Saint Barthélemy: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors
3 harbours
Saint Barthélemy: 3 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.
Formalities
outside the EU customs unionCurrency: Euro
Clearing in: French overseas collectivity, since 2012 outside the EU and the EU customs territory with its own customs (5 % droit de quai on imports), not Schengen. The only port of entry is Gustavia: the French clearance declaration online plus the port's form (clairances.portdegustavia.fr, at most 24 hours in advance), valid only once printed and signed at the port office (daily 7:00 to 18:00, VHF channel 12); no agent needed. Immigration with the gendarmerie. Carry printed papers from the last port: a purely digital clearance from Saint Martin has already been refused.
Ausreise: When leaving for abroad or the high seas, submit the clearance declaration; carry a printout of the certificate, some neighbouring states want a stamp.
Documents: For EU citizens the identity card is enough, a passport is recommended. Boat papers, insurance, crew list with passport numbers.
Fees: Harbour and anchoring fees by length and berth (the outer roadstead is cheaper than the inner harbour), collected by a harbour patrol; water 0.019 euros per litre.
Fairway: Buoyage follows IALA system B: red to starboard when entering from seaward, the reverse of Europe. Before entering or manoeuvring in Gustavia harbour, get permission from the port office (VHF channel 12), 3 knots at most in the channel. Off Shell Beach a lane with a submarine cable (yellow buoys with a St Andrew's cross): no anchoring there.
Nature: Réserve naturelle (Anse de Colombier, Île Fourchue): ecological moorings; according to sailors, anchoring only outside the mooring fields, 25 m length at most and 96 hours at a stretch, 5 knots at most in the bays and within 100 m of the reserve's islands.
Tropical storm season: 1 June to 30 November, peak August to October; no hurricane hole, the anchorages are open roadsteads. Insurers usually restrict cover during the season: check your policy.
Emergency: 196 (maritime emergency from land, free) or 112; CROSS Antilles-Guyane (MRCC Fort-de-France) +596 596 70 92 92, VHF channel 16 and DSC.
Sources: Port de Gustavia: formalités, Démarches simplifiées: déclaration clearance Antilles, Douane: cas particuliers de Saint-Martin et de Saint-Barthélemy, Agence Territoriale de l'Environnement: Réserve naturelle, Noonsite: St. Barts, Auswärtiges Amt: France (with the overseas territories), travel and safety advice (as of 2026-10-20)
Harbours by cruising area
Saint-Barthélemy (Gustavia)
Frequently asked questions
Saint Barthélemy: Do I need to clear in?
French overseas collectivity, since 2012 outside the EU and the EU customs territory with its own customs (5 % droit de quai on imports), not Schengen. The only port of entry is Gustavia: the French clearance declaration online plus the port's form (clairances.portdegustavia.fr, at most 24 hours in advance), valid only once printed and signed at the port office (daily 7:00 to 18:00, VHF channel 12); no agent needed. Immigration with the gendarmerie. Carry printed papers from the last port: a purely digital clearance from Saint Martin has already been refused.
Saint Barthélemy: Which documents do I need on board?
For EU citizens the identity card is enough, a passport is recommended. Boat papers, insurance, crew list with passport numbers.
Saint Barthélemy: What fees apply?
Harbour and anchoring fees by length and berth (the outer roadstead is cheaper than the inner harbour), collected by a harbour patrol; water 0.019 euros per litre.
Saint Barthélemy: What is the emergency number at sea?
196 (maritime emergency from land, free) or 112; CROSS Antilles-Guyane (MRCC Fort-de-France) +596 596 70 92 92, VHF channel 16 and DSC.
Saint Barthélemy: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?
Sailseer covers 3 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.