1
Giving notice in the right way
The agent can lodge the eSeaClear notification and communicate the expected arrival and departure to the authorities beforehand, which is what the published arrangement here depends on.
St John's · a legal port of entry that runs on advance notice
Deep Water Harbour Yacht Clearance Agent
Deep Water Harbour is Antigua's commercial and cargo port, in St John's, and a legal port of entry. Customs lists a yacht-boarding function here, but Immigration describes its station as a commercial and cargo port whose offices are not operational, with officers transported in and clearance communicated in advance. Send the vessel, crew, route and timing details and we will introduce you to a local agent who can confirm whether this is workable for your yacht.
Deep Water HarbourMaritime location listed for route planning. Confirm current Yacht Clearance eligibility and authority arrangements before arrival.
St. John's and northwest AntiguaDeep Water Harbour and nearby yacht locations
Manual reviewEach request is assessed before an agent introduction.
Local assistance
Why a local agent matters more at Deep Water Harbour
At the yacht harbours an agent saves time. Here an agent is closer to a precondition, because the published position is that the offices are not operational and officers must be transported in on advance notice. Someone local has to make that happen, and has to say honestly whether it will happen on your date.
2
An honest answer about suitability
This is primarily a cargo port. An agent can say whether a private yacht is realistically accommodated for your date, or whether Heritage Quay across the harbour, Jolly Harbour or the south coast is the better answer.
3
Coordinating attendance
If clearance here is agreed, the agent can coordinate Customs, Immigration and Port Authority attendance and the cruising permit, rather than leaving the captain to chase three offices in a working commercial port.
Clearance checklist
Documents normally prepared for Deep Water Harbour Yacht Clearance
Prepare the applicable records before arrival or departure.
✓Clearance from the last port (outward clearance or zarpe)
✓Crew and passenger list covering everyone on board
✓Yacht registration and flag details
✓Passports or other accepted travel documents for everyone aboard
✓Proof of ownership or written authority to operate the yacht
✓Valid yacht insurance
Local process
How to plan Yacht Clearance at Deep Water Harbour
The national sequence applies, but the advance-notice step governs whether the rest of it is possible here.
Notify before arrival, twice over
Prepare the eSeaClear notification with the vessel and crew details, and separately communicate the expected arrival and departure to the port, as Immigration's published guidance for this station requires.
Arrive and fly the Q flag
Fly a yellow Q flag and keep everyone aboard until clearance is granted. In a working cargo port that also means staying well clear of commercial berths and traffic.
Customs
Customs lists a Deep Water Harbour boarding office for pleasure yachts, published as 06:00 to 18:00, separately from the cargo sections. The captain presents the outward clearance from the last port, the crew list and the vessel registration.
Immigration
Described as a commercial and cargo port accommodating mainly cargo vessels, with clearance to be communicated in advance because the offices are not operational and officers must be transported in. No hours are published.
Port Authority and cruising permit
Harbour fees and the cruising permit are settled with the Port Authority, the permit running up to six consecutive months.
Outward clearance
Departure needs the same advance communication as arrival. Build the notice period into the departure plan rather than treating outward clearance as a same-day task.
Antigua requirements
Border, Customs and advance-notice requirements at Deep Water Harbour.
Points specific to this location; national requirements are on the homepage. A location being named a legal port of entry does not establish that a private yacht can be cleared there on a given day.
Port of entry status and the Customs functions here
Customs names Deep Water Harbour first among the six legal ports of entry and lists a boarding function with the vessel type given as pleasure yachts, published as 06:00 to 18:00, the same window as Nelson's Dockyard and Heritage Quay. Customs also lists separate Deep Water Harbour sections for cargo ships, with tariff and transit-shed functions on Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 16:30 and Friday 08:00 to 15:00. The yacht-boarding function is distinct from these.
Immigration: a station that is not staffed on site
Immigration lists Deep Water among its five seaport stations, describes it as a commercial and cargo port accommodating mainly cargo vessels, and states that clearance must be communicated in advance of arriving and departing since the offices are not operational and officers must be transported in. No hours are published. Immigration separately names Nelson's Dockyard, Jolly Harbour, Crabbs Slipway and Heritage Quay as its operational ports; Deep Water is not among them.
A commercial and cargo harbour
St John's Harbour handles the country's commercial and cruise traffic, and Deep Water Harbour is the cargo side of it. Space and services for private yachts are limited and depend on commercial movements, which is why many visiting yachts use Heritage Quay across the harbour, Jolly Harbour on the west coast or the English Harbour area instead.
Charges, and clearing outside a port of entry
Harbour fees and the cruising permit apply on the same national basis as anywhere else, the permit running up to six consecutive months. National Parks charges attach to the English Harbour and Falmouth area rather than St John's, though receipts from an earlier stay there can still be called for. Separately, Customs states that clearing outside a port of entry needs the Comptroller's permission, requested within twenty-four hours before arrival or departure. That is a different matter from clearing here, which is itself a listed port of entry.
FAQ
Deep Water Harbour Yacht Clearance questions
Can a private yacht clear in at Deep Water Harbour?
Customs names it a legal port of entry for pleasure craft and lists a boarding function with the vessel type given as pleasure yachts. Immigration, however, describes its Deep Water station as commercial and cargo, with offices not operational, officers transported in and clearance communicated in advance. Confirm the arrangement before planning an arrival here.
What does "communicated in advance" mean in practice?
The authorities need to know you are coming, and when, before you get there, because an officer has to travel to the port to give clearance. The eSeaClear notification is part of that but not the whole of it. An agent can make the communication and confirm it has been accepted.
Should I use Deep Water Harbour or Heritage Quay?
For most private yachts Heritage Quay is the more straightforward of the two: Immigration lists it among its operational stations with hours published daily from 06:00 to 21:00. Deep Water suits a yacht whose circumstances specifically point there, with the notice arrangement handled in advance.
Are there yacht facilities at Deep Water Harbour?
It is the commercial and cargo port for St John's, so space and services for private yachts are limited and subject to commercial traffic. Yachts wanting marina facilities normally look to Jolly Harbour or the English Harbour and Falmouth area.
What are the published hours here?
Customs publishes the boarding function for pleasure yachts as 06:00 to 18:00, and the cargo sections on Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 16:30 and Friday 08:00 to 15:00. Immigration publishes no hours for its Deep Water station, consistent with its statement that the offices there are not operational.
Can an agent clear the yacht somewhere else instead?
Yes. An agent can advise on whichever of the six legal ports of entry suits the yacht, route and timing, and coordinate the clearance there. Send the route and the constraints and the recommendation can be made against those.
Personal clearance support
Send the voyage details once. We help route the request.
Use this page for Deep Water Harbour arrival, departure and Antigua yacht-paperwork assistance.