Dealing With Immigration and Customs Around the World

We have sailed around the world in our Mason 53 Dolphin Spirit for six and a half years, visiting 56 countries, so it developed a good understanding of the requirements of control into and out of countries, and a rule Simple to deal with bureaucracy: "You are in your country, rules are rules, therefore smile, do what you are told without complaint, or even leave. "Checking in and out of a country when it comes to its own boat includes various combinations of Health, Immigration, Customs, Customs Police, Agriculture, Captain of the Port, Port Police and Beach Police. In some countries, for example, Sri Lanka, the Navy added. Air and cruise liner arrivals have things much easier, which deals only with immigration and customs, and sometimes you Health.If carry any firearm or ammunition shall declare at its first port of entry, and most countries then require that these items be removed from the boat, or sealed in a cupboard, for the duration of stay in the country. Any nondeclared material found on board, with a general search in jail time and forfeiture of the vessel likely. It is very unlikely that you will find another customs officer as the Cook Islands told me that, after he was unable to find a stamp for the cabinet containing our shotgun, "Promise me you will not shoot anyone, and we will miss her. "Fiji is the top of the tree of paperwork. For us, with three people on board, control comply with the requirements of 22 forms and took about four hours to get across, excluding travel to the Office health centre and Government Department. All offices of carbon always paper.At the other end, the small Customs office in Aden, Yemen, seems to be executed by the person with a souvenir stand just outside the office door. Gave us the cleaning in exchange for $ US2 each for the lady who brought in tea. When cleared, the booth was manned by the tea lady, who took one second $ US2, signed forms that had not completed, and told us to fill them in after they left. Both were more interested in selling daggers and shawls. It was really very informal, and still not sure if it was a real office, officials with real, but nobody seemed too concerned.One of our most pleasant check-ins occurred in Tonga. We pulled up to dock Customs and addressed by Immigration, Customs, Health and Agriculture. These four gentlemen very large (Tonga weighing less than 200 pounds will eat a crash course) crowded around our table to make room for paperwork. We were prepared, with pots of tea and a period of five pounds box of cookies, so everyone was happy and received documents completed a set at one time.After having to check in and out of each country, it is very strange reach the Mediterranean, where the practice seems to vary. Undoubtedly, he had to check inside and outside Malta, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey. Check in Greece was necessary, but checking out is required only if iban to Turkey. Then sailed land and traveled to Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg without showing their passports, in fact, without even slowing down as they crossed the borders.Singapore Immigration and Customs yacht treated as if they were super-tankers or freighters. All crew members, hence, are needed to be covered by a bond. Officials silliness of this reality, and have fun when I said that if everything that I cost was $ S3, 000 to leave my wife and son, who could have. The fun did not stop sealing the link details in my passport and collect the money.
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