BVI Charter Fees: Cruising Permit, Customs, Moorings (2026)

Last updated: September 2026

On an all-inclusive BVI charter the weekly rate usually covers crew, meals, a standard bar, fuel, toys and the yacht’s permits, but terms differ by yacht and some list cruising taxes as extra, so confirm the cruising permit in the contract. The gratuity is normally the guest’s cost; whether the levy and the departure tax are included depends on the yacht’s contract. On a plus-expenses yacht, fuel, food, moorings, permits and taxes come out of the APA, the advance provisioning allowance. Check the yacht’s contract.

Of the 486 crewed yachts listed on mybvicharter.com on 30 September 2026, 316 (65%) are quoted all-inclusive, 167 (34%) plus-expenses and 3 do not state terms. Of the 167 plus-expenses yachts, 63 (38%) state an APA percentage and 104 do not. Among those 63, the middle half sit between 30% and 35%, and the median is 35% of the charter fee. The cruising permit is set by law; the other fee figures are as quoted by charter operators and secondary sources we checked on 30 September 2026, so your captain or broker confirms the current rates for your yacht and dates.

How much is the BVI cruising permit?

The BVI cruising permit is $4 per person per day on home-based charter boats and $16 per person per day on foreign-based charter boats, such as yachts based in the US Virgin Islands (confirm how the Act classes your yacht). Both rates are set in Schedule 2 of the Virgin Islands Cruising and Home Port Permit Act, 2021 (No. 29 of 2021), and section 5 says no fee is charged for employed bona fide crew. Some charter operators still quote an older rate of $6 per person per day for home-based boats, which came from a 2017 notice the 2021 Act replaced.

Yacht type	Cruising permit, per person per day	Seven days, 8 guests
BVI home-based charter yacht	$4 per person per day	$224 per boat per week
Foreign-based (USVI) charter yacht	$16 per person per day	$896 per boat per week

The last column multiplies the Act’s rate by 8 guests and 7 days, counting guests only and assuming 7 charged days; the sources do not say how arrival and departure days are counted. For the same group, a foreign-based yacht costs $672 per boat per week more. The official schedule is the source for these rates; your broker confirms which applies to your yacht.

The Baths beach on Virgin Gorda from the air, granite boulders and the swim-in line, November 2025 — The Baths on Virgin Gorda and the mooring field off Cooper Island, both from the air. Destination photos, not a yacht listing.

The mooring field in Manchioneel Bay, Cooper Island, with the Beach Club on the shore, from the air, November 2025 — The Baths on Virgin Gorda and the mooring field off Cooper Island, both from the air. Destination photos, not a yacht listing.

There is a second cost for yachts based outside the BVI. Since 1 June 2025, foreign-based term charter yachts have needed an annual BVI vessel licence, quoted by legal and industry summaries at $7,500 per boat per year for up to 7 entries or $24,000 per boat per year for unlimited entries. The sources do not define what counts as an entry, so ask whether your itinerary uses one or more. BVI-based yachts pay their own annual licence, priced by length. The licence is the operator’s cost and our sources do not say whether it is passed on to guests, but it is one reason many guests now choose a BVI-based yacht: fewer cross-border steps and a lower per-person permit. Our guides to BVI-based versus USVI-based yachts and to starting your charter from the USVI or the BVI explain the practical differences.

What does BVI customs clearance cost, including when you sail in from the USVI?

Sunsail quotes BVI customs and immigration check-in by boat at about $7.30 per person; this is a general Sunsail figure, not one specific to USVI arrivals, and we have not confirmed it for crewed yachts. The environmental levy of $10 per person and any cruising permit are charged separately. The process starts online: the yacht files its arrival through SailClear, and every guest completes the BVI online ED card, which has been mandatory for everyone entering and leaving since 1 January 2025. Sources differ on how far ahead the ED card must be filed, so check the Tourist Board’s page.

On arrival the captain clears the yacht in with BVI Customs and Immigration at a port of entry: Road Town, West End, Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke or St Thomas Bay. Ask your broker who handles clearance and the ED card steps on your charter. The offices keep daytime hours, and clearance outside them is by arrangement at extra fees; the sources we used give no after-hours amount. Guest documents and visa points are covered in our BVI entry requirements guide, and the official process is on the BVI Tourist Board’s arriving by sea page.

Do you pay for moorings and National Parks?

Operators quote the BVI National Parks Trust day-use mooring permit at $25 per boat per week for up to 4 guests, rising to $55 per boat per week for up to 10 guests; the sources we found give no rate above 10 guests, so ask your broker about larger groups. It covers day moorings only, with a 90-minute limit per mooring. Overnight mooring balls are a separate charge: first-come moorings run $30 per night up to $40 per night, and reserved moorings through the BoatyBall app are $55 per night.

