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Entering by boat: Djibouti

What to do to enter Djibouti 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

  1. Appoint an agent and send documents before arrival.
  2. Call Port Control Djibouti on VHF 10 at 10 NM; monitor 16.
  3. Port Captain (paperwork and anchoring), then Immigration (30-day visa).
  4. Coast Guard inspection and health check; give 48 h notice before clearing out.

Papers to have on board

  • Passports for the whole crew
  • Visas, if your nationality requires them
  • Crew list
  • Boat papers (registration certificate)
  • Outward clearance from the previous country
  • Vaccination certificates
  • Going through an agent

Good to know

  • Agent mandatory for boats over 30 ft; send papers, crew list, passports and last clearance in advance.
  • Security (JMIC, August 2026): 'substantial' threat in the southern Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden (suspected Houthi attack on a tanker, piracy). Report to UKMTO and MSCHOA.
  • French foreign ministry: sailing in the southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa is advised against; the Seven Brothers islands and the Eritrean border area are strictly advised against.
  • Health check including vaccination records (yellow fever); Coast Guard may search the boat.

Ports of entry

The ports where you can clear in, and the services available there.

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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Sources

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.