Clearance is possible at Penrhyn, but the Executive Officer with the Island’s Administration, Mr. Vano, asks those intending to visit by yacht to make sure they follow the official procedures in advance for clearance, to ensure a smooth arrival.
This means the vessel's master must complete an Advance Notification of Arrival - Form 27 (CI Border Agencies application for marine craft to arrive at or depart from a place outside a designated Customs Port)
As well as providing the Advance Notification to Cook Islands Customs Authorities at least three days before your intended arrival, it is also advisable to send the form to Mr Vano prior to your arrival: puna.vano@cookislands.gov.ck.
Currently the island's VHF radio system does not include Channel 16, but officials expect the new VHF to be installed by September 2025
Anchor off Omoka village on the south side of the Taruia Pass. There is also a wharf where it is possible to come alongside if there is no surge. Note: Due to entanglement with coral bommies here, one cruising boat reported that they preferred to idle outside the reef while the skipper dinghied ashore to check in/out.
Mr Vano coordinates the Border Control Team to attend for the clearance of your boat and crew. His office is located on the ground floor of the newly-built Cyclone Center and the Bank of the Cook Islands. He will arrange for Customs, immigration, bio-security, health and agriculture to visit you. All officials are reported to be very friendly, well organized and professional.
Working hours are from 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday to Friday. If you arrive on a weekend, it’s best to stay aboard your vessel until Monday morning to clear in.
After clearance, you must get permission before moving elsewhere in the lagoon.
The EO requires a 24 hours notice of your departure. Anyone on the atoll can call him for you. Please make sure that your passports are collected and all fees paid to the border agencies at this time. All payments are to be made by cash, preferably NZ Dollars as there are no ATM/Credit Card facilities and limited foreign exchange.
Last updated: June 2025
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Penrhyn remains a wonderful place to visit. In 2024 they are definately still a standard entry port for the Cooks, so yes you are expected to do your Advance Notice of Arrival via the main customs Web site. It is a simple one page form. Dont expect local cudtomsnto actually have it though! Absolutely bring NZ dollars. Cash only. Bank does not allow exchange. Locals will only privately offer 1:1 USD or maybe Euro. You will need about $250NZD, customs fee $60, Public Health $20, Biosecurity $20, Harbour Fee $20 plus $2.50 per day. If departing from here Cook Islands immigration departure Tax $80 per person payable to customs on departure. And $20 to Vodafone for wireless if needed.
Nothing to buy here though, shop is tiny, diesel and gasoline is precious to them as they only get a supply ship every 3 months, and will be rationing it in the last few weeks. Best not to ask, as they will feel obliged to help.
Puna the local government executive officer remains helpful and friendly. If you arrive cashless the will accept a SWIFT code transfer for your harbour fees but not customs fees.
Best anchorage is TeTauTua on the west side of lagoon. Clear waters 4m sand. Rio will greet you.
The NW pass and Omoka area is exceptionally and recently well charted. There is a recommended route on the electronic charts to follow to Gudgeon Bay Omoka if the light is bad. But for the remainder of the lagoon, the chart bears little resemblance to reality, so good light navigation only. Omoka is quite windy and there is a lot of coral. Best anchorage is 200m north of the Wharf, in 12m, off the modern 2 story white building that is the Govt Office and Cyclone Shelter. The single story old blue building on the shoreline adjacent is customs and bank.
For those coming from French Polynesia Penrhyn will offer a lovely break from the yachtie crowds. For those arriving from the north its your last chance at solitude before merging with the Coconut Milk Run.
Dean
SV Run to Paradise
We arrived in Penrhyn (Tongreva) early May, 2023, came through the easy, short pass named Taruia, on the NW side and picked our way through the bommies in good sunlight and anchored in front of Omoka village. (Recommended spot 8.58,700S
158.3,100 W). The checkin people (customs, immigration, bio security, health and agriculture) came out to us within an hour and were super friendly organized and professional. For our 43’ monohull and two people the cost was $150NZ plus $2.50NZ per day. We did not have to check in beforehand with the central government in Rarotonga as Penrhyn has removed themselves from that process, nor did we need to inform Penrhyn of our planned arrival date, just show up. Sundays are for church so there is no checkin or work of any kind and Saturday atyou may or may not get checked in. Presently there is no ATM so you have to bring foreign currency in cash. We had $US which they would only trade 1:1 as it is difficult for them to get rid of the $US themselves.
There are WiFi hotspots and you can buy vouchers with a password to get you connected. The Vodaphone guy is a mile or two out of town but you should be able to catch a motorbike ride down to him pretty easily.
Presently there are 189 people living in Penrhyn with 28 of them living across the lagoon in Tetautua. We are the first cruising sailboat to stay awhile in 3 years (there was a guy, Tom Robinson, who is rowing his way across the Pacific, who stayed 4 months and had left before we arrived) and we have found this place to be very special. Maybe because there is so little tourism (15 sailboats visit in a “busy” year) we have found the people to be so open and enthusiastically welcoming. The lagoon is vibrant with life (great spearfishing) and the NW pass, the only one we have dove here so far, has some of the best marine life that we have seen in the Pacific although most of the coral in the pass was dead. And lots of sharks of course.
We sailed across to Tetautua and anchored in the very calm sandy waters in front (you are only allowed to anchor in front of the two villages but you may possibly ask permission to anchor somewhere else). They love it when kid boats show up and all the children can interact. Unfortunately they are not so enthusiastic about dogs as they are not allowed on the island anywhere.
There is no pearl farming or pearl diving happening here these days and we have not really done much trading with anybody.
There is a yacht book that sailors have been signing for 40 years that is interesting to read through.
This is my second time across the Pacific but first time to Penrhyn, and I have to say it is our favourite island (and we loved French Polynesia, especially the Marquesas). It is not on the straight line path towards Tonga if you are coming from French Polynesia but it is so well worth the few days north to get here, it really is.
Ian and Ann
SV Afrikii
Thank you for this wonderful feedback Ian and Ann – we are making this into a report for the site so that more of our users can find the information.