Entering the French West Indies by Yacht

Feb 93 min read

Updated: Feb 12

After 2 years on the hardstand sailing to the French West Indies was an exciting new chapter for us! But the first thing we needed to wrap our heads around was the new clearance procedure.

Starting in September 2024, a new process was introduced based on a prefectural decree that changed the clearance formalities for all territories in the French Antilles. Having gone through it in Guadeloupe and Saint Martin, here's our experience.

Smiling person in straw hat by turquoise sea, with sailboats and St Martin in the background under a blue sky with clouds.

Where exactly are the French West Indies?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s get our bearings. The French West Indies includes the Caribbean islands of:

- (the French side, of course)

These islands are part of France, which means EU laws apply, and you’re technically entering European territory.

Who is affected by clearance formalities?

As of September 1, 2024, every vessel for personal or professional use, no matter its flag or homeport, must check in and out when entering or leaving the waters of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, or Saint-Barthélemy.

That means if you're arriving from another country, a foreign maritime zone, or straight from the open ocean, you'll need to go through clearance. Likewise, if you're heading out, whether to another country, international waters, or even another part of the French Antilles, you must complete the exit formalities. It doesn't matter if you're a private boat or a professional vessel; the rules are the same across the board.

How clearance for the French West Indies works

All formalities can now be completed online at using a free demarches-simplifiees.fr account. You need to login, select the location and then input all of the required information.

This is what we were asked for:

Vessel Information	Name, previous name, registration, flag, date of registration with the flag, home port, year of construction, activity, MMSI number, type, length, tonnage, number of masts, number of engines, total power, type of hull materials
Owner Information	Name, capacity, country of residence
Crew Information	Name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, passport expiry

Goods to be declared to customs or health authorities
Previous port of call
Next port of call
Date, time of arrival and arrival point at the French territory
Date, time of departure and departure point at the French territory
Expected duration of stay
Digital signature acknowledging the accuracy of the declaration

If you don’t have internet access it's okay, you can still handle the procedures at any of the approved clearance points which are listed in the Boat Clearance Guide.

Once completed and submitted you'll be emailed a "CERTIFICATE OF CLEARANCE OF A PLEASURE VESSEL IN FRENCH WEST INDIES". Personally we make sure we all have a copy on our phones, just in case we're ever asked to show it.

If your departure is within a week of arrival accurate to the form submitted then there are no further procedures to do, which was the case when we left Guadeloupe. Otherwise you will need to complete a form to depart as well.

Iguana on a rock by the sea, with sailboats in the background under a blue sky with clouds. Vibrant colors and a serene setting in St Martin.

Getting the declaration endorsed

At the moment the digital declaration is still pending recognition by the Caribbean States meaning that while it's fine to use the digital version when moving between French islands, it's not elsewhere.

What you need to do is print the clearance certificate and have it endorsed (stamped) by an approved clearance point. It will then be accepted as a valid zarpe by other Caribbean island authorities, outside of Guadeloupe, St Martin, St Barts and Martinique.

St Martin and the Port Authority

St Martin was a little confusing for us initially as we'd heard we needed to go to the Port Authority to check in, but from everything we've seen this legally isn't required as part of the French procedures. You are meant to go there if you pick up a mooring ball at Marigot Bay since there are fees owing for that, but because we anchored in a neighboring bay, not Marigot, there was no need to do this.