1
Choose the port or service area
Select the actual berth or the closest Madeira location matching the voyage.
4 Madeira archipelago yacht locations - Funchal, Porto Santo, Quinta do Lorde and Calheta
Madeira Yacht Clearance Agents
Plan yacht arrival or departure around Madeira island and Porto Santo. Send the yacht, crew, route and timing details for review and a possible introduction to a suitable local agent.
4 Madeira locationsChoose the port that matches the voyage or berth.
One clear requestSend yacht, crew, route and timing details once.
Local agent supportWe review the request before an introduction.
Before arrival
Prepare your Madeira clearance folder.
Having the core records ready helps the agent assess the voyage efficiently.
✓Passports or accepted identity documents for everyone aboard, and any required visas
✓Crew and passenger list with nationalities and travel-document details
✓Vessel registration certificate and vessel particulars
✓Proof of ownership or written authority to use the yacht
✓Valid insurance certificate appropriate to the vessel and voyage
✓Skipper licence or certificate of competence appropriate to the flag and voyage
✓Previous port clearance or arrival/departure record, where one was issued
✓Evidence of EU status, VAT position or temporary-admission position, where relevant
Our service
One request for Madeira yacht-clearance support
Madeira Yacht Clearance reviews the voyage details and may introduce the skipper to a suitable local agent who can confirm the correct reporting location, Customs, passport, crew-list and maritime process.
2
Send yacht and crew details
Provide the flag, registration, use, customs status, route, ETA and assistance required.
3
Coordinate locally
A suitable agent can confirm the official location, authority attendance, documents, timing and current fees.
Clearance planning
From route details to local assistance.
Choose the correct Madeira location
Tell us the first or last Madeira location and where the yacht will actually berth.
Prepare the yacht and crew details
Gather registration, insurance, passports, crew list and route information.
Check Madeira requirements
Review border, Customs, crew-list, temporary-admission and Capitania do Porto requirements for the voyage.
Coordinate with a local agent
Use local support to confirm offices, attendance, timing and current fees.
Madeira locations
Madeira yacht ports of entry
Choose the location that best matches your arrival, departure or berth. If the yacht is staying in a nearby marina or anchorage, select the closest relevant port or choose Other port in the form.
Madeira requirements
Plan the national formalities before reaching the port.
Schengen movements and external arrivals
A yacht moving between Madeira and another Schengen or EU port is not making an external border crossing and routine checks generally do not apply. A yacht arriving from outside Schengen, including a transatlantic or Canary Islands passage, should report at a location able to handle the formalities.
Customs, VAT and temporary admission
Madeira is part of the EU customs territory and the EU VAT area. A qualifying privately used non-EU yacht can generally use EU temporary admission for up to 18 months, subject to residence, ownership and use conditions.
Madeira's regional VAT rate
Madeira sets its own regionally reduced VAT rate under fiscal autonomy, distinct from mainland Portugal's rate. The rate has changed as recently as October 2024, so confirm the current figure before relying on a specific percentage.
National lighting and buoying tax
Portugal's national lighting and buoying tax (taxa de farolagem e balizagem) applies in Madeira on the same basis as the rest of the country, processed through the maritime authority at the port. No fixed current amount is published here; confirm it locally.
Maritime administration
APRAM administers Funchal's and Porto Santo's ports and marina concessions, working alongside the Capitania do Porto do Funchal, the Capitania do Porto de Porto Santo, the GNR and the Autoridade Tributaria e Aduaneira. Quinta do Lorde and Calheta are privately or municipally operated marinas without confirmed independent Customs attendance.
Insurance and skipper qualification
Carry valid insurance and the skipper qualification required for the flag, vessel and voyage. Charter and professional operation may involve additional requirements and should be checked in advance.
FAQ
Madeira yacht-clearance questions
Do I need to clear into Madeira if I already cleared into mainland Portugal or the Azores?
Movements between Madeira and another Schengen or EU port are not subject to routine border checks. A yacht arriving in Madeira directly from outside Schengen, including a transatlantic or Canary Islands passage, should report at a location able to handle the formalities.
Which Madeira location should I use as my port of entry?
This site separates locations with an established ability to handle third-country arrival and departure formalities from yacht service areas that should coordinate the reporting plan through a nearby designated location. Confirm the current position before arrival.
Is Quinta do Lorde a genuine alternative to Funchal for checking in?
Quinta do Lorde is a well-established resort marina popular with Atlantic-crossing and circumnavigating sailors, but no independent Customs or border-authority source confirms it as an official clearance point. Coordinate first entry or final exit through Funchal pending confirmation.
Can I clear in directly at Calheta?
Calheta is a genuine resort marina on Madeira's west coast, but its clearance capability is not independently confirmed. Coordinate first entry or final exit through Funchal pending confirmation.
Does Porto Santo have its own clearance process, or does it coordinate through Funchal?
Porto Santo has its own Capitania and its own APRAM-administered marina, a stronger administrative footing than a plain service area, so it is treated here as a designated location. Confirm current attendance and sequence before arrival.
Do I need to notify the authorities again when moving between harbours inside Madeira?
Some cruising sources describe a within-archipelago reporting practice at the first port of entry. Confirm the current requirement with the local agent, particularly for movements between Madeira island and Porto Santo.
What documents should I prepare?
Prepare passports, a crew list, vessel registration, ownership or authority documents, insurance, skipper qualification, previous clearance records and any applicable EU status, VAT or temporary-admission evidence.
How does EU temporary admission apply to a non-EU yacht arriving in Madeira?
A qualifying privately used non-EU yacht can generally use EU temporary admission for up to 18 months, relieving it from import VAT and duty. Eligibility depends on residence, ownership, private use and the specific conditions being met.
What is Madeira's regional VAT rate and how does it differ from mainland Portugal?
Madeira sets its own regionally reduced VAT rate under fiscal autonomy, distinct from the mainland rate. The rate has changed in recent years, so confirm the current figure with the Autoridade Tributaria e Aduaneira before relying on a specific percentage.
Is there a national lighting/buoying tax for visiting yachts in Madeira?
Portugal's national lighting and buoying tax applies in Madeira on the same basis as the rest of the country, processed through the maritime authority at the port. No fixed current amount is published here; confirm it locally.
Is Madeira a common stop for boats heading to the Canary Islands or crossing the Atlantic?
Madeira is a genuine waypoint on independent Atlantic-circuit and Canary Islands feeder routes used by cruisers making their own way, rather than a confirmed official stop on a specific named organised transatlantic rally.
Is an agent mandatory in Madeira?
An agent is not described here as universally mandatory, but local assistance can be valuable for external-border routes, non-EU yacht status, charter or commercial use and time-sensitive attendance.
What does Madeira Yacht Clearance do?
Madeira Yacht Clearance collects the request, reviews the voyage details and may introduce the skipper to a suitable local yacht-clearance agent. It is not Portuguese Customs, the GNR, AIMA, a Capitania do Porto, APRAM or another government body.
Personal clearance support
Send the voyage details once. We help route the request.
Use the form for check-in, check-out, Customs, border, crew-list or yacht-status assistance.