Cairns - 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 Australia Formalities page.
Australian Border Force and Department of Agriculture carry out customs, immigration and biosecurity clearance formalities here.
On entering Cairns Shipping Channel, Cairns Harbour Control should be contacted on VHF Channel 16 (Monday to Friday) to give an ETA. Yachts are normally told to go to the Marlin Marina.
Cruisers reported that clearance at Marlin Marina was efficient (less than 30 minutes after arrival), quick (everything complete in less than 2 hours) friendly and helpful.
Cairns Regional Harbour Master:
Phone: 07 4052 7400
Email: RHMCairns@msq.qld.gov.au
Last updated: February 2023
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Related to following destinations: Australia, Cairns, Queensland
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2022, Cairns Borderforce started to require Aus yachts to export /import yacht leaving Australia.
2 ways of doing this. You can tackle the job yourself or imply a custom broker.
First thing you need is a ID with Bordorforce, in Cairns that’s a trip to the Airport, fill in forms, show your passport and driver’s licence.
The rest is not that easy, Borderforce will email you forms to be filled in, no way man in the street can do it without help, as we don’t have the codes.
I was lucky, Shipping help me out, and I could departure.
On my return, importing the vessel and Biosecurety is a big set of forms and another ID form to complete. Again Borderforce was very helpful and tried there best to help me out. In the end I had to fill in the biocecurity form, manage this with help of the help line, and a very friendly custom broker.
All up it took 1 month, in that time I was restricted to stay on my mooring.
Custom broker charge $400 to fill in the paper on my return. Not sure how much export would cost.
A trip to PNG with Visa, Quarantine, custom broke fee will set me back $1190
Marlin Marina Cairns 06.07.2019
While we received a very good Service during 2 + Weeks in the Marina itself from Victoria, shortly before we left, we encountered the worst Service ever at the Petrol Dock within the same installations. – Frank is not only rude, but extremely lazy – instead of helping with the lines or serving Diesel he just stands there with his arms crossed.
Posted on behalf of Hans Ole Clemmensen:
Duty free fuel can be bought at the marina in Cairns by letting Trinity Petroleum know and sign a form with how many liters you would like to buy. They fax it to customs, they approve it. You save 55 cent per liter. There is no departure fee for crew of yachts leaving Australia from Cairns, not sure about other places.
GST returns on things you buy ashore up to 3 month before departure on the boat, get credit to your credit card by customs officer, let them know before they come down. Have to be over $300 from each shop.
This has now changed fur Aus yachts. We have to get duty reimbursed from ATO.