Tonga Customs requires that all yachts arriving from overseas must submit an Advance Notice of Arrival Form (ANOA) no less than 24 hours before the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the craft in Tonga. This requirement, which has been in place since April 2019, will be enforced.
ANOA has been introduced to control illegal chartering, illegal drugs, guns and heavy criminal convictions by pre-checking crew and the yacht.
Advance Notice of Arrival form
The form can be submitted by:
- E-mail: info@customs.gov.to
- Fax: 676 24124
Yachts not submitting this advance notice of arrival may be fined (up to 4,000 TOP), have clearance delayed, withheld, or even refused.
Note: It is highly unlikley you will get an e-mail response from Customs.
Tonga Arrival Procedures for Yachts
Ports of Entry:
Click on “Explore Country” + the anchor icon, to see all ports including Ports of Entry (POE). Clearance information specific to each POE is included on the port page.
Advance Notification:
Contact Maritime Radio on VHF Channel 16, prior to arriving at your nominated port of entry to update or confirm your ETA. You will be asked to switch to another channel (i.e. VHF Channel 68 for example) which leaves VHF Channel 16 clear for urgent or emergency traffic. VHF Channel 26 is also widely monitored but is a hailing channel alternative to VHF Channel 16.
General Procedure:
The Q flag must be flown.
If you arrive after hours or at the weekend/public holiday, you don’t need to clear in until the Monday/next day as long as you have not been ashore or allowed anyone to board the boat. Fines are steep.
The captain should contact the Harbour Master or Customs on arrival (prior to docking/mooring), who will give instructions where to berth for clearing in and may or may not board the yacht. One must present the outward clearance from the last port.
You may be boarded by Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Health officials, or you may have to go to their offices on land.
In all ports it is better to phone the Public Health Officer to get Practique, rather than sit waiting. Or, you may have to walk to the local hospital to pay. It is essential that the Health fee is paid to avoid problems entering your next destination country.
You will likely have to fill in copious forms, with all the same details you put into the ANOA. Clearance does take a bit of time – perhaps two – three hours, but paticence and politeness will see you reward with plenty of smiles and good wishes once the process is over.
See Fees for any clearance costs.
It is recommended before officials board the boat, to clear you cockpit of any cigarettes, alcohol, fishing lures and smaller items. Gifts to Government officials is not encouraged, simply offer them a juice or coffee. Dress appropriately to greet the authorities.
Tonga Domestic Cruising
You must clear in and out of each island group if you plan to travel within Tonga – this is known as a domestic check-in/check-out and you will need a Local Movement Report (Small Craft) issued by the boarding officer at Customs for each island group (boat papers and passports required). The only fee to pay is to Marine and ports for the Lights and Buoy fee (unless you clear out at the weekend or out of hours – then there is overtime to pay). This fee is payable at each island on check out. Pay prior to visiting Customs as the receiopt is needed to obtain the Local Movement Report.
Day sailing within the island groups is not restricted, but a Local Movement Report (Small Craft) known locally as a ‘domestic check-in, check-out’ is required when moving between groups served by Customs offices.
On arrival at the next island group, one must contact Customs on arrival and Immigration (who will want a copy of the crew list).
When traveling between Nuku’alofa and Vava’u, or vice versa, one can request that the Local Movement Report includes Ha’apai if intending to stop in that island group.
Tonga Departure Procedures for Yachts
International Departure
If you have crew flying in on one-way flights you will have to visit the Immigration Office prior to departure to get them on the crew list.
Next visit Marine and Ports to pay the Lights and Buoy fee. This is the only fee to pay on departure unless you check out on weekends or out of hours.
Next visit Customs. Taking on duty-free fuel can begin once an Export Permit has been written by Customs.
Customs, Health and Immigration have the option of coming aboard to check you out of the country.
Once checked out with an exit zarpe, you must leave the harbour and make your way out of Tongan waters.
If you have issues on departure, call Customs on the VHF and request the right to return to port.