Darwin - Clearance
This is a Port of Entry and a Biosecurity First Point of Entry for Australia.
For full details of Clearance into Australia, see the Noonsite Australia Formalities page.
Advance Notice:
Australian Border Force require the master of a vessel arriving in Australia to give notice of impending arrival at least 96 hours before arrival. This notification is required by Australian law and can be done by sending an email to yachtreport@homeaffairs.gov.au or by phoning +61 2 6246 1325. Penalties may apply for failure to do so.
Additionally, the Master of the vessel is also required to report their expected arrival to the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWE)
Once ABF Darwin Shipping receives notification of an impending arrival, they will contact the vessel’s master outlining local requirements for their entry to Darwin. International arrival clearance of small craft is undertaken at the Cullen Bay Pontoon.
General Clearance:
On approach, contact either a coastal radio station on 2182 kHz or the Darwin Port Authority on VHF Channel 16. There are relay stations around all of Australia’s coasts, making it possible to use VHF radio over much longer distances than normal. The operator should be given the name of the yacht, number of crew and ETA Darwin and be asked to advise Quarantine and, if necessary, Customs.
Prior to the inspection, boats anchor in the quarantine area situated northwest of the commercial harbor. Before proceeding to the Cullen Bay Pontoon, vessels must contact the Cullen Bay Lockmaster on VHF Channel 11 or mobile 0419 421 363 to seek instructions and approval on where to park for clearance.
Quarantine anchorage:
Department of Agriculture Buoy 12°28.5’S 130°49.95’E, inside Fannie Bay or on the northern side of sandbar outside of Cullen Bay / Emery Point. It is possible to shelter in Doctor’s Gully if sea conditions are not suitable in Fannie Bay.
Clearance pontoon:
Cullen Bay pontoon outside of lock 12°27.112’S 130°49.233’E. Contact Cullen Bay Lockmaster (CH 11) or the Department of Home Affairs prior to coming alongside pontoon.
Biosecurity:
Prior to entering a Darwin marina, all yachts, Australian and others, may have to be inspected to prevent the spread of several marine pests (various species of mussel). If a boat has not recently been hauled out/antifouled in Australia (within 14 days and has the paperwork to prove it) it will have to have the hull inspected.
Yachts should call Aquatic Biosecurity on 0413 381 094 or email aquaticbiosecurity@nt.gov.au to obtain clearance. The Northern Territory Governments pays for this service, which includes the hull inspection and internal treatment. Yachts must not stop anywhere along the coastline in the Northern Territory and clean their hull.
Please see this link for further information: Hull Pest Inspections for Visiting Boats
Because of the strict quarantine regulations, in the past cruising boats have had all their fresh produce, especially meat, confiscated and destroyed. The attitude seems more relaxed in Darwin where boats intending to spend a short time in Australia have succeeded in having their freezers sealed or have all tinned meat products sealed in a locker.
Clearance Out:
The procedures for departures from the Port of Darwin remain unchanged.
Contact Australian Border Force at least 24 hours before you wish to attend the office to get an appointment. This is a local requirement, so they can have your paperwork ready. Their email address is darwin.shipping@abf.gov.au
Last updated: January 2023
Ashmore Reef:
If heading for Indonesia, it is possible to stop at Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea. According to the National Maritime Centre, because the reef is outside the 12NM limit of the Australian border, reporting into MARS is not required for visiting locations outside of the 12NM when the vessel has departed Australia heading for an international location. Yachts therefore do not need to seek permission to stop here. Australian Border Force keeps a large patrol boat moored at the reef and officers are reported to be friendly.
The lagoon is quite long with depths from less than 15m to 500m. To prevent anchor damage to the coral reefs, there are several moorings available in the West Island lagoon in the Recreational Use Zone. The moorings are available on a first come first served basis and if there are no moorings available, anchoring should be confined to sandy areas of West Island lagoon, or outside the marine park to prevent damage to the reef.
Ashmore Reef is a sanctuary for seabirds, shorebirds, marine turtles, dugongs and many other marine species and provides an interesting stopover for yachts travelling between north Western Australia and Indonesia. Find out more at https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/parks/north-west/ashmore-reef/.
Previous reports on Ashmore Reef can be found here.
Last updated: July 2022
If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at editor@noonsite.com. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).
Next Section: Profile: Docking
Related to following destinations: Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory (Australia)
Port Navigation
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From Eric Sponberg on SY Corroboree
My wife and I are Americans on a 35’ monohull sailboat, Corroboree, having just sailed from Darwin, NT, Australia, where we left on 16 May 2022, to Bali, Indonesia, where we arrived on 29 May 2022. We stopped at Ashmore Reef in the Timor sea for 2 days along the way.
First, there are supposed to be public moorings for small craft at Ashmore Reef. Australia Border Force keeps a large patrol boat moored there, and they are quite friendly to talk to and deal with. However, their literature regarding the moorings at Ashmore Reef is incorrect and out of date. There are no small craft moorings anywhere at Ashmore Reef, there are only large vessel moorings with very heavy hawsers. Visiting yachts are allowed to use these moorings—check with the Border Force vessel first—but there are no small craft moorings. Apparently, they have been washed away. We reported this situation to Border Force, and they were quite surprised that none of the smaller moorings were there. I guess they had not inspected the anchorage there in a long time. The lagoon is a few miles long.
Eric Sponberg
SY Corroboree
Naval Architect, retired
Member, Noonsite
14th Oct 2019
Hi just found a great place for boat oil and diesel filters .
Cummins diesel sell a very wide range of filters .
They are in East Arm About 15 mins from Darwin central.
When clearing out, make sure to contact Border Security at least 24 hours before you wish to attend the office to get an appointment. We tried to turn up and clear out but were told to leave some paperwork and come back the next day.
The Darwin office has made this a local requirement so they can have your paperwork ready. Their email address is darwin.shipping@border.gov.au
The clearance by Aquatic Biosecurity is now down to 10 hours. May be completed at Cullen Bay pontoon or at anchorage in Fannie Bay.