South Africa – Clearance

Actions for the Boat:

ALL small craft entering South Africa from international waters MUST register online through www.osasa.org.za for pre-arrival authorisation before entering the first Port of Entry.

MN4-22 of 4th May 2022 issued by SAMSA and Department of Transport, stipulates the above rule.

This applies to South African as well as foreign boats.

The following details will be required:

  • boat name,
  • registration number,
  • last port of call and date of departure,
  • SA first Port of Call,
  • SA second Port of Call,
  • estimated date of arrival, and
  • total number of sailors on board including their nationality.

In response to requests from incoming vessels, OSASA’s online platform now supports the registration of up to 18 crew at a time.

Be sure to register on the OSASA website prior to leaving your last port before South Africa. All forms can be completed online and submitted for a fee of R400. Entrance into port may be refused if you have not submitted pre-arrival notification via OSASA.

While Covid-related travel restrictions no longer apply, and a health declaration for each person aboard is no longer a requirement, what is required now is a request for pratique giving crew details plus an additional form giving vessel details, both forms available when you register on the OSASA website. These forms are submitted to the relevant authorities by OSASA on your behalf.

The registration through OSASA means the incoming boat’s information is submitted to the Dept. of Transport for pre-arrival authorisation for entry into the country. Three days before the boat’s ETA this is submitted to the relevant Port Health office to apply for a health pratique. Once this is issued, OSASA advises Port Control, Immigration & Customs of the incoming yacht and also advises the relevant yacht club/marina of the incoming yacht. OSASA takes no further part in either berthing arrangements or clearance through official channels. See the OSASA website for contact details for all official offices in each port of entry – https://www.osasa.org.za/south-african-ports.

Actions for the Crew:

All travelers to SA must complete an online traveller declaration before arrival in the country. See Customs for more details.

Ports of Entry:

Cape Town and Richards Bay are the best ports for clearing into the country as they have more experience in handling foreign yachts. However Mossel Bay, on the east coast, was authorised as a port of entry for small craft in August 2024. See this news item for details.

For ease of departure, Saldanha Bay also became a new port of entry/departure in July 2024. This will ease the crowding in Cape Town for departure clearance.

Click on the anchor symbol in the blue “Explore Country” drop down, to see ports of entry.

South Africa Arrival Procedures for Yachts

General Procedure:

  1. Register for pre-arrival authorisation from the MSCC and the Department of Transport online through the OSASA website.
  2. All crew complete an online traveller declaration before arrival in the country. This can be done on arrival at the port of entry if not possible beforehand. See Customs for more details.
  3. Make your own berth bookings at the relevant marina for your first Port of Entry.
  4. Fly a Q flag on arrival at a Port of Entry until cleared by Port Health, Customs and Immigration.

On approaching a port of entry, call Port Operations on VHF Ch16 or Ch09 for permission to enter. If a boat has not been pre-registered then permission is likely to be refused. Port Control often do not respond to VHF or phone calls.

To avoid a fine, you must clear in within 24 hours of arrival.

The marina/yacht club will direct you as to how to make appointments for arrival clearance and location of offices.

Inward clearance must be made with:

  • Port Health: Proceed to a berthing area as directed by Port Operations and await a visit from Port Health for health clearance. No crew can leave the yacht until cleared by Port Health.
  • Port Authority/Harbor Police: Take ships papers, passports for all the crew and clearance papers from the last port.
  • Immigration: Take ships papers, passports for all the crew, clearance papers from the last port and the clearance certificate issued by the Port Authority. If Immigration do not visit the boat then all crew must visit the immigration office with passports. More Immigration details here.
  • Customs: Take ships papers, passports for all the crew, clearance papers from the last port and the clearance certificate issued by the Port Authority. If boats arriving from a foreign port are not checked in with Customs on arrival (within 24 hours) they will be fined. All Skippers will have to complete a paper DA1 form on arrival at the Customs office. More Customs details here.

