English Harbour is Antigua's principal yachting harbour and a legal port of entry, with the Customs and Immigration offices for both English Harbour and neighbouring Falmouth located at Nelson's Dockyard. Send the vessel, crew, route and timing details and we will introduce you to a local agent who can prepare the file and coordinate your arrival or departure.
This is the busiest clearance point in the country, the only one where a national park authority is routinely involved, and the only one whose published Immigration hours change with the season. An agent working the Dockyard daily knows what is open and how long the queue is.
Customs, Immigration and the Port Authority all feature in the published procedure, and the National Parks Authority applies to yachts lying in English or Falmouth Harbour. An agent assembles one file and works the sequence rather than sending the captain between offices.
Falmouth is a major yacht and superyacht harbour but not a separate port of entry; the offices for both harbours are at Nelson's Dockyard. An agent can coordinate clearance here for a yacht berthing or anchoring in Falmouth.
Late February to late April is the busiest stretch on the south coast, with the RORC Caribbean 600 starting from English Harbour and the Classic Yacht Regatta and Sailing Week following in April. Berths and office time are committed a long way ahead.
Prepare the applicable records before arrival or departure.
The national sequence applies, with two local features: the Dockyard offices serve Falmouth as well, and National Parks charges attach to yachts lying in either harbour.
Prepare the eSeaClear notification with the vessel details and the full crew and passenger list. An agent can submit it and hold the reference.
Fly a yellow Q flag and keep everyone aboard until clearance is granted. The yachting association also asks that the channel from Fort Berkeley into the inner harbour be kept clear.
Customs lists a Nelson's Dockyard boarding function for pleasure yachts, published as 06:00 to 18:00. The captain presents the clearance from the last port, the crew list and the vessel registration.
Published as Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00 and weekends 08:00 to 16:00, with off-season hours of 08:00 to 16:00 from mid-May to mid-November. It is the only station with a published seasonal change, which matters for a late arrival in summer.
Harbour fees and the permit are settled with the Port Authority, which keeps an office in the area. Yachts lying in either harbour also face National Parks charges. Keep the receipts, as they must be produced even if you clear out through a different port.
Complete outward clearance and settle charges before departure. If the yacht will clear out elsewhere in Antigua after lying here, close off the National Parks position first.
Points specific to this location; national requirements are on the homepage. Published hours are a planning aid, not confirmation of attendance on a given day.
Customs names English Harbour among the six legal ports of entry and lists a Nelson's Dockyard boarding office for pleasure yachts, published as 06:00 to 18:00, the same window as Deep Water Harbour and Heritage Quay, and wider than Jolly Harbour's 08:00 to 16:30. Immigration describes its Nelson's Dockyard station as a pleasure and cruise port clearing vessels in and out of the country, published as Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00, weekends 08:00 to 16:00, and 08:00 to 16:00 off season from mid-May to mid-November.
The national yachting association states that English Harbour is the port of entry for Falmouth and that the Customs and Immigration offices for both are at Nelson's Dockyard. Falmouth is a berthing and anchoring area rather than a separate international port of entry, so a yacht using it clears here. Confirm the current arrangement before arrival.
The National Parks Act of 1984 created a protected area of roughly sixteen square miles covering English and Falmouth Harbour, and the Dockyard was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. Yachts anchored in either harbour, or berthed at the marinas there, pay National Parks Authority fees in addition to Port Authority fees, and receipts for both must be available even when clearing out through a different port. Cruising permits are issued by the Port Authority or by National Parks for up to six consecutive months.
The yachting association asks that a clear channel be maintained from Fort Berkeley to the inner harbour. Anchoring, mooring and berthing inside the harbour are managed locally and should be confirmed for the yacht's size and draft. From late February to late April the harbour runs to the racing calendar. The RORC Caribbean 600 starts here, followed by the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, Antigua Sailing Week and superyacht events, and berths, services and office time are committed well ahead.
At Nelson's Dockyard, where both the Customs boarding office and the Immigration station are located. Send the eSeaClear notification in advance, fly the Q flag on arrival and keep everyone aboard; the captain goes ashore to the offices. An agent can prepare the file and coordinate the sequence.
Yes. The national yachting association states that English Harbour is the port of entry for Falmouth and that the offices for both are at Nelson's Dockyard. Falmouth is a berthing and anchoring area rather than a separate port of entry. Confirm the arrangement before arrival.
Yes. The English Harbour and Falmouth area sits inside Nelson's Dockyard National Park, so National Parks charges apply on top of Port Authority fees for yachts anchored in either harbour or berthed at the marinas. The amount depends on the yacht and how it stays, and receipts may be requested when clearing out elsewhere.
Yes. Immigration publishes off-season hours of 08:00 to 16:00 from mid-May to mid-November, against Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00 and weekends 08:00 to 16:00 in season. It is the only seaport station with a published seasonal change, so check which window covers your arrival date.
From late February to late April the harbour is at its busiest: the RORC Caribbean 600 starts from English Harbour, with the Classic Yacht Regatta, Sailing Week and superyacht events following. Berths and marine services across English and Falmouth Harbour are committed well ahead and the offices are busy, so plan arrival timing accordingly.
An agent can submit the notification, assemble the documents, coordinate Customs, Immigration, Port Authority and National Parks, and handle crew signing on or off. Clearance decisions remain with the authorities, and Customs allows only the captain ashore to make clearance, so the captain's attendance may still be required.
Use this page for English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard arrival, departure and Antigua yacht-paperwork assistance.