• Ensure all crew members seeking to enter Timor-Leste have a valid national passport with an expiry date not less than 6 months from the date of entry into Timor-Leste and at least 2 spare pages in their passport.
• Ensure your yacht has a current National Registration Certificate to obtain an outgoing Australian Customs Clearance in Darwin.  A National Registration Certificate is also required for entry into Timor-Leste.  For information on obtaining Australian Registration for your yacht go to: http://www.amsa.gov.au/Shipping_Registration
• Obtain relevant travel advice and special advisories from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or from your national embassy.Obtain medical/travel insurance in the event you require medical evacuation from Dili.  For yacht and personal insurance needs, contact National Insurance Timor-Leste, Gold Sponsor and Official Insurer for the Rally
• Consider international roaming for your mobile.
• Obtain the necessary amount of US dollars or travellers cheques. The ANZ Bank and a number of other foreign banks operate in Dili but it is always advisable to arrange cash or travellers cheques prior to arrival.
• Obtain any necessary prescription medicines.
• Obtain any necessary vaccinations and anti-malarial treatments.
• Obtain a Timor-Leste travel guide eg Lonely Planet or equivalent
• Take supplies of second hand children's clothes, notepads and pens etc to give away in return for the hospitality you will receive at small villages and communities.
• Learn a few words of Tetum! A smile and a few local words can take you a long way.

If your yacht is not yet in Australia, for information go to the Australian Customs web site, also see the regulations page. Australian Customs and Quarantine regulations require that yachts arriving in Australia must give notice of arrival at least 96 hours before arrival at their first port in Australia.

The Australian Quarantine web site details all information regarding Australia's quarantine laws including the regulations regarding importation of any organic material, foods, cats, dogs or other pets you may have on board.  Also when you arrive in Australia, the Quarantine Service may want inspect the hull of your yacht for unwanted marine organisms, please see Yacht Arrival Quarantine Regulations for all details.

If your yacht is not yet in Darwin or is returning to Darwin after the Rally, please note that there are Northern Territory Government regulations regarding the entry of yachts into Darwin's marinas to prevent the spread of marine pests. For all information see visit the Northern Territory Government Fisheries web site.

Guns, firearms and ammunition - are strictly prohibited imports into Timor-Leste.  DO NOT CARRY ANY GUNS ABOARD YOUR VESSEL.

Timor-Leste is affected by Malaria, Polio, Typhoid Fever, Hepatitis as well as other diseases and you are strongly advised to seek medical advice regarding the prevention and treatment of these diseases prior to travel. Medical travel insurance is also strongly recommended.  A detailed health overview for travellers in Timor-Leste can be found at the following website: MDtravelhealth.com. In Darwin the Top End Travel Doctor is located in Stuart Park at 44 Stuart Highway, phone + 61 8 89030 4900 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . They specialise in tropical medicine and vaccinations. There is usually a few days wait for an appointment.

Sail Indonesia Rally

Indonesian Waters

• a) Yachts can now enter Indonesia freely at a designated port of entry with no special procedures to follow other than Registration with Indonesian Customs before you arrive in Indonesia; on arrival at the first port the Captain must report to the relevant authorities with the Indonesian Customs Form, all yacht documentation and crew passports.
• b) All yachts must have:
  1. A current National Registration Certificate to obtain an Indonesian Customs Entry Permit.
  2. An AIS transmitter & receiver are required by law for all foreign vessels in Indonesian waters. You will need the MMSI number associated with the unit, and
  3. Visas for crew entry into Indonesia, which can be obtained from the Indonesian Embassy in Dili.
• c) When checking out of Indonesia, the Captain must report with all yacht documentation and crew passports at a designated port of exit.
• d) Yachts wishing to travel to Indonesia independently of Sail Indonesia or other organised events will need to organise their own paperwork. Further information on this may be obtained from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - we can assist with these arrangements.

Procedures for foreign yachts entering and exiting Timor-Leste.