As a result of the intensive collaboration activity with Federagenti (The Association of  Italian Shipping Agents  ) on the 18th May 2010, the General Management for Sea Freight Transport of the Ministry of Transport has informed the Italian Harbour Master’s  Office in Rome of the new procedure about the Harbour- Master formalities regarding arrival and departure of Italian, European and Non-European commercial yachts or pleasure vessels.

The new procedure is aimed at simplifying the arrival and departure formalities that commercial yachts are obliged to discharge at the Harbour Master’s Office, upon arrival at a commercial harbour or private marina.

Although effective rules and regulations are still shortcoming,  here following the new procedure which  will be compulsory carried out by the local agent:

1.               The arrival and departure full formalities have to be applied in the so-called “Porto Base” (Italian Home Port), or the first Italian port reached  by a yacht coming from a foreign country outside Italy (EU or non- EU country). If the yacht  arrives from a non-EU country, she will also have to apply for an entry declaration, that is called “Costituto” (this declaration is compulsory also for private yacht).

2.                  In all the ports subsequent to the “Porto Base” (Italian Home Port or first port of entry),  the local shipping agent (on behalf of the yacht master / Owner) has to:
a.  notify to the local Harbour Master’s Office about the arrival of the vessel.
b.  notify to the Harbour Master’s Office of the “Porto Base” about the arrival of the vessel in his area (port of call or anchorage).

3.                 In the last Italian port of call  the completed arrival and departure formalities are discharged once again in full and the Harbour Master’s Office of the

“Porto Base” must  – also  – be duly notified about the end of the cruise in the Italian waters.
The new simplified procedure does not concern the formalities relating to the Customs and Immigration Offices, which will continue to be discharged by the shipping agents in accordance with the rules and regulations currently in force, in each port of call, according the local Authorities requests.