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Entering by boat: Puerto Rico

What to do to enter Puerto Rico by sea: the procedures, the papers to present and the ports where you can clear in.

Based on official sources, checked on 28 October 2026.

Before you arrive

The steps

  1. Before leaving: B1/B2 visas, a login.gov account and boat/crew profiles in ROAM (DTOPS decal number if over 30 ft).
  2. On arrival, report immediately (ROAM or phone); nobody goes ashore.
  3. Follow the officer's instructions: video interview or reporting to the designated inspection site.
  4. Obtain the cruising license and I-94s if needed.

Papers to have on board

  • Passports for the whole crew
  • Visas, if your nationality requires them
  • Boat papers (registration certificate)
  • Crew list
  • Outward clearance from the previous country
  • Papers for animals on board

Good to know

  • Report arrival to CBP immediately (ROAM or 1-877-529-6840, staffed 08:00-24:00 daily); since January 2026, US$60,000 in penalties for failure to report in PR and the USVI.
  • B1/B2 visa obtained in advance for non-exempt foreigners; ESTA does not cover arrival by private yacht.
  • Coming from the US Virgin Islands you must still check in to Puerto Rico.
  • Mayagüez: an undated report says there are no CBP officers on site any more and you must go to Aguadilla airport (BQN).
  • May 2026: a British yacht cleared at Culebra by ROAM video call, getting its cruising license and I-94s without travelling.

Ports of entry

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

Culebra

Puerto Rico

Vieques

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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.