesting Customs departure clearance. Use the correct form, which must be scanned and sent. See all forms here.
- Not less than 24 hours prior to departure, Immigration must also be informed of your ETD at immigration@govnet.gov.fj.
- Clearance will not be granted unless all port and quarantine fees have been paid, so receipts for all these should be kept. Boats must leave within 24 hours of having cleared customs. Some ports/marinas charge a fee for arranging outward clearance.
- Immigration is the final authority to clear the yacht out of Fijian waters. Immigration insists that boats depart immediately on receiving clearance. It is prohibited to stop at any island once cleared out.
Fiji has a formidable bureaucracy that is slowly loosening up. While officials are honest and polite, meeting the demands of the state takes time and lots of paper. Go with the flow as you cannot avoid it!