Road Town, the BVI capital on Tortola's south coast, is a recognised Customs and Immigration port of entry. The clearance office is at the Road Harbour ferry terminal on Wickhams Cay, alongside the territory's main charter bases and the islands of the Sir Francis Drake Channel.
Send us these details and a local BVI clearance agent can prepare and coordinate the yacht's formalities with Customs and Immigration at Road Town. Keep the originals aboard, as personal attendance or passport presentation may still be required where the authorities request it.
You send the yacht, crew, passenger, passport and voyage details once. We review the request and pass the complete order to a local BVI agent, who can review and coordinate the current Customs and Immigration steps at Road Harbour for the yacht. Any attendance or inspection the authorities require is then coordinated for you.
Provide the vessel registration, people aboard, passports, last and next port, and your expected arrival or departure time. Road Town suits the Wickhams Cay charter bases, central and southern Tortola and the Drake Channel islands.
Your complete order goes to a local agent who confirms the current requirements, permits, office hours and charges at Road Town.
The agent prepares and coordinates the Customs and Immigration formalities and any required attendance or inspection, so you are not working through each authority yourself.
Road Harbour is a large, deep commercial port shared with ferries, cruise ships and cargo, so keep a good lookout for traffic on the way in.
Each traveller's ED Card can be completed online at bviedcard.gov.vg within the permitted advance period, or on arrival before seeking entry from Immigration. Have your vessel registration number to hand; your agent can guide you on the current requirement.
Approach the harbour on the south coast following current arrival-signalling instructions, including use of the Q flag where required, keeping clear of ferry and cruise-ship movements near Wickhams Cay and the cruise pier.
Anchor in the harbour or take a berth at one of the Wickhams Cay marinas, then go ashore to the ferry terminal to clear before starting normal cruising.
A local agent can prepare the crew list and vessel details and coordinate the formalities at the ferry-terminal office for the yacht. The office also processes ferry passengers, so allow time when ferries are in; personal attendance or passport presentation may still be required where requested.
Settle any applicable permit, levy and authority charges at the Treasury / Ports Authority cashier; confirm current amounts before arrival.
Outbound clearance is completed before sailing to another country, with departure usually within about 24 hours. An agent can coordinate this for you, and you may clear back in later at a different BVI port.
Road Town sits on the Sir Francis Drake Channel, central to the main BVI cruising grounds. Tell us your last and next port so the right steps can be confirmed.
Most bareboat and crewed charters begin at the Road Town marinas. If you have flown in, your crew clears immigration on arrival; the vessel is cleared through the port office before you sail.
Yachts from St Thomas or St John usually clear first at West End, then sail on; if you make Road Town your first stop, clear in at the ferry terminal before cruising.
Once cleared, Norman, Peter, Salt and Cooper Islands and the rest of the channel are open cruising without further clearance until you leave BVI waters.
A local BVI clearance agent can prepare and coordinate the outbound Customs and Immigration formalities before you leave the territory. Personal attendance or passport presentation may still be required by the authorities depending on the circumstances. Then meet US Customs and Border Protection requirements if you are bound for the USVI.
Road Harbour has the Customs and Immigration office at the ferry terminal, the Wickhams Cay I & II charter marinas, fuel, chandlery, supermarkets and the cruise pier all close by. If Road Town does not suit your route, these are the other BVI ports of entry.
About 8 nautical miles west, and the closest clearance to St John and St Thomas — the usual choice when arriving from the USVI.
Across the channel to the north-west. A popular first clearance for yachts crossing from St John.
A North Sound clearance office (Bitter End / Leverick Bay area) that is described by BVI Tourism as reopening soon and should not be relied on for clearance until its availability is confirmed. Confirm it is operating before planning to clear there.
The Virgin Gorda port of entry by the Yacht Harbour, close to The Baths — convenient in the south-eastern islands.
Road Town is the practical base for charter starts and BVI paperwork.
Complete the ED Card, enter Road Harbour under the required arrival signals and anchor or berth at Wickhams Cay. A local agent can coordinate the crew's clearance at the ferry-terminal office; personal attendance may still be required where the authorities request it.
Request Road Town arrival assistance →Outbound clearance is completed at the ferry terminal and you leave BVI waters within about 24 hours; an agent can coordinate it. Meet US Customs and Border Protection requirements if you are bound for the USVI.
Request Road Town departure assistance →Customs and Immigration are at the Road Harbour ferry terminal on Wickhams Cay, on the north-west side of the harbour. Published clearance hours differ between current BVI sources; the office is busiest when ferries are being processed. Confirm current hours before arrival. Applicable overtime and other authority charges may apply.
The digital ED Card at bviedcard.gov.vg can be completed within 72 hours before arrival or on arrival before seeking entry. BVI Tourism also currently publishes SailClear instructions for private cruisers but notes that the process should be reconciled with the newer ED Card; confirm the current yacht-specific notification requirement before sailing.
Applicable Customs, permit, levy, overtime and other authority charges may depend on the yacht, timing and itinerary. Confirm current requirements and amounts before arrival.
Road Harbour is deep and large enough for cruise ships, so watch for ferry, cargo and cruise movements on the way in. Berths are available at the Wickhams Cay marinas and there is anchoring in the harbour; shore services, provisioning, fuel and chandlery are all close to the clearance office. These are practical observations, not clearance requirements.
Complete the ED Card before you reach the port, so your receipts are ready at the counter.
Arrange clearance before starting your charter or cruising, and allow extra time when ferries are being processed.
Confirm current opening hours and after-hours overtime; published times change.
Yes. Road Town, the capital of the BVI on Tortola's south coast, is a recognised Customs and Immigration port of entry. The clearance office is at the ferry terminal on the north-west side of Road Harbour, on Wickhams Cay, next to where the inter-island ferries dock.
At the Road Harbour ferry terminal on Wickhams Cay I, on the north-west side of the harbour. Vessels follow the current arrival-signalling instructions on arrival and anchor or take a berth. A local BVI clearance agent can prepare and coordinate the crew’s Customs and Immigration formalities for the yacht, though personal attendance or passport presentation may still be required where the authorities request it.
Road Town suits yachts based at or heading to the Wickhams Cay charter marinas, central and southern Tortola, and the Sir Francis Drake Channel islands such as Norman, Peter and Cooper. If you need a temporary importation permit, confirm the current process with BVI Customs or a local agent.
Road Harbour is the BVI's main commercial seaport: it is deep and large, and shared with inter-island ferries, the cruise pier and cargo traffic, so expect vessel movement and allow time when ferries are processing. The charter bases at Wickhams Cay I and II sit inside the harbour, and shore services, provisioning, fuel and chandlery are close by.
Published clearance hours differ between current BVI sources. Confirm current hours before arrival.
Use this page for clearing in or out at Road Town, Tortola and other BVI yacht-paperwork assistance.