Prepare Now for the Upcoming Caribbean Season
As the upcoming Caribbean season approaches, we encourage all captains, crew, owners, and yacht managers to review and prepare for the current entry requirements for St. Barths well in advance to avoid delays during the busy season.
A Schengen visa is NOT valid for travel to St. Barths regardless of issuing country. The only exception to this rule, which is clearly identified in the law itself, is for citizens of South Africa, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Thailand. For passport holders from only these countries, a French-issued Schengen visa is sufficient to allow transit to St. Barths.
For any visa-required crew or guests from other countries, there are two options:
Recommended Solution
DFA Visa : The most efficient and practical solution is to apply for a visa for the Départements Français d’Amérique (DFA). The prefecture in St. Barths has confirmed that French consulates treat seamen requesting this visa with priority and deliver the requested visa within 48 hours.
St Barths visa:
This is not ideal as only applies to St. Barths and would not allow entry to St. Martin, for example.
The St. Barths prefecture has promised to provide a practical guide to visa requests in the near future, which we will then communicate to all clients and stakeholders.
The above guidance is the current application of the laws in St. Barths. This applies to crew and guests arriving to St. Barths by flight or ferry. Please prepare fully before the upcoming season to insure smooth transit for all.
For further clarification or assistance, contact our team directly. Please note that entry and clearance procedures in St. Barths are subject to change, especially regarding which countries are subject to the French Schengen exception, so please check with us for the latest updates.