Domestic Cruising in South Africa

Flights Plans for Making Passage along the SA Coast

Flight plans are produced by individual yacht clubs or marinas.  Some have a set of forms that need to be completed at the relevant office and stamped out for clearance, others have a simple online passage plan to complete prior to departure and some of the smaller ports don’t require anything. See the individual port page – clearance section, for details of what action is required at each port.

Yachts clubs and marinas use the Flight Plans to ensure all dues have been paid and are then subsequently submitted to Port Control to inform them of the yacht leaving.

Coastal sailing in South Africa does not require a Health Pratique to be issued for each individual coastal port, nor for additional clearance through Customs and Immigration. The yacht simply needs to call Port Control for permission to enter and leave, and communicate with the yacht club/marina regarding berthing.

It is highly recommend to call ahead to Port Control in your next port and also the next marina or yacht club for berthing. This is especially valid over the Nov/Dec period, as berths fill very quickly in the more popular locations. The OSASA website has an easy-reference page with contact numbers for all ports – see https://www.osasa.org.za/coastal-passage-making

From Durban southward the online flight plan/passage plan is currently in use and obtainable from www.sailingpe.co.za

South Africa Departure Procedures for Yachts

International Clearance:

Complete the relevant passage plan (flight plan).

Before departure, get a “Letter of Good Standing” from the marina/port authority, stating that all dues have been paid. Present this to Customs and Immigration to be cleared out of the country.

For ease of departure, Saldanha Bay became a port of entry/departure in July 2024.

First Immigration with all Crew…

  • Letter of good standing (original)
  • Sailing Notice (to be collected at the Immigration office)
  • Passports copies (crew+ skipper)
  • Crew change form (in case there is a change on the crew list between clearance in and clearance out)
  • Crew list signed and stamped
  • All passports

Fingerprints and a portrait photo will be taken.

You will receive a certificate of compliance to obtain clearance from Customs.

Then Customs…

For departure you will have to fill in a DA3 form in paper.

In some ports, Customs want all the paperwork scanned or photographed and emailed to them and prefer contact by e-mail rather than face to face.

This is definitely the case if clearing out of Cape Town, so give yourself plenty of time and start the day before you wish to leave. E-mail all forms/documents to ctnportenquiries@sars.gov.za. They will send back 2 documents [DA1 + DA3 forms] for you to print off, complete, scan and send back to be stamped.

Customs will want to see:

  • DA1 + DA3 forms (available from Customs)
  • Copy of skipper’s passport
  • Letters as above (copies)
  • Crew list signed and stamped
  • Boat papers and previous clearances

After clearing out the skipper (or any crew member) can claim the VAT on any good purchased in SA. See Customs for more details.

After departure clearance, one must leave the country within 24 hours and make no further stops in South Africa.

Call Port Control for permission to depart.

Notes:

  • If departing the country from Cape Town, all yachts must get a letter of good standing from the Royal Cape Yacht Club in order to clear out. It is here you complete your flight plan as well. While this is irritating as it’s a day sail back to the RCYC from False Bay or Hout Bay, these are the rules.
    See this recent report – January 2024 – about clearing out of Cape Town.
  • Due to concerns over a multi-country outbreak of Cholera in Indian Ocean countries, it has been reported that Madagascar has closed to foreign yachts coming from South Africa (August 2024). However, it has been confirmed by contacts in Nosy Be (Madagascar), that yachts from South Africa are being permitted entry, as long as a permit to enter has been obtained in advance. 

Reminders from OSASA:

  • Once your passport has been stamped out, you have left South Africa in exactly the same way as if you had gone through the passport barrier at an airport or land border and cannot just “pop in” to other ports, harbours or anchorages along the way without once again clearing in through Customs and Immigration.
  • One of OSASA’s key functions is liaise with government to promote the cruising industry in South Africa. Vital to this is the gathering of information about the economic contribution of cruisers to the local tourism and maritime sectors. When departing South Africa, you can make a huge difference by completing the OSASA Exit Survey. Go to this link.