Most Customs departments are responsible for controlling vessels and their crew, on arrival at their national border.  This control is generally called “Clearance”. Customs laws regulate the place of arrival and the procedures necessary for clearance.

Small pleasure crafts plying the region are faced with the tremendous burden of trying to comply with the demands of each country‘s requirements which sometimes cost time and frustration for visitors.

Customs saw the need to standardise and simplify the clearance system to facilitate the movement of vessels among all the islands and as a result the Regional Clearance System (RCS), an internet based system came into being in 2000. The system was conceived with the objectives of increasing facilitation and compliance.

At that time, the expectation was that a standardized paper form would be adopted throughout the region.  This has not been an easy undertaking as some countries have different legal obligations and challenges.

To achieve the goal of harmonization, a pre arrival notification module was recently developed to facilitate the harmonization of the declaration form.  The e-SeaClear, as it is known, is an online pre-arrival notification system which is available for use by yachts and other pleasure craft operators.  The system allows Captains to submit their Customs declarations in the form of electronic notifications prior to arrival in certain participating countries[ES1] in the Caribbean. Registered users can access the system to enter and update declarations about their yachts, crew and passengers while transiting the Caribbean region. It is an innovative but simple facility which is intended to simplify the clearance process, reduce the time spent with the Customs officials and generally improve the experience of the visiting yacht crew and passengers.

e-SeaClear is now deployed in thirteen countries who have agreed to adopt the electronic Harmonized Clearance Form, including all the OECS countries.  Discussion for broader acceptance of the form by other border agencies is ongoing.

The Caribbean Marine Association (CMA), the umbrella body for national recreational marine trades associations in the region, supports eSeaClear and promotes its use to yachtsmen. CCLEC works closely with the CMA to ensure that the system is meeting the sector’s needs.