| Pre-arrival into Tonga Complete Advanced Notice of Arrival and email to info@customs.gov.to or fax +676 24124 at least 24 hours prior to arrival, an email confirmation will normally be sent. Covid vaccination is not required any more. —Remember it is illegal to charter your yacht in Tonga, do you really want to lose your boat? -Guns must be handed in at your arrival port, they will be returned when you leave. -All recreational drugs are Class A here. A recent group of locals and expats were handed down 2 to 15 year sentences in 2022 for Cocaine offences. https://vavau.to/tongaanoa.pdf a text version is on the second to last page for low internet connections. ANOA details are checked and verified against Interpol and Pacific Customs Intelligence units, don’t mess around! Customs: International check in (first Tongan port – AT WHARF, unless bad weather, but call Customs to confirm) |
Fly your Q flag; call Vava’u Customs on VHF 26/16, VVMRA may answer with details on procedure, wait for Customs, Health and Immigration ($100 Practique FEE) to check you in. NO OTHER FEES, apart from overtime. Clear your cockpit of any cigarettes, alcohol, fishing lures and smaller items. We DO NOT encourage gifts to Government
| officials! Offer a sprite, coffee or juice… Customs are open business hours Monday to Friday, Saturday till noon. You do not have to Clear in Saturday or after hours, an overtime fee of $140 is charged on Saturday morning. Fly your Q flag, DO NOT come ashore, or allow non crew aboard – fines are $1150 per person, plus deportation, confiscation of your vessel as in most countries! Suitable casual attire to show respect please. Shirts, shorts, no see through clothing International checkout; (last Tongan port – AT WHARF, unless bad weather). Immigration Office (only if you have crew flying in on one-way flights), then Marine and Ports to pay Lights and Buoy fee, then Customs and duty free fuel can begin once an Export permit has been written by customs. Check calendar in Tonga for holidays, cruise ships, tides, sports and other events, also your destination country calendar for ETA. Nothing worse than prepping to leave and an event is on! Pacific Calendar TODO As in ALL countries, you must leave the harbour and make your way out of Tongan waters… If you have issues VHF Customs and request return permission. The ONLY FEE payable on exit is to Ports and Marine unless you check out on weekends or overtime!!! DO NOT LOSE your Clearance/ZARPE documents! We have had several cases of people losing these. DO NOT forget to complete your Advanced Notice of Arrivals for Fiji, NZ, and Australia etc.… massive fines! Take local currency with you checkin fees are FJD600+ NZD ? AUD ? Vanuatu ? New Cal ? Samoa USD? W Samoa ? Fiji you must go to a quarantine ball, NZ/Aus you must go to a quarantine dock. Check your passport is not within 6 months of expiring! Cafe Tropicana has NZ yacht arrival packs – FREE. These have all the forms and information on arriving into NZ for a yacht Customs, Health, Immigration have the option of coming aboard to check you out of the country. Domestic checkout (not your final Tongan port. You DO NOT need to take the boat to the WHARF). Marine and ports to pay lights and buoys FEE, then Boarding Officer at Customs for local movement report – NO OTHER FEES, apart from overtime. CHECK your visa expiry DATES! You will need boat papers and passports to complete this form. Local Lights and Buoys fees must be paid at each Island prior to departing. DO NOT need to take boat to the WHARF). Anchor, and at your convenience (within 2 days) visit immigration (copy of the crew list is also required) local movement report from Boarding Officer at Customs. NO FEES, apart from overtime. CHECK your visa expiry DATES! Vava’u Phone: +676 70053 676 70928 VHF 26/16 GPS: 18°39’7.04″S 173°59’4.18″W Halaevalu Wharf Boarding Officer pooikaufusi@gmail.com Nuku’alofa Phone: 23651 VHF Ch: 16 GPS coord: 21° 8’24.41″S 175°10’45.38″W Location Port Authority Building. Ha’apai Phone: 60651 VHF Ch: 16 Does check ins once a day at 9am. Niuatoputapu Phone: None? VHF Ch: 16 Customs Forms and locations Advance Notice Of Arrival https://vavau.to/tongaanoa.pdf Inward Report https://vavau.to/tongainwardreport.pdf Outward Report https://vavau.to/tongaoutwardreport.pdf