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Send your details
Provide the vessel registration, people aboard, passports, last and next port, and your expected arrival or departure time. St Thomas Bay suits The Baths, Spanish Town and the south-eastern islands.
Spanish Town · The Valley · Virgin Gorda port of entry
St Thomas Bay / Spanish Town Yacht Clearance
St Thomas Bay at Spanish Town is Virgin Gorda's recognised BVI Customs and Immigration port of entry. The office sits by the ferry dock, minutes from the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour marina, and it is the closest clearance to The Baths and the south-eastern islands.
St Thomas Bay / Spanish Town, Virgin GordaListed by BVI Tourism as a port of entry. Confirm current availability, attendance and procedures before arrival.
Virgin GordaSt Thomas Bay and Spanish Town, beside Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour
Manual reviewEach request is assessed before an agent introduction.
Clearance checklist
What to have ready for clearance at St Thomas Bay
Send us these details and a local BVI clearance agent can prepare and coordinate the yacht's formalities with Customs and Immigration at the government office by the St Thomas Bay ferry dock. Keep the originals aboard, as personal attendance or passport presentation may still be required where the authorities request it.
✓A valid passport for everyone aboard, plus any visa required for entry
✓Crew and passenger list
✓Vessel registration papers and registration number
✓Online ED Card receipt, completed within 72 hours before arrival or on arrival before seeking entry
✓Proof of ownership or authority to operate the yacht
✓Valid yacht insurance
✓Previous port clearance or outbound clearance record where issued
✓Charter agreement and applicable permit details for charter or commercial vessels
Local assistance
How our St Thomas Bay clearance service works
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 the government office by the St Thomas Bay ferry dock for the yacht. Any attendance or inspection the authorities require is then coordinated for you.
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We brief a local agent
Your complete order goes to a local agent who confirms the current requirements, permits, office hours and charges at Spanish Town.
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The agent coordinates clearance
The agent prepares and coordinates the formalities at the government clearance office and any required attendance or inspection, so you are not working through each authority yourself.
Local process
Clearing in step by step at St Thomas Bay
St Thomas Bay is an open roadstead beside the ferry dock and marina; the anchorage lies just off the harbour, a short dinghy ride from the office.
Complete the ED Card
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 under the required arrival signals
Enter St Thomas Bay following current arrival-signalling instructions, including use of the Q flag where required, keeping clear of ferry movements around the dock and the marina entrance.
Anchor or berth to go ashore
Anchor off the bay or take a berth at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, then go ashore to the Customs and Immigration office by the ferry dock before starting normal cruising.
Customs and Immigration formalities
A local agent can prepare the crew list and vessel details and coordinate the formalities at the government office by the ferry dock for the yacht. Allow extra time when ferries are being processed; personal attendance or passport presentation may still be required where requested.
Pay permits and levies
Settle any applicable permit, levy and authority charges at the cashier; confirm current amounts before arrival. National Parks moorings at The Baths are paid separately.
Clearing out when you leave
Bound for the USVI or beyond? Outbound clearance is completed before departure, usually within about 24 hours, and an agent can coordinate it. You may clear back in later at a different BVI port.
Route planner
Sailing to and from St Thomas Bay
Spanish Town sits on Virgin Gorda's south-west coast, the gateway to The Baths and the eastern BVI. Tell us your last and next port so the right steps can be confirmed.
Clearing in for The Baths
St Thomas Bay is the closest port of entry to The Baths. Clear in here, then take a National Parks mooring at The Baths, where anchoring is prohibited.
Arriving from the USVI
Yachts from the USVI usually clear first at a Tortola port such as West End or Road Town, then cruise east to Virgin Gorda without clearing again.
North Sound and beyond
From Spanish Town it is a short sail to the North Sound (Gorda Sound). Because BVI Tourism currently describes Gun Creek as reopening soon, complete clearance at St Thomas Bay unless Gun Creek availability is explicitly confirmed.
Clearing out from Spanish Town
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.
