The licences, whether commercial and annual or non commercial and temporary run from November 1st through to October 31st. Commercial Recreational Licencing Act No. 8 of 1992 (CRVLA) – this law speaks to different types of licences: Commercial (Annual licence and a Per cruise/ temporary commercial licence) and non-commercial (temporary import licence).
For all commercial licences, the application process is the same for all charter vessels. You can visit http://www.bvi.gov.vg/departments/her-majestys-customs.
Step 1. Visit link above. Select the services tab on the right side below the Commissioners photo. Please select Charter Authorization tab. This will bring you to a page with all relevant information regarding this process and forms. The form is fillable online. Please follow guidelines provided to ensure that the processing time can be swift. (Please note this step is for Foreign Based Charter Companies ONLY)
Note: Charter companies has to get permission to charter in the Virgin Islands in accordance with the Commercial Recreational Licence Act, No 8 of 1992. Home based charter companies obtains a Trade Licence and Foreign based charter companies obtain charter authorization (see attached applications and guidelines).
Step 2. Visit link above. Select the services tab on the right side below the Commissioners photo. Please select Commercial Recreational Licencing. This will bring you to a page with all relevant information regarding this process and forms. The form is fillable online. Please follow guidelines provided to ensure that the processing time can be swift.
This process enables foreign charter vessels to obtain and annual commercial licence.
Types of licences;
A) the annual licences will be an annual certificate (effective November 1 to October 31), which further breaks into term charters (vessels that offer or has accommodations) and daytrips, diving and fishing CRVL (vessels not offering accommodations)
B) the temporary commercial licence know as a per-cruise (licence granted for a specific cruise, where fees will be paid before every cruise for that specific cruise (valid for just that one cruise).
It is very important to note that foreign base charter vessels are:
Any Charter Vessel that does NOT meet all three criteria;
registered in the Virgin Islands (BVI Flagged), or has registration exception certificate;
having an established base of operations in the Virgin Islands (BVI); and
Managed by a company registered in the Virgin Islands (BVI),
For a period of five months or more in any twelve month period.
Home base vessels are vessels that meet all three criteria.
Commercial Licences that are for Foreign based vessels under CRVLA No. 8 of 1992, has to record the number of charters pick ups (they are restricted to 7 charter pickups originating in the BVI territory).
The Temporary import licence are for vessels; owned by non-reseidence in accordance with the Customs Management and duties Act, No 6 of 2010, non-commercial/private and remaining in the territory for more than 30 days (120 days for vessels that are register in the USVI and home ported in the USVI) or as required by law, which is also an annual license which is effective for 12months after issue date.
After approval, payment of the license fees is to be paid and a certificate will be issued. This certificate is to remain on vessels and be presented to the Customs Officials at all times when checking in/ purchasing cruising permits. Cruising permit fee is $16.00 (foreign based vessel) and $4.00 (home based vessel) a person a day.