Outward Clearance C15 – duty free fuel https://vavau.to/tongaoutwardclearance.pdf Local Movement Report (Internal) – domestic https://vavau.to/tongalocalmovement.pdf Appointed Masters Letter – if owner is absent from vessel. https://vavau.to/master1.pdf See later for list of Yacht Masters based here. Checkin and out for immigration purposes is done by Customs. New visa, one-way fee, fines must be done through Immigration Ministry. Yachts have a 4 month visa, extendable to maximum 12 months by application prior to former boat visa expiring. See Customs. Hours 9am 12:30pm. 1:30pm -4.30pm M to F Website: www.revenue.gov.to Email: inforev@revenue.gov.to NO fees inward/outward Weekend clearance $140 $20 per hour Sat/Sun OVERTIME. Immigration: Vava’u Phone:+676 70629 +676 71443 VHF: None GPS coord: 18°39’11.99″S 173°58’56.65″W Location: Sanft Building l – first floor Senior sunialilo@gmail.com +676 70629 Nuku’alofa Phone: 23969 VHF Ch: GPS coord: 21° 7’58.74″S 175°11’55.51″W Location: St George building, Kolofo’au Ha’apai – no extensions Phone: NA VHF Ch: Niuatoputapu – no extensions Phone: NA VHF Ch: Email: visatonga@gmail.com Hours 9am 12:30pm. 1.30pm -4:30pm M to F Website: No website Phone: 7401888 30 day free visa. 90 day free visa for Schengen countries. Check free list. Maximum 6 months visa. Country Boarding officer 7755160 Havea $69 per 31 day Visa, $57.50 for 15 day visa $11.50 per 31 day under 16 years DO NOT let it expire! $1150 fine. NO other fees inward/outward One way crew fee $34.50 (fly in, sail out crew). One way crew visa $34.50 – must have passport, flight details, has to be done by Vava’u or Nuku’alofa Officer in Charge, so may take 5+ days. https://vavau.to/crew1.doc has all the information you need as a word document, edit the document as required, you must print it for immigration. Has to be paid in cash, can only process after a vessel arrives in the Kingdom, fee in cash. The only alternative is to buy a cancellable return ticket from say Air NZ. $20 per hour Sat/Sun OVERTIME. ANOA Text version If you have to divert to Tonga and have limited internet, email and complete text version of ANOA if you can. Explain reason for diversion. Signature is not required. Info@customs.gov.to Advanced Notice Of Arrival – text version Part A craft details Name of Craft Name of person in charge Name of owner Name of Charterer country of registration port of registration gross tonnage sail number home port craft type – yacht/motor length overall meter yacht rig cutter/ sloop/ketch/yawl/schooner/other value of craft contact details owners address (street, number, city, country) charterers address (street, number, city, country) registration number total number of pax on board radio call sign shore station or radio contact draft meters hull colour superstructure colour hull type mono/catamaran/trimaran/other Part B voyage details port of arrival – tonga estimated date and time of arrival port arrived from and date departure list of overseas ports (last 6 ports, last port first) Part C crew and passengers – copy as required Family name first names nationality date of birth gender male/female passport number place of issue – city date and place of joining Part D cargo Any commercial cargo – details Part E – other Firearms animals on board – kind of animal/country and port boarded Vava’u Directory below to be completed Departing Tonga Coins If you have coins (unless you want momentos of Tonga or giving them away as gifts or you collect) they cannot be changed overseas at all. You could give them to a charity, or as a tip for your favourite café, taxi, market vendor… Food Stores – NZ, Australia or Fiji If you have stores on board that you cannot take into your next port (meat, honey etc) you could Trade it with a yacht that does not have that issue Trade it with a café/restaurant for services Store it with a café/restaurant if you are returning next year. I once stored 30kg cheese in our freezers for 8 months! Gift it to someone that has gone out of there way for you, or just needs a hand up! Ask someone to give it to a charity of your choice, or give it them yourself of course, Cafe Tropicana can assist with this – you pick the charity, it will be dropped off anonymously (we just say a yacht) or in your yachts name…. PAY IT FORWARD |