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Entering by boat: Eritrea

What to do to enter Eritrea 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. Call Port Control on VHF 16 before approaching any port.
  2. Do not anchor before formalities ashore are completed (often a commercial dock).
  3. Customs, quarantine, Immigration and port authority; crew lists and a 'Nil List'.
  4. On departure (07:00-18:00 only): Immigration, inspection, sailing permit, leave immediately.

Papers to have on board

  • Passports for the whole crew
  • Visas, if your nationality requires them
  • Crew list
  • Boat papers (registration certificate)

Good to know

  • According to noonsite, no yacht has successfully cleared into Eritrea since 2020: maritime borders effectively closed.
  • Assab is closed to yachts (emergencies only).
  • Sensitive coast: avoid military areas and border areas (Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia); a yacht was held over a month in Massawa after an emergency stop.
  • Security (JMIC, August 2026): 'substantial' threat in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb; report to UKMTO.

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.