British Virgin Islands: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors
17 harbours
British Virgin Islands: 17 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.
Formalities
outside the EU customs unionCurrency: US dollar
Clearing in: British overseas territory, outside the EU and Schengen. Ports of entry: Road Town (Road Harbour) and West End (Soper's Hole) on Tortola, Great Harbour (Jost Van Dyke) and St. Thomas Bay in Spanish Town (Virgin Gorda); Gun Creek in the North Sound is currently closed. Hours differ by office (Road Town daily from 8:30, the smaller ones mostly until 16:30), after that only by arrangement with a surcharge. Advance notice via SailClear 72 hours before; since 1 January 2025 the online ED card for everyone entering and leaving. The skipper brings ship's papers and all passports.
Ausreise: Clear out at a port of entry before departure (port clearance): the next state asks for the certificate on clearing in.
Documents: Passport valid for six months beyond the stay; Germans need no visa for up to 90 days (usually one month is stamped), with an onward or return ticket. Boat papers, insurance.
Fees: Environmental and tourism levy USD 10 per person per entry, VISAR contribution USD 2. The cruising permit fee has been contradictory since the change in the law on 1 June 2025 (officially USD 16 per person per day for foreign charter boats, according to the trade press also for cruising yachts): check with BVI customs before the trip. For the day moorings of the marine parks, a National Parks Trust mooring permit.
Fairway: Buoyage follows IALA system B: red to starboard when entering from seaward, the reverse of Europe. The border with the U.S. Virgin Islands runs in places only a few hundred metres off the coast.
Nature: National Parks Trust marine parks: day moorings only in daylight and for 90 minutes at most, no anchoring in the parks (for example Wreck of the Rhone, The Baths); spearfishing and lobster catching prohibited, fishing only with a licence.
Tropical storm season: 1 June to 30 November, peak August to October. Shelters according to sailors: Paraquita Bay (mangroves), Hodges Creek, Soper's Hole, the Gorda Sound with Biras Creek; boatyards in Nanny Cay, Virgin Gorda and West End. Insurers usually restrict cover: check your policy.
Emergency: VHF channel 16 is monitored around the clock by the US Coast Guard (JRSC San Juan, +1 787 289 2041), there is no listening watch in the BVI themselves; VISAR volunteers +1 284 494 4357.
Sources: BVI Tourism: Arriving by Sea, Government of the Virgin Islands: Cruising Permit Fees, Blue Water Sailing: BVI Cruising Fees (May 2026), Noonsite: British Virgin Islands, SARcontacts: British Virgin Islands, Auswärtiges Amt: United Kingdom (with the overseas territories), travel and safety advice (as of 2026-10-20)
Harbours by cruising area
Tortola and Jost Van Dyke (Road Town, Nanny Cay, Soper's Hole, Great Harbour)
- BVI YACHT CHARTERS
- Cane Garden Bay (Tortola)
- Hodge's Creek Marina
- James Young Marina
- Manchioneel Bay (Cooper Island)
- Nanny Cay Marina
- North Latitude Marina
- Prospect Reef Marina
- Soper's Hole Marina
- The Bight (Norman Island)
- The Moorings Marina, Tortola
- Trellis Bay (Beef Island)
- Village Cay Marina
Virgin Gorda and Anegada (Spanish Town, North Sound, Setting Point)
Frequently asked questions
British Virgin Islands: Do I need to clear in?
British overseas territory, outside the EU and Schengen. Ports of entry: Road Town (Road Harbour) and West End (Soper's Hole) on Tortola, Great Harbour (Jost Van Dyke) and St. Thomas Bay in Spanish Town (Virgin Gorda); Gun Creek in the North Sound is currently closed. Hours differ by office (Road Town daily from 8:30, the smaller ones mostly until 16:30), after that only by arrangement with a surcharge. Advance notice via SailClear 72 hours before; since 1 January 2025 the online ED card for everyone entering and leaving. The skipper brings ship's papers and all passports.
British Virgin Islands: Which documents do I need on board?
Passport valid for six months beyond the stay; Germans need no visa for up to 90 days (usually one month is stamped), with an onward or return ticket. Boat papers, insurance.
British Virgin Islands: What fees apply?
Environmental and tourism levy USD 10 per person per entry, VISAR contribution USD 2. The cruising permit fee has been contradictory since the change in the law on 1 June 2025 (officially USD 16 per person per day for foreign charter boats, according to the trade press also for cruising yachts): check with BVI customs before the trip. For the day moorings of the marine parks, a National Parks Trust mooring permit.
British Virgin Islands: What is the emergency number at sea?
VHF channel 16 is monitored around the clock by the US Coast Guard (JRSC San Juan, +1 787 289 2041), there is no listening watch in the BVI themselves; VISAR volunteers +1 284 494 4357.
British Virgin Islands: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?
Sailseer covers 17 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.