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Send your details
Registration, who is aboard, where the yacht has come from and is going, and when you expect to be off the bay. Give us length and draught too if you would rather take a berth at the Yacht Harbour than lie off and dinghy in.
Spanish Town · The Valley · Virgin Gorda port of entry
St Thomas Bay / Spanish Town Yacht Clearance
St Thomas Bay at Spanish Town is the working Virgin Gorda port of entry, and the only one on the island while Gun Creek remains unavailable. Clearance is handled at the government office by the ferry dock, with Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour alongside for berths, fuel, chandlery and haul-out. It is the closest clearance to The Baths and the practical base for the eastern islands and the North Sound.
St Thomas Bay / Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda
Virgin Gorda
Manual reviewEach request is assessed before an agent introduction.
Local assistance
How our St Thomas Bay clearance service works
Two things catch people out at Spanish Town: the government office and the marina beside it are quite separate, and the anchorage is an open roadstead rather than a harbour. Describe the yacht and the plan once, and an agent who knows both the office and the marina settles the formalities and where the yacht lies while you are ashore.
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We brief a local agent
Your request goes to an agent who works with the Spanish Town office and the marina. They will tell you whether to lie off and dinghy in or use the marina's short-term dockage, and what the Customs counter will want to see.
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The agent coordinates clearance
The agent puts the documents in order, works the Customs and Immigration steps at the government office and obtains the National Parks mooring permit that The Baths require. Officers may still want the captain or the passports at the counter; the marina's short-term dockage makes that easy to do.
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 your nationality
✓Crew and passenger list
✓Vessel registration papers and the registration number
✓Online ED Card completion email for each person aboard, showing the barcode
✓Proof of ownership, or written authority to operate the yacht
✓Valid yacht insurance
✓Clearance or zarpe from your last port, where one was issued
✓The ports either side of the visit, your timing, and whether you want a berth or to lie off
Local process
Clearing in step by step at St Thomas Bay
St Thomas Bay is an open roadstead on Virgin Gorda's south-west coast, with the ferry dock and the marina entrance both busy, so keep clear of the traffic on the way in.
Complete the pre-arrival reporting
The national submissions for the vessel and the people aboard are completed before you arrive, with the confirmations held ready. Coming east from Tortola having already cleared into the territory, none of this applies and you can sail straight in.
Approach and call the port office
Raise the port office on VHF 16 for the entry permit, moving to 17 when the Ports Authority asks the reason for entry. Fly the Q flag and give the ferry dock and the marina entrance room, as both are busy.
Lie off, or take short-term dockage
Yachts anchor off the bay and come in by dinghy, which is a short ride to the office. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour also offers short-term dockage for errands such as clearance, with the first half hour free and an hourly charge after that.
Clear at the government office, not the marina
Customs and Immigration are at the government office by the St Thomas Bay ferry dock. The Yacht Harbour is the neighbouring marina and does not handle clearance. The captain, agent or a crew member carrying all the documents presents the passports, receipts and vessel papers.
Buy the National Parks mooring permit here
Foreign vessels can buy the National Parks Trust mooring permit from Customs on Virgin Gorda on entry. Do it at clearance rather than later: The Baths lie just south of Spanish Town and you cannot anchor there, so the buoys are the only way in by sea.
Clearing out or moving on
Outbound clearance for an international departure is completed at the same office, with the vessel leaving BVI waters within 24 hours. Immigration extensions for the people aboard can also be dealt with at Spanish Town.
British Virgin Islands requirements
Rules that apply at St Thomas Bay
The office, not the marina
Customs and Immigration are at the government office by the St Thomas Bay ferry dock. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour is the neighbouring marina and does not carry out clearance, although its short-term dockage is useful while you are ashore. Only the person handling clearance leaves the vessel until entry is granted.
The Baths and park moorings
Anchoring is prohibited inside the national park at The Baths, so access by sea is on day-use mooring buoys only, with no overnight use. A National Parks Trust mooring permit is required by law, and foreign vessels can buy it from Customs on Virgin Gorda at clearance.
Immigration extensions
Spanish Town is one of only two offices where an extension to the stay stamped on arrival can be applied for, the other being Road Town. Apply before the original period expires. Temporary importation for the yacht itself is still handled at Road Town.
Anchorage and marina
St Thomas Bay is an open roadstead rather than an enclosed harbour, exposed to swell from the south and west. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour alongside has berths, a fuel dock, chandlery, provisioning and two boatyards, with lifting capacity for large yachts.
FAQ
St Thomas Bay / Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda Yacht Clearance questions
What is the Virgin Gorda port of entry called?
The port of entry is St Thomas Bay, at Spanish Town, which is also known as The Valley. Customs and Immigration are at the government office by the ferry dock. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour is the marina next to it, not the name of the government office.
Is Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour where I clear in?
No. Clearance is at the government office by the St Thomas Bay ferry dock, a few minutes from the marina. The Yacht Harbour itself has berths, a fuel dock, chandlery, provisioning and two boatyards, and offers short-term dockage with the first half hour free, which is convenient while you are at the office.
Is this the right port to clear at for The Baths?
Yes. The Baths lie just south of Spanish Town and St Thomas Bay is the closest port of entry. Anchoring inside the park is prohibited, so you arrive on a day-use mooring buoy, which requires a National Parks Trust mooring permit. Foreign vessels can buy that permit from Customs on Virgin Gorda when clearing in, which is the simplest way to do it.
Can I clear in at Gun Creek for the North Sound instead?
Not at present. Gun Creek holds a port-of-entry designation but has not been available for yacht clearance since the 2017 hurricanes, and BVI Tourism currently describes it as reopening soon. Clear at St Thomas Bay and sail north to Gorda Sound afterwards; it is a short passage through the buoyed channel.
What are the current clearance hours at St Thomas Bay?
Office attendance at Spanish Town can vary, particularly outside normal working hours. A local agent can confirm the current schedule and arrange out-of-hours attendance where available, which may carry an additional charge.
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.