Departments
Port Operations
Approximately 800,000 persons enter Antigua and Barbuda on an annual basis to include citizens, residents and visitors. Immigration Officers are stationed at all approved Ports of entry in Antigua and Barbuda to inspect and profile each passenger arriving and departing the country via air or sea. The mandate of the Immigration Department at a port of entry, is among other things, to confirm the eligibility of travelers to enter or depart Antigua and Barbuda and to detect and deter Persons of Interest.
The screening of passengers in keeping with our mandate requires the screening of thousands of travelers against dozens of rules governing who may or may not enter the country at any of the five designated ports. Moreover, strict enforcement is in tandem with a second core mission: to facilitate the flow of lawful travelers, who are the vast majority of persons seeking admission. The Department has installed electronic entry and exit systems at all Ports of Entry to assist in balancing these challenging concerns and in response to the frequent ever-changing landscape of potential threats and legal immigration flows.
The Immigration Department is comprised of five designated ports of entry in Antigua and Barbuda. However, all carriers must obtain clearance from Antigua before sailing or flying to Barbuda, as Barbuda does not have an official port of entry.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE BY AIR
Every Passenger who arrives in Antigua and Barbuda via a port of entry and intends to stay must complete an Immigration Embarkation Card and be interviewed by an Immigration Officer. To enhance efficiency and to avoid delay, Embarkation Cards are to be completed by each passenger prior to arrival in Antigua and to being processed by an Immigration Officer.
Documents are to be presented to the Interviewing Officer for inspection. However, as a visitor to Antigua and Barbuda and before the passport is endorsed with an entry permit, the officer may ask several questions such as the purpose of the trip, length of stay and about your usual place of residence. All visitors are advised to review the class of admission and period of admission recorded in their passport so that any mistakes can be corrected right away, to avoid any difficulties that may arise in trying to correct a mistake at a later date. The information written in the passport by an Officer is the basis for all further immigration-related activities, which may be conducted while in Antigua and Barbuda.
Persons departing Antigua and Barbuda must also clear Immigration by presenting a completed Embarkation Card, boarding pass and his or her passport to the Immigration Officer. Passengers are also required to proceed to the Security Checkpoint for screening before proceeding to their designated departure gate.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE BY SEA
The operational hours for the Seaport Stations varies between 6 am and 9 pm, (please refer to the individual station below for opening hours). If a vessel is scheduled to arrive after opening hours of a particular seaport and a crew member or passenger has to leave by air, special arrangements can be made to facilitate entry and departure. The departure of crew/passenger will not be facilitated without entry clearance of the vessel. In the case of a departing vessel awaiting crew or passengers, passports/ID’s must be seen along with other required documents, by Immigration to facilitate the clearance.
The Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department has five seaports, however only the ports at Nelson’s Dockyard, Jolly Harbour, Crabbe Slipway and Heritage Quay are operational;
- Nelson’s Dockyard Immigration Station
This port is a pleasure and cruise port situated in the heart of Nelson’s Dockyard, which is a cultural heritage site and Marina in English Harbour, Antigua. It provides clearance for vessels that are arriving and departing the shores of Antigua and Barbuda. The hours of operations are Monday – Friday from 08:00hrs – 17:00hrs and Saturdays and Sundays from 08:00hrs – 16:00hrs
Off Season mid-May to mid-November 08:00hrs — 16:00hrs
- Jolly Harbour
This port is a pleasure port that only accommodates arrivals and departures of yachts and fishing vessels. The hours of operations are Monday – Friday from 08:00hrs – 17:00hrs and Saturdays and Sundays from 08:00hrs – 16:00hrs
- Heritage Quay Station
This port of entry is a commercial and cruise port that accommodates cruise ships and other small crafts. The hours of operations are daily from 06:00hrs – 21:00hrs
- Deep Water Station
This Port of entry is a commercial and Cargo Port that accommodates mainly cargo vessels. Port clearance must be communicated in advance of arriving and departing since the offices at this Port is not operational and officers are required to be transported to give clearance.
- Crabbs Station
This Port of entry is a commercial and Cargo Port that accommodates mainly cargo vessels. Port clearance must be communicated in advance of arriving and departing since the offices at this Port is not operational and officers are required to be transported to give clearance.
HEADQUARTERS OPERATIONS
The Immigration Headquarters is located on the corner of Long and Thames Street, St. John’s, Antigua and consist of a number of units that perform services that are not offered at Ports of entry; namely:
- Extensions Unit
The extensions Unit of the Immigration Department is located on the ground floor of the Immigration Headquarters. The main function of the Unit is to grant extensions on entry permits issued under the Immigration and Passport Act, 2014. Extensions of permits are issued for the purpose of attending an educational institution, to facilitate time stipulated in a work permit or to allow for additional time to remain with friends and family.
Applicants for an extension of time are required to complete an application form, provide their biometrics, be in possession of a return or onward ticket and to pay the prescribed fees. This list is not exhaustive and the interviewing officer may require further documentation from the applicant.
- Residency Unit
The Residency Unit is located on the second floor of the Immigration Headquarters. The Unit provides the public with various services to include the following:
- Temporary Resident issuance and renewal
- Lost and Stolen Passports
- Research on citizenship applicants
- Interviews for Citizenship applicant
The Officers assigned to this Unit interview applicants on a daily basis. The purpose of the interview is to verify the applicant’s identity, authenticate photocopies of documents with the originals that are presented at the interview, and obtain information to determine if the requirements for a grant of citizenship have been met.
- Visa and eVisa Unit
The eVisa Unit is available to process online applications for persons who require a visa for entry into Antigua and Barbuda,. This requires that the application, supporting documents and payment are submitted on line for approval. Applicants will be notified by email about the approval or denial of the application.
- Enforcement and Prosecution Unit
The Enforcement and Prosecution Unit of the Immigration Department enforces the immigration laws of Antigua and Barbuda in a fair and effective manner. The functions of this Unit includes identifying, apprehending, prosecuting and removing illegal immigrants from Antigua and Barbuda.
- Human Resource & Finance Unit and the Administration Unit
These Units perform the functions of back office duties which are vital support to the operation of the Immigration Department.
