International travel rules for yacht crew

Nautilus is urging yacht crew to carry appropriate employment and other essential travel documents due to pandemic travel restrictions, and has compiled a helpful list of national travel information

Yacht crew travelling for the season should be aware of the latest travel advice, especially as new travel restrictions are imposed due to variants of the Covid-19 virus.

For yacht crew travelling from the UK, the British government provides its own breakdown of travel advice by destination country. This can be found at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, and shows whether the government has listed the country as red, amber or green on its traffic light system – this will determine restrictions imposed by UK authorities. Crew should be aware that guidance can vary based on whether they are travelling from England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The Union also provides information for all seafarers on the latest Covid travel rules applying to the UK on the Nautilus Covid-19 information hub, which can be found at bit.ly/Covid_hub.

Nautilus is also receiving frequent requests from yacht crew, asking where to find Covid travel advice directly from the governments of other countries. It has compiled a list of national travel information sites for places that are common destinations for yacht crew.

• Australia: full details for international travellers are available at bit.ly/australia_advice. Although the country has stringent rules, superyachts are permitted to arrive – a factsheet specifically for superyachts and other non-commercial vessels can be found at bit.ly/aus_superyacht_factsheet. Other information on arriving in Australia by yacht can be found at bit.ly/australia_by_sea
• Antigua/Barbuda: go to visitantiguabarbuda.com/travel-advisory for details relevant to all travellers, plus the Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s Yachting Health and Safety Guidance and Operational Protocols
• Bahamas: up-to-date details on travel to the Bahamas can be found at www.bahamas.com/travelupdates
• Balearic Islands: travel restrictions are similar to Spain, but it is best to check safetourism.illesbalears.travel/en for full details
• Croatia: information from the Croatian government, and contact details for further queries, is available at bit.ly/croatia_covid_travel
• France: in June, France instituted a new traffic light system for regulating travel to and from foreign countries. Crew can check bit.ly/france_restrictions_en to find out what requirements apply to them in the English language. Proof of full vaccination may release travellers from some restrictions.
• Greece: the Greek government provides advice at travel.gov.gr
• Italy: the government is currently restricting travel, based on country of origin. For full information, visit bit.ly/italy_covid_travel
• Monaco: information and a government helpline are available at covid19.mc/en/thematiques/transports-et-voyages/
• Spain: a map that allows you to see restrictions based on your country of origin can be found at travelsafe.spain.info/en
• St. Maarten: restrictions, and information on the EHAS application system and mandatory Covid-19 insurance for visitors, are available at stmaartenehas.com/travel-requirements
• United States: the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide detailed information at bit.ly/us_covid_travel

The correct documents

Guidance from the EU Commission recommends that professional seafarers are exempted from travel bans. However, due to reports in recent months that some countries have turned away yacht crew due to travel bans, Nautilus recommends that yacht crew carry documentation to prove employment on board, plus other documents listed on the Union Covid-19 FAQ.

In addition, some countries are asking for documents to prove vaccination or negative Covid tests. Consult the websites listed above for more information.