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Choose the port or destination area
Select the actual berth or the closest UK location matching the voyage.
28 UK yacht locations - South Coast, South West, East Coast, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
UK Yacht Clearance Agents
Plan yacht arrival or departure around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Send the yacht, crew, route and timing details for review and a possible introduction to a suitable local agent.
28 UK locationsChoose the port that matches the voyage or berth.
One clear requestSend yacht, crew, route and timing details once.
Local agent supportWe review the request before an introduction.
Before arrival
Prepare your UK clearance folder.
Having the core records ready helps the agent assess the voyage efficiently.
✓Passports or other travel documents for everyone aboard, and confirmation of a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation, visa or eVisa where required
✓Crew and passenger list with nationalities and travel-document details, matching the Pleasure Craft Report
✓Vessel registration document and vessel particulars (name, type, tonnage, flag state)
✓Proof of ownership or written authority to use the yacht
✓Valid insurance certificate appropriate to the vessel and voyage
✓Skipper qualification or certificate of competence appropriate to the flag state and voyage
✓Previous port clearance or outward report, where one was issued
✓Evidence of UK/EU VAT-paid or free-circulation status, or of a Temporary Admission position, noting Great Britain and Northern Ireland run different durations
Our service
One request for UK Yacht Clearance support
UK Yacht Clearance reviews the voyage details and may introduce the skipper to a suitable local agent who can confirm the correct reporting location, Pleasure Craft Report, Border Force, HMRC and harbour-authority process.
2
Send yacht and crew details
Provide the flag, registration, use, customs status, route, ETA and assistance required.
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Coordinate locally
A suitable agent can confirm the reporting process, authority attendance, documents, timing and current fees.
Clearance planning
From route details to local assistance.
Choose the correct UK location
Tell us the first or last UK location and where the yacht will actually berth.
Prepare the yacht and crew details
Gather registration, insurance, passports, crew list and route information.
Check UK requirements
Review the Pleasure Craft Report, Border Force, HMRC and Temporary Admission requirements for the voyage.
Coordinate with a local agent
Use local support to confirm reporting, attendance, timing and current fees.
UK locations
UK yacht ports of entry
Choose the location that best matches your arrival, departure or berth. If the yacht is staying in a nearby marina or anchorage, select the closest relevant port or choose Other port in the form.
South Coast
8 locationsDoverDover and the east Kent coastView port guide →RamsgateRamsgate and the east Kent coastView port guide →Portsmouth / GosportPortsmouth, Gosport and Portsmouth HarbourView port guide →SouthamptonSouthampton and the central SolentView port guide →CowesCowes and the Isle of Wight Solent shoreView port guide →PoolePoole and Poole HarbourView port guide →LymingtonLymington and the western SolentView port guide →WeymouthWeymouth and Portland harbourView port guide →
South West
4 locationsPlymouthPlymouth Sound and the South Devon and East Cornwall coastView port guide →FalmouthFalmouth, the Carrick Roads and the west Cornwall coastView port guide →DartmouthDartmouth, the River Dart and SalcombeView port guide →Penzance and the Isles of ScillyPenzance, Newlyn and the Isles of ScillyView port guide →
East Coast
4 locationsScotland
6 locationsTroonTroon and the Firth of ClydeView port guide →Inverness / Caledonian CanalInverness and the Caledonian Canal sea-lock entranceView port guide →AberdeenAberdeen and the north-east Scotland coastView port guide →Lerwick (Shetland)Lerwick and the Shetland IslandsView port guide →Kirkwall (Orkney)Kirkwall, Scapa Flow and OrkneyView port guide →Stornoway (Outer Hebrides)Stornoway and the Outer HebridesView port guide →
Wales
3 locationsNorthern Ireland
3 locationsUK requirements
Plan the national formalities before reaching the port.
Every arrival is an external-border movement
The UK is not in the EU or the Schengen Area. A yacht arriving from the EU, Ireland or anywhere else outside the UK and Isle of Man must submit a Pleasure Craft Report. There is no intra-EU or intra-Schengen exemption.
The Pleasure Craft Report (sPCR)
Report between 24 hours and 2 hours before departure or arrival, using the online sPCR service or the C1331 fallback. Fly the yellow Q flag on entering the 12-mile limit where required and call the National Yachtline on arrival unless told otherwise.
