Entering by boat: Azores
What to do to enter Azores by sea: the procedures, the papers to present and the ports where you can clear in.
Check with the authorities before you leave (last checked on 28 October 2026).
The steps
- Call the marina on VHF 16 (Horta: channel 9) before entering.
- Q flag, then Portuguese and Azores courtesy flags.
- Marina office, immigration then customs; pay the light dues.
Papers to have on board
- Passports for the whole crew
- Boat papers (registration certificate)
- Insurance certificate
- Crew list
Good to know
- All boats, even from the EU, usually go through full clearance (marina office, immigration, customs).
- Check in and out at every island visited.
- Lajes das Flores: breakwater destroyed by Hurricane Lorenzo, rebuild announced for 2025 — check status.
- EES equipment is installed in the Azores but with no confirmed start date (noonsite 2025).
Ports of entry
The ports where you can clear in, and the services available there.
Santa Maria
Prepare your arrival with Hullteam
In the app, free: the map of every port of entry and its offices with their contacts, the crew list and the entry forms filled in for you, ready to print or send to an agent.
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- udiregelverk.no/contentassets/dfbab8a5bbc7469e9502b46067658598/sphbg_annex04_2026.07.03.pdf
- noonsite.com/place/azores/formalities
- noonsite.com/news/europe-eu-confirms-october-12-start-date-for-new-entry-exit-system/
This information is gathered from public sources and sailors’ experience. It does not replace the country’s authorities, whose word is final: check before you leave.