1
Send the yacht and route details
Provide the arrival or departure plan, yacht status and crew information.
Calheta yacht clearance - Madeira arrival and departure planning
Calheta Yacht Clearance Agent
Calheta's Porto de Recreio da Calheta, on Madeira's south-west coast, is the island's second-largest marina by berth count. Send the yacht, crew, route and timing details so Madeira Yacht Clearance can review the request and may introduce a suitable local agent.
CalhetaMadeira yacht service area; Madeira's second-largest marina by berth count, but independent Customs or border-authority confirmation was not found. Coordinate first entry or final exit through Funchal pending confirmation.
Madeira ArchipelagoCalheta and western Madeira island
Manual reviewEach request is assessed before an agent introduction.
Clearance checklist
Documents normally prepared for Calheta yacht clearance
Prepare the applicable records before arrival or departure.
✓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
Local assistance
How our Calheta yacht-clearance service works
Madeira Yacht Clearance reviews your request and may introduce a suitable yacht-clearance agent serving Calheta. The agent can confirm the correct official location, current procedure, documents, attendance and expected costs.
2
We review the request
We identify the likely support and appropriate official reporting point for Calheta.
3
A local agent contacts you
A suitable agent can confirm the procedure, documents, timing and fees directly.
Local process
How to plan yacht clearance in or out around Calheta
Madeira yacht formalities depend on the international route, yacht customs status and use, crew nationalities and whether the request involves an external Schengen border.
Before arrival or departure
Send the yacht name, flag, registration, use, last port, next port, ETA and crew details.
Confirm the official location
Confirm which location, Calheta or Funchal, should serve the planned movement.
Passport and crew formalities
Complete applicable external-Schengen checks and provide the list of persons aboard when required.
Customs review
Confirm EU status, VAT or temporary-admission treatment and any declarable goods.
Maritime requirements
Confirm any Capitania do Porto do Funchal or vessel-dispatch steps applicable to the yacht's flag, use and crew status.
Final document check
Confirm completion of all required entry or exit actions before cruising onward.
Route planner
Calheta yacht-clearance route planner
Calheta serves western Madeira island and is home to the Porto de Recreio da Calheta, the island's second-largest marina by berth count, about 16 nautical miles from Funchal. Common approaches include Funchal to Calheta, Canary Islands to Calheta, and transatlantic crossings arriving via Calheta. Onward routes include Calheta to Funchal, Calheta to Porto Santo, and Calheta onward to the Canary Islands.
Confirm the international route
State the last port, next port and whether Calheta is the first or last Madeira location.
Prepare yacht and crew records
Gather passports, registration, ownership or authority, insurance, crew list, skipper qualification and previous clearance.
Confirm the reporting location
Ask the local agent to confirm whether Calheta or Funchal should handle the border, Customs and maritime-authority sequence.
Retain completed records
Keep completed crew, border, customs and vessel papers available aboard.
Nearby locations
Ports and marinas served around Calheta.
Yachts visiting the Porto de Recreio da Calheta, Paul do Mar, Ribeira Brava or Seixal may need to coordinate first entry or final exit through Funchal for international formalities. Include the actual berth and full route so the correct location can be confirmed.
Porto de Recreio da Calheta
Include Porto de Recreio da Calheta in the route details so the agent can confirm the appropriate clearance location and practical arrangements.
Paul do Mar
Include Paul do Mar in the route details so the agent can confirm the appropriate clearance location and practical arrangements.
Ribeira Brava
Include Ribeira Brava in the route details so the agent can confirm the appropriate clearance location and practical arrangements.
Seixal
Include Seixal in the route details so the agent can confirm the appropriate clearance location and practical arrangements.
Funchal
Include Funchal in the route details so the agent can confirm the appropriate clearance location and practical arrangements.
Route-specific guidance
Calheta arrival and departure routes.
Last port, next port, yacht status and crew nationality can change the formalities required.
Funchal to Calheta yacht arrival
If Calheta is the first Madeira location, provide the previous clearance, yacht papers, crew details and customs status before arrival, and confirm whether Funchal must also be involved.
Request Calheta arrival assistance →Calheta to Funchal departure planning
Before leaving Calheta, confirm Madeira exit requirements and the rules at the next jurisdiction.
Request Calheta departure assistance →Calheta and Schengen route planning
Pleasure-yacht movements between Member State ports generally do not face routine border checks, but risk-based checks remain possible. A third-country route, including a transatlantic crossing, requires external-border planning.
Review the international route →Calheta customs and yacht-status review
Provide EU-status, VAT or temporary-admission evidence and identify private, charter or commercial use so the customs position can be reviewed.
Request customs-status assistance →Madeira requirements
Border, Customs, yacht-status, insurance and maritime requirements.
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.
Skipper preparation
Practical points before contacting the agent.
✓
Arrange the request before reaching Calheta, especially for a weekend, public holiday or late arrival.
✓
This is a genuine resort-style marina destination, but it must not be assumed to provide every border, customs or maritime formality independently of Funchal. Confirm the reporting plan before arrival.
✓
Do not rely on an old fee, office time, authority sequence or radio channel without current confirmation.
✓
Carry clear digital copies and, where practical, printed copies of yacht, insurance, passport and crew records.
✓
State the yacht's flag, ownership, private or commercial use and customs position accurately.
FAQ
Calheta yacht-clearance questions
Is Calheta a port of entry in Madeira?
Calheta is covered as a yacht service area, not as a guarantee that every border or customs formality is available there independently. Confirm the appropriate official reporting point, likely Funchal, before an external-border arrival.
Which nearby locations can be served from Calheta?
Route planning around Calheta commonly includes the Porto de Recreio da Calheta itself, Paul do Mar, Ribeira Brava and Seixal. A local agent can confirm the correct official location for the formalities.
What routes commonly use Calheta?
Relevant routes include Funchal to Calheta, Canary Islands to Calheta, and transatlantic crossings. The process depends on the previous and next jurisdictions, yacht status and crew nationalities.
Do yachts need to clear into Madeira?
A yacht arriving from outside Schengen should report at a location able to handle the formalities before cruising onward. Movements between Madeira and another Schengen or EU port generally involve less border formality, although checks remain possible.
Can a yacht arrive at Calheta without checking Funchal first?
Only exceptionally for a third-country arrival. Confirm with the local agent whether Calheta can handle the formalities directly or whether coordination with Funchal is needed.
How long can a qualifying non-EU yacht use temporary admission?
A privately used non-EU yacht can generally use EU temporary admission for up to 18 months when all conditions are met. The period applies across the EU customs territory and does not restart on entering Calheta.
What documents should be prepared?
Prepare passports, crew list, vessel registration, ownership or authority documents, insurance, skipper qualification, previous clearance and applicable EU-status, VAT or temporary-admission evidence.
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 a government authority and does not make official decisions.
Personal clearance support
Send the voyage details once. We help route the request.
Use this page for Calheta arrival, departure and Madeira yacht-paperwork assistance.