Temporary Admission differs by nation
A qualifying non-UK-registered, privately used yacht can generally use Temporary Admission for up to 24 months in Great Britain, but only up to 18 months in Northern Ireland, which continues to align with EU goods rules under the Windsor Framework.
Returned Goods Relief
A UK-owned pleasure craft may re-enter without VAT being recharged under Returned Goods Relief. Since 1 January 2022 the normal three-year re-entry window has been waived for recreational boats, subject to ownership and use conditions.
Northern Ireland's distinct rules
A report is required arriving in Northern Ireland from Ireland and the rest of the EU, but crew details are not required for voyages specifically from Ireland, and the Q flag is not required arriving from an EU member state. Fuel arrangements may also differ from Great Britain under Windsor Framework goods alignment.
Maritime administration
Border Force handles immigration and border enforcement, HMRC handles customs and VAT, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency handles safety and search and rescue. Harbour authorities are independent trust, municipal or private bodies with no customs or immigration role. There is no single national UK port operator.
FAQ
UK Yacht Clearance questions
Do I need to report every time I sail into or out of the UK, even from the EU or Ireland?
Yes. The UK is not in the EU or the Schengen Area, so every arrival or departure is an external-border movement requiring a Pleasure Craft Report, regardless of where the voyage started.
What is the Pleasure Craft Report (sPCR) and how do I submit it?
The sPCR is the UK's online self-declaration service for pleasure-craft voyages, replacing the paper C1331 form as the preferred method. Submit it between 24 hours and 2 hours before departure or arrival.
Do I still need to fly the yellow Q flag when arriving in the UK?
Generally yes, on entering the 12-nautical-mile limit until reporting is complete, except that Northern Ireland does not require it when arriving from an EU member state.
Is there an official list of UK ports of entry for yachts?
No. The UK has no legal list of designated yacht ports of entry. A pleasure craft may report its arrival at any location; this site distinguishes reporting hubs with established Border Force/HMRC presence from yacht destination areas that should coordinate through a nearby hub.
Will Border Force meet my yacht in person?
This is risk-based and not guaranteed at any location. Border Force may grant clearance by phone or send an officer to attend.
Do non-British or non-Irish crew need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or visa?
Generally yes, for visa-exempt foreign nationals who are not British or Irish citizens. This is checked automatically as part of the sPCR's permission-to-travel step. Confirm every crew member's documents before departure.
How long can a foreign-flagged yacht stay in the UK under Temporary Admission?
Up to 24 months in Great Britain for a qualifying privately used, non-UK-registered yacht. The Northern Ireland period is different; see below.
Is Northern Ireland's Temporary Admission period different from Great Britain's?
Yes. Northern Ireland allows up to 18 months, matching the EU's general period, because Northern Ireland continues to align with EU goods rules under the Windsor Framework.
What is different about arriving in Northern Ireland from Ireland or another EU country?
A report is still required, but crew details are not required for voyages specifically from Ireland, and the Q flag is not required when arriving from an EU member state. Fuel arrangements may also differ from Great Britain.
What is Returned Goods Relief and could my boat qualify?
It lets a UK-owned pleasure craft re-enter without VAT being recharged. Since 1 January 2022 the normal three-year re-entry window has been waived for recreational boats, subject to ownership and use conditions.
What documents should I prepare before arrival?
Prepare passports and ETA/visa evidence, a crew list, vessel registration, ownership or authority documents, insurance, skipper qualification, previous clearance records and applicable VAT, Temporary Admission or Returned Goods Relief evidence.
Is an agent required to clear a yacht into the UK?
An agent is not described here as universally mandatory, but local assistance can be valuable for reporting, Temporary Admission, Returned Goods Relief, charter or commercial use and time-sensitive attendance.
How do I report my departure from the UK?
Submit a Pleasure Craft Report for the outward voyage in the same 24-hour-to-2-hour window before departure, using the sPCR service or the C1331 fallback.
What does UK Yacht Clearance do?
UK Yacht Clearance collects the request, reviews the voyage details and may introduce the skipper to a suitable local Yacht Clearance agent. It is not UK Border Force, HMRC, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency or another government body.
Personal clearance support
Send the voyage details once. We help route the request.
Use the form for check-in, check-out, Customs, Pleasure Craft Report, crew-list or yacht-status assistance.