The permit is needed at the Baths, the Caves, the Indians, Monkey Point and the Dogs, and for the wreck of the RMS Rhone marine park, where anchoring is banned and yachts pick up a mooring buoy. BoatyBall lists 12 reservable locations, among them Cooper Island, Saba Rock, Soper’s Hole, Great Harbour and Cane Garden Bay. On a plus-expenses yacht, moorings usually come from the APA; on an all-inclusive yacht, check the contract.

Which fees does the guest pay directly?

On an all-inclusive yacht the gratuity is the one item guests reliably pay; whether the levy, departure tax, permits and moorings are billed to guests or covered by the yacht depends on the contract, and some yachts list cruising taxes as extra. On a plus-expenses yacht, most items come out of the APA. Amounts are as quoted by operators we checked, apart from the cruising permit, which is set by the Act.

Fee	Amount	All-inclusive yacht	Plus-expenses yacht
Environmental and tourism levy	$10 per person, on arrival	Depends on the contract	Usually from the APA
Sea departure tax	$20 per person, quoted for leaving by sea	Depends on the contract	Usually from the APA
Cruising permit	$4 per person per day home-based, $16 per person per day foreign-based (Act, Schedule 2)	Depends on the contract	Usually from the APA
National Parks day permit	$25 per boat per week for 4 guests, $55 per boat per week for 10 guests	Depends on the contract	Usually from the APA
Overnight moorings	$30 per night to $55 per night	Depends on the contract	Usually from the APA
Customs and immigration check-in	About $7.30 per person	Depends on the contract	Depends on the contract
Crew gratuity	15 to 20% of the charter fee, customary, at guest discretion (as quoted by helm.yt)	Guest	Guest

The departure tax of $20 per person is quoted for leaving by sea; our sources do not say what applies to guests who fly out. Gratuity is usually handed to the captain for the crew at the end of the week; our guide to tipping crew in the BVI covers how. For what the weekly rate covers, see what is included in a crewed BVI charter.

Is there VAT on a BVI yacht charter?

No. Our cost guide lists 0% VAT on BVI charters, so the quoted charter fee carries no VAT line, while Greece charges 13% on a crewed charter that starts and ends there and Croatia 13%. The per-person and per-boat fees on this page are separate from the charter fee. The full budget, including the APA and gratuity, is in how much a crewed BVI yacht charter costs.

Good to know

BVI charter fee questions

Can you anchor in BVI waters without clearing in?

No. Every yacht must clear in with BVI Customs and Immigration on arrival at a port of entry such as Road Town, West End or Great Harbour. On a crewed charter the captain handles the paperwork.

What fees are included in an all-inclusive BVI charter?

The weekly rate normally covers crew, meals, a standard bar, fuel, toys and usually the yacht's permits, but terms differ by yacht. Some list cruising taxes as extra, so check the contract for moorings and permits, and gratuity is normally not included.

What is the BVI cruising permit fee?

The Cruising and Home Port Permit Act, 2021 sets $4 per person per day on BVI home-based yachts and $16 per person per day on foreign-based yachts such as USVI-based boats. The yacht usually pays it on an all-inclusive charter, and your broker confirms which rate applies.

How much is a BVI National Parks mooring permit?

Operators quote $25 per boat per week for up to 4 guests, rising to $55 per boat per week for up to 10 guests, for day-use moorings at sites such as The Baths and The Indians. Confirm with your broker who arranges it.

Is there VAT on a BVI yacht charter?

No. The BVI charges no VAT on charters, so the charter fee carries no VAT line. The fees described on this page are separate, small per-person or per-boat charges.

Do I pay the departure tax myself?

It depends on the yacht's terms. Operators quote $20 per person for sea departure and a $10 per person environmental levy on arrival. Who pays depends on the yacht's contract: the yacht, the guest, or the APA on a plus-expenses charter.

Does the sea departure tax apply if I fly out?

The $20 per person figure is quoted for leaving by sea. Our sources do not say what applies to guests who leave by air, so ask your broker.

See all questions and answers

Sources: the Virgin Islands Cruising and Home Port Permit Act, 2021 (Schedule 2) for the cruising permit; the BVI Tourist Board for the clearance process; Sunsail, bviyachtcharters.com, BoatyBall and bestofbviboats.com for fee figures; O’Neal Webster and 12knots for the permit structure and annual licences; and our own fleet listings. Checked 30 September 2026. Apart from the cruising permit, amounts are as quoted by operators; your broker confirms current rates.