Nearby locations
What's at St Thomas Bay and other clearance options
St Thomas Bay has the Customs and Immigration office by the ferry dock and the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour marina alongside, with a boatyard, chandlery, supermarket, restaurants and taxis to The Baths and Gorda Peak. If St Thomas Bay does not suit your route, these are the other BVI ports of entry.
West End (Soper's Hole), Tortola
On Tortola's western tip, the closest clearance to St John and St Thomas — the usual choice when arriving from the USVI.
Road Town, Tortola
The capital on Tortola's south coast, with the main charter bases and full shore services.
Gun Creek, Virgin Gorda
The North Sound clearance office (Bitter End / Leverick Bay area) is described by BVI Tourism as reopening soon and should not be relied on for clearance until its availability is confirmed. Confirm before planning to clear there; St Thomas Bay is the active Virgin Gorda alternative.
Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke
The Jost Van Dyke port of entry, a popular first clearance for yachts crossing from St John.
Route-specific guidance
St Thomas Bay arrival and departure
St Thomas Bay is the working Virgin Gorda port of entry and the gateway to The Baths.
Clearing in at St Thomas Bay
Complete the ED Card, approach under the required arrival signals and anchor off or berth at the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour marina. A local agent can coordinate the crew's clearance at the government office by the ferry dock; personal attendance may still be required where the authorities request it.
Request St Thomas Bay arrival assistance →Clearing out from Spanish Town
Outbound clearance is completed at the government office by the ferry dock 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 St Thomas Bay departure assistance →British Virgin Islands requirements
Rules that apply at St Thomas Bay
Office location and hours
Customs and Immigration are by the ferry dock at St Thomas Bay, Spanish Town, a few minutes from the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. Published clearance hours differ between current BVI sources. Confirm current hours before arrival. Applicable overtime and other authority charges may apply.
ED Card and vessel notification
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.
Authority charges and permits
Applicable Customs, permit, levy, overtime and other authority charges may depend on the yacht, timing and itinerary. Confirm current requirements and amounts before arrival.
Practical harbour notes
St Thomas Bay is an open bay beside the ferry dock; the anchorage can be rolly in some conditions, and many yachts take a berth at the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour instead. The marina has a boatyard with a travel lift, chandlery, fuel, provisioning and restaurants. The Baths, just south, use National Parks moorings and prohibit anchoring. These are practical observations, not clearance requirements.
Skipper preparation
Practical points for a smooth St Thomas Bay clearance
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Complete the ED Card before you reach the port, so your receipts are ready at the counter.
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Arrange clearance at the government office by the ferry dock — not at the marina — before cruising on to The Baths or the North Sound.
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Confirm current opening hours and after-hours overtime; published times change.
FAQ
St Thomas Bay / Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda Yacht Clearance questions
What is the official Virgin Gorda port of entry called?
The Virgin Gorda port of entry is St Thomas Bay, at Spanish Town (also called The Valley). The Customs and Immigration office is by the ferry dock, a few minutes from the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour marina. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour is the neighbouring marina, not the name of the government office.
Is St Thomas Bay currently open for clearance?
Yes. BVI Tourism currently lists St Thomas Bay as a BVI port of entry. It describes Gun Creek in the North Sound as reopening soon, so St Thomas Bay is the working Virgin Gorda option unless Gun Creek availability is explicitly confirmed.
Is this a good port to clear at for The Baths?
Yes. St Thomas Bay is the closest port of entry to The Baths, which lie just south of Spanish Town. Clear in at St Thomas Bay, then pick up a National Parks mooring at The Baths, where anchoring is not permitted.
Is Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour the clearance location?
Not exactly. Clearance is handled at the government Customs and Immigration office by the St Thomas Bay ferry dock. The Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour is the adjacent marina, with berths, a boatyard, chandlery, provisioning and restaurants; it is a few minutes' walk from the clearance office.
What are the current clearance hours at St Thomas Bay?
Published clearance hours differ between current BVI sources. Confirm current hours before arrival.
Personal clearance support
Send the voyage details once. We help route the request.
Use this page for clearing in or out at St Thomas Bay / Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda and other BVI yacht-paperwork assistance.